Feeding the need
Volunteers hard at work preparing meals for young families.
Taupō’s generous underbelly works quickly in times of need.
By Dan Hutchinson
And the Taupō branch of Bellyful – an organisation that provides meals to those who need them – has had a lot to swallow to start off 2026.
No sooner was it getting ready for its first cook of 2026, when the usual kitchen facilities at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College Whare Kai became off-limits due to a fire that destroyed nearby classrooms.
Earlier this week, that problem was resolved when the owner of Baked With Love Kim Forsythe offered kitchen facilities for the monthly cook.
Branch coordinator Sharon Wilcox says she is very grateful for Kim’s generosity.
They now just need a Cookathon Coordinator to oversee the monthly meal preparation sessions.
They cook up about 150 meals a month and freeze them for use by young families.
They have volunteers that come together on the day to help out but the coordinator is needed to ensure everything is in place for the cooking, storage delivery.
Bellyful has operated nationally for more than 10 years with the Taupō branch established its Taupō presence six years ago.
The meals are provided via referrals from healthcare providers, community organisations and self-referrals.
The organisation accepts referrals through its website from various sources, with Plunket and midwives serving as the largest referrers.
Families can also refer themselves if they need temporary meal support.
The charity has expanded its criteria in recent years in response to increased cost-of-living pressures.
"Since Covid, the need has gone up, the criteria has broadened. We were getting, are getting a lot of referrals from people who just are having trouble making ends meet.”
Bellyful stores its frozen meals in freezers at Plunket and Taupo Pool World, with both organisations providing crucial storage space for the programme.
The group receives donations of meat from Meet the Need, an organisation founded by former Federated Farmers representative Mark Langford.
The cooking coordinator role involves contacting volunteers for each monthly session, ordering ingredients and supplies, organising the cooking process, and ensuring meals reach the freezers.
Bellyful is entirely volunteer driven with no paid positions.
"All the meals go to our families. The payment is in feeling good that you've done something for the community."
Wilcox says that while they welcome all volunteers, the cooking coordinator position represents their most pressing need.
Interested volunteers can contact her on 027 202 1511, find the advert on Seek or visit the Bellyful website to learn more about the work with young families in the Taupō community.