Nourished for Nil opens new Napier branch

Last Monday was a turning point for food waste organisation Nourished for Nil when interest groups from the community gathered at the opening of its Napier branch.

Napier mayor Kirsten Wise cut the ribbon in front of a group of around 40 supporters at the Turning Point Church in Cranby Cres.

“It’s an honour to be here — I’m absolutely thrilled it’s coming to Napier. Thanks to Pastor Flint for giving Napier this opportunity to find its feet without too much stress,” she said in her opening speech.

The occasion marked almost three years to the day since Nourished for Nil opened its first branch in Hastings in 2017. Founder Christina McBeth says opening a branch in Napier has been in the wind for about 18 months.

“I kept being asked when it was coming to Napier. I want the Napier team to own this branch. If it’s in your neighbourhood the pride is bigger — I’m hoping for that,” Christina says.

Nourished for Nil has a group of volunteers who either collect food no longer for sale from a variety of places including supermarkets and cafes, or helps distribute at the centre to anyone who wants food.

“It’s a tremendous pleasure to work with Nourished for Nil. We have the same objectives — we’re about people — giving food without discrimination,” says Turning Point Church Pastor Flint.

Christina says Nourished for Nil is “super grateful” the church building has been made available.

Napier Nourished for Nil will initially be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4.30pm to 5.30pm. Christina says the church provides the perfect room, with separate entry and exit doors which are needed for this type of operation, but they plan to look for an alternative venue which will allow them to open five days a week.

“This is a soft entry plan in a sense — we would like to have our own space. We need storage — fridges and freezers — we don’t have enough room to support a five day a week effort here.”

For now food will be brought over from Hastings so there won’t necessarily be the same volume as in Hastings to start with.

NOURISHED for Nil manager Christina McBeth (left) holds the ribbon while mayor Kirsten Wise cuts it at the opening of the Napier branch of Nourished for Nil.