Food Banks

A food bank collects, stores, packs, and distributes food and other needed items to people experiencing food insecurity. They are often linked to social service agencies. There can be a criteria as to whether you are able to access food. 

Palmerston North Methodist Social Services
Social Supermarket. Palmerston North Methodist Social Services - Social Supermarket https://pnmss.nz
Salvation Army Palmerston North Food Bank
421 Church Street Ph 358 7455 for an appointment https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/centres/nz/lower-north-island/palmerston-north
Salvation Army, Woodville
69 McLean Street Ph 376 5688
Manchester House, Feilding
Manchester House operates a food bank every weekday to assist people who are in crisis meet their emergency food needs. Bread and fresh fruit and vegetables are also readily available on the sharing table inside the Social Services Hub. Clients who need a food parcel are required to meet with a budgeting advisor. Ph 323 7191 68 Aorangi Street, Feilding https://manchesterhouse.co.nz/emergency-food-support/
Niuvaka Trust
Food parcels and other social services focusing on Pasifika families 0800 NIUVAKA 59 Queen Street, Palmerston North Niuvaka Trust | Palmerston North | Facebook
Papaioea Pasifika Community Trust
Provides food parcels and other social services for Pasifika families. Ph 0211770654 Pasifika Centre, Bill Brown Park.
St Vinnies
Food parcel deliveries and support with clothing and household items. Call 06 3576779 to arrange a food parcel 252 Rangitikei Street.

Community Meals

Luck Venue
Luck Venue offer a free breakfast Monday to Friday from 9am and can provide Kai packs for whanau in need. Their services are open over the holiday period. Ph 06 357-6798 90 Berrymans Lane, Palmerston North luckvenue@mashtrust.org.nz LUCK Venue | Facebook
Legacy Just Hope Monday Meal
Free hot meals on Monday nights. Doors open 5.30, meal served at 6pm Legacy Centre, cnr. Highbury and Brentwood Avenue Ph 027 270 5715 https://legacy.net.nz/just-hope/
Just Life
A free community meal held at Gateway's from 5-8pm on Monday 174-178 Church Street.
The Street Van
Hot food distributed every Saturday night 10pm-2am. Te Marae o hine, The Square.
Eat Up NZ
A Palmerston North-based social enterprise engaging corporate volunteers to make free lunches for primary school children. https://www.eatup.org.nz/

National Food Sharing Directories

Zero Hunger national directory
A map showing food sharing sites around the country.
'Find a Food Bank' directory
Where are the food banks around New Zealand?

Pātaka Kai

Pātaka Kai is the Māori term for a food storehouse or basically a pantry.

Pātaka Kai are a space for people to leave what they can (excess garden produce and food for example)  and for people to take what they need. This is not an exchange system, nor is koha required. Pātaka Kai are open 24/7.

Click here to access the list of Pātaka Kai in Palmerston North 

Crop swap

Crop Swaps are friendly free-exchange events for backyard gardeners to share their produce, seedlings, seeds and knowledge.

Bring your excess fresh produce, seeds, seedlings or cuttings along to share with others. Don’t have anything to bring? No problem! Come along anyway, meet some friendly local gardeners and take some treats home. 

Palmy Crop Swap
The Palmy Crop Swap runs monthly on the second Sunday of each month at the Awapuni Community Centre, 22 Newbury Street, from 1:30pm-2:30pm. The Awapuni Community Garden is behind the hall. Any leftover seedlings are immediately planted in the ACG after the swap events so nothing goes to waste! Don’t have anything to bring? No problem! Come along anyway, meet some friendly local gardeners and take some treats home. https://www.facebook.com/Palmycropswap/www.facebook.com/Palmycropswap/
RECAP Crop Swap
RECAP also holds regular crop swaps out in Ashhurst, usually once a month. https://www.facebook.com/ResilienceAshhurstPohanginawww.facebook.com/ResilienceAshhurstPohangina
Foxton Crop Swap
2nd Sunday of the month. Foxton School Hall 2-3pm. Bring along any surplus garden produce that you would like to share, and take home something someone else has grown that you would like.

Seed Libraries

Save seeds, Donate seeds, take seeds...share locally grown seeds suitable to our Manawatū climate!

The purpose of a seed exchange is to provide free acess to seeds for anyone wishing to growing their own kai, and to house donations from those who wish to share.

​​We invite donations of seeds for our seed exchanges, seedlings (vegetables and herbs) for planting in community garden projects, and we are a drop-off for clean garden pots in good condition. 

Palmerston North
1. The ENM office, 145 Cuba St Ph 06 355 0126 2. Te Pātikitiki branch library, 157 Highbury Av, Ph 06 3572108 3. Awapuni branch library, 96C College St, Ph 06 3567634 4. Roslyn Library, 8 Kipling St, Ph 06 3579287 5. Central Palmerston North library, 4 The Square Palmerston North 4410
Ashhurst
RECAP coordinate a Seed Exchange at the Ashhurst Branch Library, 64 Bamfield Street, Ashhurst. Anyone is welcome to participate. There are simple forms to complete on the Seed Exchange shelf.
Feilding
There is a Seed Exchange in the Feilding Public Library, 64 Stafford Street, Feilding. Ph 06 3235373

Need Tools for your garden?

We are a home of diverse range of gardening tools, donated by the community and local businesses. From hand tools to wheelbarrows, hoses, watering cans and a range of other useful bits and pieces.

These tools are available to everyone in the community, for free. Whether it’s a working bee at your school, community garden or in your own back yard, we’ve got what you need for all your garden missions. Users are asked to read and sign a short pānui regarding care for the tools and their clean and dry return to the bank.