As Hamilton prepares to welcome its first social supermarket, the team at PAK'nSAVE Mill Street has been standing alongside the community to help bring Te Kāpata Kai o Kirikiriroa, Kirikiriroa's Cupboard, to life.
Opening on the 18th of August, the social supermarket is a partnership between Foodstuffs North Island and Tamariki Tū Tamariki Ora to provide affordable food and wraparound support services for Waikato families.
Located on Norton Road, the social supermarket will offer families a dignified, choice-based shopping experience, while connecting them with budgeting advice, social services and other support designed to strengthen long-term wellbeing.
As the local buddy store, PAK'nSAVE Mill Street has been working behind the scenes for weeks to help prepare the new supermarket. Store Manager Akash Charles said supporting the project was an easy decision.
"This is about much more than putting food on shelves. It's about giving people the opportunity to shop with dignity while accessing the support they need to build a stronger future,” said Charles.
“As a locally owned business, we’re proud to support an initiative that helps strengthen our community. There are families in our community who simply can't afford a regular supermarket shop. Having a place where people can choose the food that's right for their family, while also accessing support in the same place, can make a real difference."
PAK'nSAVE Mill Street team members have volunteered their time to assemble shelving, stock display shelves, complete ticketing, and prepare the supermarket for opening day.
During a community working bee on the 28th of July, 15 store team members joined Foodstuffs volunteers and community partners Mitre 10 and the Kindness Collective to build garden boxes, move soil, plant vegetables and prepare the site for a future food garden that will help supplement fresh produce available through the social supermarket.
PAK'nSAVE Mill Street will continue providing training, mentoring and operational support as the social supermarket grows. Charles said the partnership demonstrates what's possible when local organisations work together.
Around 25 to 30 PAK'nSAVE Mill Street team members are expected to attend the opening, which will celebrate Foodstuffs North Island's 15th social supermarket partnership and the first of its kind in Waikato.
For the PAK'nSAVE Mill Street team, the opening was a practical example of local people and local organisations working together to support local families.
