PAK’nSAVE Rangiora owner operators James and Catherine Flanagan have donated a fully refurbished electric walkie stacker forklift to Satisfy Food Rescue.

Satisfy Food Rescue, based in North Canterbury, New Zealand, works with local food retailers and community organisations to redirect surplus food in the community to those who need it most. As they expand its operations, PAK’nSAVE Rangiora has helped the organisation shift from a manual to more automated way of moving food and product in its warehouse.

Mr and Ms Flanagan say Satisfy Food Rescue, which they have partnered with since 2016, shares the same goals as they do: feeding the local community with a big focus on sustainability.

“Foodstuffs South Island has a commitment to being Here for NZ, by supporting local communities, and providing them with healthy, affordable food, meaningful work and being leaders in sustainability and this partnership is a perfect example of that commitment,” they said.

Mr Flanagan says they specifically chose to partner with Satisfy as they were local and ensured the food the retailer provided them stayed in the community.

“On one of our visits to their warehouse recently, we saw that the team were unloading a lot of pallets by hand and moving them manually around their premises,” he says.

“We wanted to help enhance their logistical capabilities and make it safer and more efficient for them to move their product, and also distribute it to people in need.”

The team at PAK’nSAVE Rangiora did an inventory of its equipment in store and found an electric walkie stacker forklift in good condition, which they could donate.

Mr Flanagan then reached out to his forklift supplier Crown to put together a plan to refurbish the machine and gift it to Satisfy Food Rescue. Crown donated its time for the refurb and PAK’nSAVE Rangiora provided the parts and equipment required, including a brand-new battery.

Stef Van Meer, Manager of Satisfy Food Rescue, which is currently expanding its operations, knows how much value the donation of the reach truck will have for them.

“This will save us valuable time each week, allowing us to focus on ensuring the food in our warehouse gets out the door and delivered to the community faster,” she says.

“It also means we can reduce the risk involved with manual handling of stock, as we no longer need to move pallets of food by hand.”