More whānau across the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga are putting nutritious meals on the table, thanks to the work of farmer-founded charity Meet the Need.

Meet the Need is a nationwide organisation that connects rural generosity with communities facing food insecurity, helping ensure protein-rich food reaches people who need it most.

Since launching in 2020, the organisation has delivered more than 4.2 million mince meals and milk to families nationwide, working with more than 145 foodbanks and community organisations.

Meet the Need marketing and communications lead Rachael Sutton said the charity enabled farmers and everyday New Zealanders to donate livestock, milk, or cash for high-quality protein to be distributed through foodbanks and community organisations across the country.

“At our core, we’re about getting nutritious, protein-rich food to the people who need it most, while creating a simple, trusted way for farmers to give back,” Sutton said.

In Tauranga and the Western BOP, Meet the Need worked closely with a network of six foodbanks and community groups that were supporting whānau on the ground.

“In the last year alone, we’ve supplied over 50,000 mince meals and milk portions across the region,” Sutton said.

For many foodbanks, access to protein remained one of the biggest challenges, she said.

“It is consistently one of the most in-demand items, but also one of the hardest to source.

“Donated mince is especially valuable because it is versatile, easy to portion, and can be used to create multiple meals for families, making it a practical and high-impact form of support.”

Access to good-quality protein was fundamental to health and wellbeing, Sutton said. It supported physical development, energy levels and immune function, which was important for children and growing families.

“For many whānau, being able to put a proper meal on the table also reduces stress and brings a greater sense of stability and dignity.”

When nutritious food was more accessible, families were better able to stay connected to work, school, and community life, with fewer difficult trade-offs between food and other essentials.

TECT Community Trust supported Meet the Need’s work locally, helping ensure donations can be processed, prepared and delivered where they are needed most.

TECT trustee Rachael Gemming said enabling collaboration was key to making initiatives like this possible at a regional level.

“Food security plays a vital role in the wellbeing and resilience of our communities.

“Supporting partnerships like this helps bring together farmers, funders, foodbanks, and community organisations to deliver practical solutions that make a real difference for whānau,” Gemming said.

“What makes this work so powerful is that everyone has a role to play. Whether it’s donating livestock, funding the process, or supporting local organisations, it shows food insecurity is something we can address together. When communities come together, we can make a real difference,” she said.

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Meet the Need’s model was built on that same idea, Sutton said, connecting people and organisations that each play a role in the solution.

She said donations from farmers were processed through industry partners and distributed through foodbanks which understood the needs of their communities.

Across New Zealand more than 1.2 million mince meals and milk were delivered in the past year thanks to Meet the Need.

Behind each of those meals is a whānau doing their best to get by. That impact is felt beyond the food itself, Sutton said.

“It’s not just about food, it’s about connection, dignity, and showing up for one another. This connection between rural and urban communities is helping build a stronger, more resilient region.”