Social supermarket opens in Paeroa
Hauraki Pa¯ taka Kai addresses food security issues
Foodstuffs North Island has partnered with Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki, to open the region’s first social supermarket in Paeroa. Named Pa¯taka Kai — Hauraki Social Supermarket, translating to “the Hauraki food basket” or “food cupboard” in te reo. The Hauraki Pa¯taka Kai — the social supermarket — is a partnership approach to addressing food insecurity in the community while preserving the mana and dignity of those in need.
The store will provide food and grocery products at low or no cost, utilising a points system within a conventional supermarket setting, ensuring accessibility to healthy and affordable food for the community.
Denise Messiter, general manager for Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki: said: “Pa¯ taka Kai came out of our learnings from the Covid lockdowns where we learnt wha¯ nau live with the unrelenting daily pressures and stressors of food poverty.
“When provided with the opportunity to use their limited resources to make healthy and nutritional choices for their wha¯nau in an affirming, no-pressure, no-stress, and non-judgmental environment, wha¯nau have the repeated experience of exercising their rangatiratanga to care for their own. There’s also the opportunity for wha¯nau to give back to their community through volunteering with Pa¯taka Kai.”
“What sets Pa¯taka Kai apart from a foodbank is that wha¯nau can shop for and choose the food and grocery essentials that meet their dietary, cultural and personal preferences, through using our points system. We support over 150 families a week to access kai and are excited about opening our new look Pa¯ taka Kai with the support of Foodstuffs North Island, and we’re certainly interested in hearing from wha¯nau about their experience of this new model for tackling food insecurity, ” Messiter said.
Willa Hand, social supermarket Lead for Foodstuffs North Island said: “We’re big on community collaboration and have been really impressed by the work of Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯ hine O Hauraki. We provided them with support in the aftermath of the cyclone and they’re doing awesome mahi and making a big difference in their community.”
“We’re a co-operative of local grocers so supermarkets and retail are what we’re good at, Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki are in their community improving lives and making
What sets Pa¯ taka Kai apart from a foodbank is that wha¯ nau can shop for and choose the food and grocery essentials that meet their dietary, cultural and personal preferences, through using our points system. Denise Messiter, general manager for Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki
a difference, that’s their superpower, ” said Hand.
“As partners, our teams bring the expertise to create the store, we provide ongoing training and support and help keep the shelves stocked. Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki make sure the store is right for their local community, that it caters to their
needs and their mahi is what will provide an awesome service. We’re in it together.”
Foodstuffs North Island opened its first social supermarket in partnership with Wellington City Council back in March 2021. The co-op has now partnered with community organisations to open a further eight social supermarkets across the North Island, with Pa¯taka Kai becoming number nine.
Pa¯taka Kai will also enable Te Wha¯riki Manawa¯hine O Hauraki to offer wraparound services to help individuals access additional support. When someone comes into shop, services such as refuge and support for wha¯nau to access services that best meet their needs can be discussed, helping address the underlying causes of food insecurity and promoting overall well-being.