Bellyful News
The day Bellyful knocked on the door: Riika’s story
When a Bellyful volunteer knocked on Riika’s door during COVID, she thought she was simply receiving a few meals. Five years later, as Branch Coordinator of Bellyful Whitianga, Riika can see that knock gave her something even more important: connection, friendship and...
Celebrating Bellyful’s 2026 Heart Award recipients
Jacqui Jago and Pippa Wetzell (far right) were honoured for 15 years' service at the Heart Awards Dinner. Also pictured (L-R) Bellyful Founder Jacqui Ritchie, Board Chair Fiona Wilson and CE Sheena Revington. "The quiet force behind so much of Bellyful", "the glue...
A good deed in a weary world: Bellyful supporting families at Kidz First
At Kidz First Children’s Hospital in South Auckland, families arrive every day carrying far more than overnight bags. Some have travelled from Pukekohe. Others from Ōtara, East Auckland and across the wider South Auckland community. What they share is the same worry...
One less thing to carry
“I was a mum, with two under two. I didn’t realise how challenging it would be.” When Laila welcomed her second baby, life quickly became a juggle. With a newborn and a toddler at home, and her partner working full time — and spending his spare time renovating their...
34,000 meals, 6,000 whānau – inside Bellyful’s year of impact
Bellyful has served up a powerful reminder that food is about so much more than what’s on the plate. In the year to March 2025, our volunteers across Aotearoa cooked and delivered 34,256 meals to 6,379 whānau – and together, we reached a huge milestone of more than...
Whānau turning to Bellyful when life gets tough
Alongside new babies, illness, isolation and exhaustion are now major reasons families are turning to Bellyful. For many years, the arrival of a new baby was the main reason whānau sought Bellyful’s support. The latest results from Bellyful's regular recipient survey,...
“You Kept Us Afloat”: Survey Highlights the Impact of Bellyful Volunteers
From exhausted new parents to overwhelmed households, whānau across the motu say Bellyful’s volunteers are a lifeline. In new survey results released for National Volunteer Week (15–21 June), 91% of recipients said the meals gave them a break when they needed it most...
Bellyful launches “Shaping Our Future” Strategic Plan to reach more whānau in need of support
Bellyful New Zealand is thrilled to launch its refreshed Strategic Plan 2025–2027, a future-focused roadmap designed to ensure the organisation remains relevant and sustainable as it continues to nourish whānau and connect communities across the motu. Read the...
Lead with purpose – Join Bellyful NZ’s Board!
Are you passionate about supporting families and communities? Do you have governance experience and the drive to help a growing charity thrive? Bellyful New Zealand is looking for dedicated individuals to join our Board. About Bellyful Bellyful nourishes whānau and...
Annual Performance Report 2023/24
The Bellyful Board of Trustees is delighted to present this year’s Annual Performance Report where we celebrate delivering 250,000 meals, in this, our 15th year. Read our Annual Report here It is phenomenal to think about all the time, care and aroha that has gone...
Hui 2024 brings Bellyful leaders together
We are invigorated following a wonderful Bellyful National Hui in Te Whanganui a Tara / Wellington. The amount of energy and aroha in the room as we gathered volunteer leaders from across Aotearoa was special. This year, one of the focuses was on ensuring our branch...
Welcome to our new CE
We are delighted to welcome Sheena Revington as our new Chief Executive. Sheena is an accomplished and driven not-for-profit leader, with nearly 20 years of experience in strategy, fundraising, communications, marketing, and community engagement. With an...
Bellyful blown away by Wellington jersey gift
Bellyful NZ is grateful to Mills Albert for its generous gift which sees the Bellyful logo taking pride of place on Wellington Lions and Pride jerseys this provincial season. Bellyful is a national charity with a team of more than 650 volunteers, spread from Hibiscus...
Colour your Easter with Bellyful
Hoppy Easter! If you need something fun for the little ones to do this Easter, we have some colouring pages they can enjoy. Just click on your chosen image below to download the colouring sheet of your choice. Bellyful Easter colouring sheets for under 5s: Bellyful...
Annual Performance Report 2022/23
The Bellyful Board of Trustees is delighted to present this year's Annual Performance Report. Read our Annual Performance Report here In the year to March 2023, we delivered 31,968 meals to 5,586 whānau. Bellyful NZ's positive impact, supporting whānau with babies or...
Bellyful volunteer a Local Heroes finalist
Congratulations to Bellyful Central Auckland volunteer Mhairi Freer who is a finalist in the Westfield Newmarket Local Heroes. Vote here Mhairi has been a Bellyful volunteer for seven years and we think the reasons she is so special are best summed up in the...
Why do you love volunteering for Bellyful?
National Volunteer Week 18-24 June 2023 honours the collective energies and mana of volunteers in Aotearoa. This year’s theme is Time to Shine – He wā pīataata. It’s a time to recognise and celebrate our volunteers and their time to shine – pīataata. A few of our...
Watch: Mission to refill Bellyful Hawke’s Bays freezers
Our Wellington branches have cooked extra meals to help whānau in Hawke's Bay. Bellyful Hawke's Bay had to cancel a planned Cookathon due to Cyclone Gabrielle. This meant its freezers were near empty. Bellyful's Wellington branches came up with a plan to cook extra...
Bellyful rallies to help following catastrophic weather
Pictured: Bellyful Wellington South volunteers have helped stock up meals for Hawke's Bay Bellyful's Wellington branches have united to help get meals to Hawke's Bay in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. "We are all deeply saddened by the devastating images and stories...
“A lifesaver” – survey shows Bellyful’s ongoing impact
The latest quarterly Bellyful recipient and referrer survey shows Bellyful continues to make a difference in the lives of the whānau we support, by allowing them time to focus on their babies and children. Research NZ quizzed people who referred to Bellyful, or were...
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