New Zealand’s first online foodbank, The Foodbank Project, has won the Highly Commended for Excellence in Social Innovation gong at last weeks New Zealand Innovation Awards.

The project, a collaboration between Countdown, The Salvation Army, and Nelson based web developer Lucid. The Foodbank Project, enables food to be donated online to fill Salvation Army food parcels.

Since launching in September 2015, New Zealanders have donated over $123,000 of food to people in need through the online platform.

Countdown is involved in The Foodbank Project on a not-for-profit basis, and delivers the donated items to The Salvation Army foodbanks through its online shopping network, and donates any profits from items delivered to fund the site. So far Countdown has donated over $18,000.

Countdown’s GM Corporate Affairs, James Walker, said “the collaboration between Countdown, The Salvation Army, and Lucid has resulted in a highly successful online donation service, which uses Countdown’s nationwide delivery network to help connect donors with The Salvation Army through the click of a button.”

“The programme is continuing to expand, extending to Whangerai, Gisborne and Nelson this week.”

The Project complements Countdown’s Food Rescue Programme which donates food from its supermarkets to foodbanks around the country.

Earlier in the week, Countdown Food Rescue received a Highly Commended at the WasteMINZ Awards for Excellence in the best communication, engagement or education initiative category. Each year millions of dollars of food are diverted from the waste stream and made available for charity partners.S