The Otūmoetai social supermarket is ready for its first Christmas of providing food support.
“Many whānau are struggling to make ends meet, and the added pressure of Christmas expectations make it a stressful time. This Christmas, we’re helping families make their resources go further. Providing support with groceries has a knock-on effect as it eases the pressure that comes from other bills like power and rent and helps offset the costs of other unexpected expenses. It also just brings a bit of aroha and joy after a challenging year and enables families to come together for a special meal during the festive season,” said John Paine, Linkt Community Trust Manager.
The social supermarket is part of Foodstuffs commitment to be ‘Here for NZ,’ helping to ensure all New Zealanders have access to healthy, affordable food.
“We had one teenager wrap a gift and then proudly exclaim, ‘this can be my gift to the family’ before going away beaming. It’s not just about Christmas gifts, though, we’ve had several families use our service to save the money needed to pay for their children to attend end-of-year school camps. Being able to send your kids on the school camp helps parents maintain a sense of dignity and enables kids to have a full education and make lifelong memories. I’m proud we’re helping provide a bit of hope and joy to the local community.”
“The team at Otūmoetai Social Supermarket are doing a fantastic job of supporting their local community. In the short time they’ve been open, they’re already helping over 30 families each week. There can be a lot of expectation that comes with Christmas which makes it a magical time, but also a challenging time for many,” said Willa Hand, Head of Membership Experience for Foodstuffs North Island.
