The Tokoroa Social Supermarket and its local support Dave Latele, are ready to provide a sense of relief for families across the community this Christmas.
“We are in a cost-of-living crisis and with Christmas fast approaching there is a lot of pressure on families to survive on very little, which is where we come in. Our social supermarket is a beacon of hope for those who simply just can't afford to shop for food. Having the choice to shop for items they know their family will want to eat and will enjoy makes it special, especially at this time of year,” said Latele, Founder of BBM.
“We had one shopper who would never reach out and ask for help, but she’d returned from a family bereavement out of town and realised there was no food in the cupboards for her children. She went online and got in touch and couldn't believe how easy the application process was. She was able to shop and thoroughly enjoyed her experience, so much so that when she was able to, she donated food to give back and pay it forward for others.”
“This Christmas, what we need is kindness. We try our hardest to give our shoppers the best experience when they walk through our doors. We understand how tough it can be to ask for help and we see the shame that people carry. Our sincere hope is shoppers leave the social supermarket feeling happy and dignified.”
“The team at Tokoroa Social Supermarket are doing a fantastic job of supporting their local community. In the short time they’ve been open they’re already helping around 30 families each week with shoppers completing over 400 transactions. 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.
