155 Whare Kai, the social supermarket based in Whangārei, opened today to provide food support with dignity to its community.
“Here at 155, we do all we can to challenge injustice, inspire change and lead innovation locally. The past few years have been tough for so many, yet I’m constantly inspired by the resilience of our community. Now they can choose kai for their whare with dignity and mana, which is everyone’s right,” said 155 Whare Āwhina’s CEO Liz Cassidy-Nelson.
“We are so grateful to have Foodstuffs partner on this innovative project. They have been wonderful and incredible in sharing their expertise, knowledge and resources every step of the way.”
“That’s what makes this model work – our Foodstuffs’ team brings retail expertise, we support on all the logistics of setting up a supermarket, training a team to operate it, and sorting replenishment processes – but it’s the local community organisation who decides exactly how things will run and what the offering will be for customers,” said Willa Hand, Head of Membership Experience at Foodstuffs North Island.
“Having strong local leadership who connect deeply with people in their community is what really makes a difference. Foodstuffs North Island is a 100 percent NZ-owned co-operative, with individual grocers operating stores in their local community. We believe deeply in the power of local leadership and empowering people to make decisions that are right for their community.”
Liz Cassidy-Nelson and Willa Hand
