Alena Swannell

Ko Pirongia te Maunga
Ko Tainui te Waka
Ko Waitetuna te Awa
Ko Tainui te Iwi
Ko Ngati Mahanga te Hapu
Ko Aramiro te Marae
Ko Alena Swannell toku ingoa

I was born and bred in Waikato and moved to Gisborne over 23 years ago.
With 4 children and a one year old mokopuna, life is definitely full of love, laughter and adventure.

Having worked for Eat Smart Tairawhiti, an affordable school lunch program, and then as a Kaiawhina for Manaaki Tairawhiti while also volunteering as a food bank and community meals coordinator, getting food to whanau has always been a high priority for me.
It was while working for Eat Smart Tairawhiti that I met my fellow Gizzy Kai Rescue Co-founders, who like me were keen on getting rescued food to whanau in the community.
Since the employment of a full time manager for Gizzy Kai Rescue, I now enjoy contributing to the Kaupapa as a trustee member.

Michele Fererre

I grew up on a farm outside a small town in the Tararua district watching my parents both actively helping in our local community. I moved to Tūranganui-a- Kiwa, Gisborne in my early 20’s after training as a chef and traveling. I met my husband Juan here while we were both working on a local orchard and together, we started a horticultural business, had two fabulous boys to add to our whanau of Juan’s 2 fabulous older boys and developed our own orchard. Wonderfully we now have our first mokopuna. Together Alena Swannell, Sarah Punnett and I started GIzzy Kai Rescue as we could all see how much need there was in the community and how much kai was going to waste. It’s been a fantastic journey getting to where we are today, and I feel blessed to have met so many wonderful people along the way.

Steve Sutherland

Raised in Gisborne, I am a proud parent to four adult children and Poppa to two delightful grandkids. Working for the government, I am deeply committed to community enhancement. To relax, I'm an avid runner and swimmer. My passion lies in driving positive change, particularly in community equity and food security. Proudly serving on the Gizzy Kai board, I champion initiatives fostering inclusivity and prosperity. I believe in continuous learning and the pursuit of betterment.

Lauren Beattie

Ko Lauren ahau.

Tēnā koutou katoa.

Ko Titirangi te maunga,

Ko Tūranganui te awa,

Ko te whānau Beattie te hapū,

He Pākehā ahau

He ākonga tauhou ahau i te reo Māori

Raised north of Auckland ,holidays to whānau in Te Araroa prompted my relocation to the region as a teen before spending for eight 

years in Australia. I settled back in Gisborne in 2010. I joined Gizzy Kai Rescue in 2020 from a background in the rural sector. It is an absolute privilege growing this organisations and working alongside all the amazing volunteers, food donors community agencies and other stakeholders.

Jill Smith

I am a wife, mother and Nan and have lived in Gisborne for 55 years. My career was and still is an accountant and for many years my husband and I ran a plant nursery selling our plants through the Plant Market. I am a JP and involved in quite a few volunteer organisations all of which are very rewarding. I have been involved in Gizzy Kai for almost as long as it has been going first as a  kai sorter and now as a trustee.

Mike Erikson

I was surrounded by animals on my parents’ sheep and cattle farm at Waerenga-o-Kuri, Gisborne on the inland road to Wairoa. Social life revolved around tennis, rugby and horse riding. I went shepherding after finishing secondary school at Lytton High. An overseas trip was followed by marriage and more shepherding jobs. I bought an orchard at Manutuke in 1980 and was on the school board for a few years. I moved to town in 1990 and retrained in computing at Matapuna Training Centre. The trust employed me to run the centre in 1992 and I became the CEO until 2006. I came back to Matapuna as a trustee in 2016 and am now the chairperson.

I enjoy being involved in making a positive contribution to the community, and in 2019 I joined the board of Gizzy Kai rescue as a trustee.

Charlotte Phelps

Both sides of my family are from Gisborne however, I grew up in Hokitika. As a nine year old I spent a year in Japan. Food rescue and diverting food from landfill go hand in hand , two areas that I am very passionate about. I have a professional background in ecology and planning and currently work within the waste minimisation space. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, traveling and as a registered celebrant, marrying people.