Help keep
hot meals
coming!
Your donation helps provide nourishing meals and friendly visits, helping people in need maintain their independence and continue living at home.
For some people, a hot meal is about more than food. It’s the reassurance of knowing someone will arrive at the door, bring a meal and make sure they’re OK. Jacquie, 77, lives alone in Hawke’s Bay and relies on Meals on Wheels since a heart problem made cooking difficult. In Masterton, Alva, 80, is recovering from a knee injury that makes standing at the stove unsafe. In Auckland, Marilyn, 73, lives alone and since being diagnosed with dementia can no longer rely on her love of cooking to prepare meals.
For these women, a delivered meal means good food, a friendly face and greater confidence to keep living at home.
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A hot meal can mean so much more
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Bradley, Jacquie’s big cat, waits on her front step for the Meals on Wheels delivery. When lunch arrives, he follows it inside and climbs onto the arm of her chair. Since a heart problem made cooking a proper meal too difficult, Jacquie has come to depend on those regular visits. “You can set your clock by them,” she says of the people who deliver her meals. They know her by name, arrive in all kinds of weather and would notice if something wasn’t right.
In Masterton, Alva is recovering from a knee injury. With one side of her body weakened by a previous brain tumour, standing at the stove or carrying a hot pot could put her at risk of a fall or burn. Meals on Wheels helps her eat well while she heals.
More than a meal at the door
Jacquie, Alva and Marilyn’s experiences reflect why Meals on Wheels matters to people across Aotearoa New Zealand. For someone living alone or recovering from an injury, preparing a meal can become difficult or unsafe. A delivered lunch helps them eat well without having to manage everything themselves.
New Zealand Red Cross Meals on Wheels teams bring around 700,000 nourishing meals directly to people who need them every year, alongside a friendly face and a regular check-in. These visits can provide reassurance to someone living alone and help people maintain their independence in their own homes. For Alva, the service offers support while she recovers. For Jacquie, it is a dependable part of her week. Your donation helps sustain this practical, personal support for people who need it.
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Be there in every hour of need – become a Humanitarian Partner
Join a community of caring supporters who are there when a disaster strikes, when an elderly or ill neighbour needs a hot meal, or when a former refugee family arrives in Aotearoa New Zealand.
In every hour of need, the ongoing support of people who care is what makes our life-changing humanitarian work possible. So please, turn your compassion into action and become a Humanitarian Partner today.
Frequently asked questions
New Zealand Red Cross provide a Meals on Wheels delivery service to people who find it challenging to cook for themselves. Our meal delivery service helps provide a healthy meal every weekday to people all around Aotearoa New Zealand. We’ve been delivering Meals on Wheels since the 1950’s. More than a food delivery service, we provide regular social contact to our clients and an opportunity for someone to check that everything is OK. To learn more about our Meals on Wheels service, click here:
Meals on Wheels has been going strong for over 70 years. From a small kitchen in Canterbury, Meals on Wheels has developed to serve 33 locations across Aotearoa New Zealand with over 3,000 volunteers. What started out as a simple act of kindness has become a movement that is a lifeline for so many people. It's more than just delivering food – it has paved the way for friendship and companionship for people who are often isolated and vulnerable.
The funding we receive to deliver Meals on Wheels does not fully cover the costs of recruiting, training, and supporting our volunteer drivers, or the coordination required to deliver this service. Donor support helps us cover this funding gap and ensures we can continue providing this essential service to people in our communities.
Yes! We would love you to join our volunteering team. You can volunteer with us in over 50 locations around Aotearoa New Zealand. Filter by region and location to find a role in your area or nearby.
Making a regular donation is one of the most powerful ways to ensure that relief, care and hope can reach people who need it the most.
Join a community of caring supporters who are there when a disaster strikes, when an elderly or ill neighbour needs a hot meal, when a former refugee family arrives in Aotearoa New Zealand. In every hour of need, the ongoing support of people who care, is what makes our life-changing humanitarian work possible.
To learn more, click on the below link:
When you make a donation of more than $5.00, you could claim 33.33% back from IRD. We will send you a receipt for your donation within 3 business days. If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Supporter Care team on 0800 733 276 or email at fundraising@redcross.org.nz
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There are five ways you can make a one-off donation.
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Learn how to get involved and make a difference by volunteering, fundraising, participating in our events, or working in one of our teams within Aotearoa New Zealand or as an international delegate.
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New Zealand Red Cross Incorporated is a registered charity (CC21860), making you eligible for a tax refund of up to a third of your donation. All transactions are billed in New Zealand dollars.
New Zealand Red Cross operates from 69 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.