A passion for helping people has come full circle for two former police colleagues instrumental in the opening of Whakatāne’s first social supermarket.
Born out of a unique partnership between Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust and Foodstuffs North Island, Whare Āio Social Supermarket officially opened its doors to the community for the first time today. This initiative aimed to help improve food security for up to 13,000 people across Whakatāne and the surrounding area in its first year.
As part of the partnership, Foodstuffs North Island teamed up with the Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust with a local buddy store, New World Whakatāne, to work alongside the social supermarket to help keep the shelves full and provide ongoing training and expert advice and guidance.
Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust, Board Chair Waata Heathcote and New World Whakatāne owner-operator Bruce Jenkins have had mutual respect for years.
“I’ve got a decent understanding of the local community and its challenges from my nine years as Officer in Charge of the Whakatāne Police, followed by owning two local Four Squares, and now as the owner-operator of New World Whakatāne,” said Jenkins.
“From his early days in the police, I saw that Waata was driven to help people. I greatly respect the work he and his team do, and it’s a privilege to work with him again on such a significant initiative for a community we love and are passionate about supporting."
As Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust Board Chair, Heathcote, said, the need to address food insecurity within the community has been a pressing concern for everyone involved with the Trust.
“During Covid, we had six food banks in operation; when they closed, we knew we had to find an innovative solution that would help those living on the fringes of our community and forgotten groups like the working poor,” said Heathcote.
“I’ve known Bruce since the early 2000s when I started as a police recruit, and he was Officer in Charge of the Whakatāne Police. We’ve both moved on to new careers and now come full circle to work together again on a project we are both passionate about.”
The opening of Whare Āio will provide a vital service to thousands of people every year. This is Foodstuffs North Islands' 12th social supermarket, each brought to life and managed by a local community provider.
Chris Quin, Chief Executive of Foodstuffs North Island, said the model to deliver each social supermarket was simple but unique to the community it served.
“We’ve learnt that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Every community has a unique set of needs, and each social supermarket is a community-led, customer-driven response to those needs. That’s what makes each one so special,” said Quin.
“We’re all bringing a different set of skills to the table. We’re local grocers with expertise in retail, and our community partners, like the Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust, have a deep-rooted understanding of the issues impacting their local community and how best to serve it. We all share a single-minded commitment to ensuring healthy and affordable food is available to everyone.”
Whare Āio Social Supermarket is located at 220-224 The Strand. Waiariki Whanau Mentoring Trust provides employment training, education, prison in-reach, reintegration, peer support, nursing, mental health, addiction, alcohol and drugs teams.
