Happiness Is Served: How Sharing Meals and Giving Back is Proven to Make Us All Happier

What if we told you that the recipe for a happier life is already in your kitchen… and your heart?

According to the 2025 World Happiness Report, one of the most powerful ways we can boost happiness—both for ourselves and others—is by caring and sharing.

Read Full Report Here

That’s right! Whether it’s sharing a warm meal, lending a helping hand, or volunteering your time, these simple acts of kindness are proven to increase happiness. Not just for those on the receiving end—but for you, too.

There's never a dull moment in the sorting warehouse!

At Satisfy, we see this magic happening every single day. Whether it’s seeing our amazing volunteers connecting and sharing laughter while sorting food, or hearing the wonderful stories from our recipient organisations who are on the ground cooking meals, feeding the homeless or displaced, visiting and feeding the elderly, sharing food with children at school, creating cooking classes etc - The stories all make our job so worth it!

Happiness on a Plate

Every rescued item of food we redistribute has the potential to do so much more than fill an empty belly. We work with over 50 incredible recipient organisations, including community meal providers, schools, food banks, marae, churches, and whānau-focused groups. These partners don’t just distribute food—they create spaces of connection, belonging, and joy.

There’s something incredibly special about sitting down and sharing kai (food) with others.

The World Happiness Report confirms what we’ve always known deep down: people who regularly share meals with others are happier, feel more supported, and experience stronger social bonds.

On the flip side, eating alone too often has been linked to increased loneliness and lower wellbeing.

That's why our mission at Satisfy goes beyond food rescue—it’s about nourishing communities.

Volunteering: The Ultimate Happiness Hack

One of the most heartening takeaways from this year’s report is that benevolence is on the rise globally—and that’s something to celebrate! Volunteering, helping a neighbour, or simply showing kindness to a stranger creates ripple effects that lift entire communities. And the kicker? It actually boosts the happiness of the person giving more than you might expect.

At Satisfy, our team of over 50 volunteers is proof of that. Every time they show up—sorting food, helping in the vans, packing boxes (and boxes and boxes of potatoes some days!)—they’re making a huge difference. And they’re smiling while doing it.

Studies show that volunteering brings the biggest happiness boost when:

• It’s done freely, with no strings attached.

• You can see the impact you’re making.

• It’s motivated by genuine care.

  
  

Sound familiar? It’s exactly how our volunteers operate!

Together, We’re Creating a Happier Aotearoa

Here’s the beautiful part: we all have a role to play in building a happier New Zealand.

Want to know how you can help?

1. Share meals – Invite a friend or neighbour to dinner. Join a community lunch. Break bread with someone new.

2. Volunteer your time – Whether it’s with Satisfy, a local food bank, or another cause close to your heart, your time is valuable—and valued.

3. Donate if you can – Every dollar, every food item, every container helps us deliver more meals, create more connections, and spread more joy.

4. Believe in kindness – The report found we’re often too pessimistic about how kind others are. But here’s the truth: people are more generous, thoughtful, and caring than we give them credit for.

   
   

The More We Share, the More We Shine

At Satisfy, we’re not just rescuing food—we’re rescuing moments of connection, one meal at a time. Thanks to our volunteers, our donors, and our amazing community partners that are getting food to where it is needed most, thousands of New Zealanders are experiencing the simple, beautiful happiness of being cared for and seen.

Let’s keep that spirit going.

So next time you sit down to a meal, think about who you could share it with. You just might serve up a little extra happiness—for both of you.

Together, let’s feed people, not landfill—and build a kinder, happier Aotearoa while we’re at it.