A chef-made meal with a cream cross-stamped band being handed to someone in need, with stacked meals, a Bible and a hand-written card on the table

Pastoral care & community giving

A Giving Heart

A fresh, chef-made meal for someone in real need — given as a gift, not a hand-out. These meals are God-given, not company-given. Our team volunteers their time, and they are carried by the generosity of our community, churches and sponsors.

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Are you a church? Partner with us →
MPI-registered kitchen
ACC approved providerVendor VBI718
Snap-frozen freshness
Delivered NZ-wide
★★★★★ Loved by 100s of Kiwi families

Our foundation

We can only give what we have — but we serve a God who multiplies

‘Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’
Malachi 3:10

Inspired by the promise of Malachi 3:10, we are stepping out in faith to fill the storehouse for those who are struggling. We trust God to open the floodgates of heaven and provide all we need — so that we can give thousands of meals in His name, and see His kingdom grow.

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Need a little help right now?

Whether it’s for you, someone you know, or your church family — start here. It’s confidential, and a real person will be in touch.

How can we help today?

Our heart

Meals given as a gift — God-given, not company-given

The Family Kitchen is a Christian-owned kitchen, and we believe everything we have is a gift to be shared. Through A Giving Heart we provide fresh, chef-made meals to people in our community walking through a genuinely hard season — illness, loss, crisis or hardship.

We are stewards, not the source. Our team volunteers their time — no wages or salaries are paid — and we make meals from as little as $3, so we can do the most good with every gift. We will keep cooking, but this work is carried by the generosity of our community, churches and sponsors. And it is a hand up, not a hand-out: we walk alongside people in real need who are willing to take a step themselves.

01

Give

Pledge a gift of any size — once or regularly. With meals from as little as $3, even a small pledge feeds someone in need. Every dollar goes straight into food for our community.

Pledge to the initiative
02

Receive

Going through a hard season, or know someone who is? Apply for support meals. A simple, confidential process with a church or community referee.

Apply for help
03

Partner

Churches can refer those in need, generate meal orders, and help deliver to their community — register to get involved.

Partner with us

Our promise

Every gift is stewarded with care

We treat your generosity as a trust. Here is how we honour it.

Every cent into foodOur team volunteers their time — no wages, no salaries. With meals from as little as $3, your gift buys food, not overheads.
Real need, vettedEvery recipient is endorsed by a church or community referee, so help reaches genuine need.
A hand upWe come alongside people taking steps to help themselves — dignity, not dependency.

Good to know

Who are the meals for?
People in our community going through a genuinely hard season — illness, loss, a new baby in crisis, financial hardship. We focus on real need, endorsed by a church or community referee.
How does my gift go so far?
Our team volunteers their time — no wages or salaries are paid — and we make meals from as little as $3. So almost your whole gift becomes food for someone in need.
Is this a charity? Are donations tax-deductible?
We are a Christian-owned kitchen, not a registered charity. Pledges are simple gifts to support this work and are not tax-deductible.
How do people receive the meals?
Either collect from our Tauranga kitchen, or through a partner church who collects in bulk and delivers them to people in their community. We can also deliver directly, but delivery comes at a cost and may not always be available, depending on donations.
Why do you ask screening questions?
Because we want every gift to reach genuine need, and because we believe in a hand up rather than a hand-out. This isn’t a government programme — the more someone shares, the better we can understand and consider their situation.
Our church wants to be involved — how?
Wonderful. Scroll to ‘Are you a church? Get involved’ below to register your church and partner with us — or choose ‘We’re a church’ in the application form to request meals for someone now.
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Proverbs 19:17

Our giving menu

The meals we share

Real, chef-made meals — the same care we put into every dish, given freely to those who need them.

Add meals to the “pastoral-care” collection and they’ll appear here.

Stories of grace

The difference your giving makes

Every pledge becomes a real meal in a real home. Here are a few of the moments your generosity makes possible.

“

A young mum, home with a baby born too early, opens the door to a week of hot meals — and a handwritten verse on top. Tonight she doesn’t have to think about dinner. She can just hold her baby.

— The kind of moment your giving makes possible

“

A dad between jobs, too proud to ask, is quietly handed a box of meals by his church. It doesn’t feel like charity — it feels like family. It’s the week he finally feels seen.

— An example of the need we meet

“

A widow who’s eaten alone since her husband passed hears a knock — a warm meal, and a friendly face. The meal feeds her body; the visit feeds her heart.

— Representative of those we serve

Stand with the mission

Pledge to the initiative

Partner with us to fill the storehouse. Give once, or pledge regularly — every dollar becomes food for someone in need, in Jesus’ name.

Apply for support

Need a little help right now?

Whether it’s for you, someone you know, or your church family — start here. It’s confidential, and a real person will be in touch.

How can we help today?

Churches

Are you a church? Get involved

If your church wants to come alongside this work — referring people in need, generating meal orders, and helping deliver to your community — we’d love to partner with you. (Need meals for someone right now? Use the application form above.)

  • Refer those in needEndorse people in your community for support meals.
  • Generate ordersRequest support meals in bulk for the people you’re caring for.
  • Collect or deliverCollect from our Tauranga kitchen, or your team delivers. We can deliver too, but at a cost and subject to availability.