Capital’s Free Store back in full force
After a long stretch of shutdown, a Wellington organisation has returned to its usual routine of getting food to those in need.
The Free Store, an initiative that redirects surplus food from cafes and eateries around Wellington, operates out of a shipping container in the car park of St Peter’s Church on Willis St.
Normally, volunteers push trolleys around the city every weekday, collecting food from more than 60 retailers.
The food is brought back to a line of people gathered in the church car park, who chat over a cup of tea while they wait.
The coronavirus pandemic meant this routine had to shut down for two months, with no surplus food to collect from closed eateries.
Wesley Gyles-Bedford, 32, is glad that operations have returned. He supervises one of the collection routes three days a week. ‘‘I structure my day around The Free Store.’’
The partially blind man headed to the store most weekday afternoons. He had been part of the community for two years, and had made close friendships there.
The shift to virtual meetings during lockdown was difficult for Gyles-Bedford.
‘‘We are used to physically doing stuff and handing things out, but we’re not used to being parked up at home doing video chats.’’
The Free Store general manager Alana Hathaway said meetings tried to imitate the connections formed in the car park but not everyone had an internet connection during lockdown. ‘‘If you are out of the loop in terms of internet access . . . it’s kind of like one day you wake up, and no-one’s on the streets any more.’’
The team worked hard to connect people with practical support, including food, housing, or social support services.
Volunteers checked in with those they could contact, topped up 100 cellphones with a $5000 grant from the Ministry of Social Development, and phoned the store’s suppliers to readjust their collection times.
‘‘Having 20, 25 people keen to help out is just a sign of people really loving our community, and wanting to be a part of making it happen again,’’ she said.
This week, the trolleys are back on the pavements, the car park conversations are in full swing, and the community is thriving, safely distanced.
Gyles-Bedford said it was the little things he’d missed: ‘‘Hanging out with people, and sharing stories and funny moments.’’