Bellyful is a New Zealand not-for-profit organisation, with new branches appearing around the country at the current rate of four a month. It has a single focus – to deliver home-cooked meals to families with newborn babies and to families struggling with illness. It is not a food bank and it does not offer advice on baby care.

Volunteers get together for regular ‘cook-a-thons’, which in themselves create opportunities for social connection. There is a narrow range of meals prepared and all food costs are paid for via fundraising, so the burden on volunteers is fairly light.

Bellyful’s vision is to have a branch within reach of every mum in every part of New Zealand. If you want to know more about this organisation, whether to get involved or to get inspired, go to www.bellyful.org.nz.

Of course, there are localised versions that operate along similar lines. Carole McMinn of Long Bay Baptist Church has developed ‘Meals for Mums’. She involves people from the church’s new immigrants’ coffee group, plus local businesspeople and church volunteers for their cook-ups, and the meals are delivered by Plunket.  (Great partnership!) They are providing more than 200 meals a month. In an area with a high percentage of immigrants, many of whom will not have the family or friend networks most of us take for granted, this is a service that is meeting a genuine social need.

Are you doing something innovative and collaborative in your community? Feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it brief details to us so we can all be inspired and encouraged.