Checking out progress on the pātaka kai are, from left, Kerikeri Men's Shed volunteers Richard Tamaho, John Geertsen and John Tetley with Sasha Fraser-Nathan. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Checking out progress on the pātaka kai are, from left, Kerikeri Men's Shed volunteers Richard Tamaho, John Geertsen and John Tetley with Sasha Fraser-Nathan. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The generosity of a Northland woman who died in tragic circumstances will be remembered with a pātaka kai, or community pantry, in her honour.
Nalinee Giri was well known in Kerikeri as the owner of Jaffas Dressing Rooms, a clothing and home decor shop, as well as for the pātaka kai she set up outside her store and kept stocked with free food, clothing and toys for anyone who needed help.
She died at Wharau Bay, near Kerikeri, on April 13.
Now a community initiative is under way to set up a new pātaka kai in the town to continue her generosity.
Sasha Fraser-Nathan said she recently wanted to give away some surplus food so she put a post on social media asking where the town's community pantry was.
She was told Kerikeri hadn't had one since Giri's death.
That gave her the idea of starting up a new pātaka kai so she contacted Kerikeri Men's Shed, whose members agreed to build it with mostly recycled materials and a nominal labour fee to keep the costs down.
She also set up a Givealittle page to cover the $300 construction costs with any extra funds used to stock the pantry. As of yesterday just over $800 had been raised.
''The response has been amazing. I get goosebumps every time we get a donation,'' Fraser-Nathan said.
''People have been asking what they can do to help. There's been a really positive uptake by the community.''
Local businesses had donated cash, materials and paint. Another was making a steel sign with the pātaka's name, Nalinee's Pantry.
Fraser-Nathan said she was checking everything with Giri's family to make sure they approved.
Kerikeri's original community pantry was set up by the late Nalinee Giri outside her shop, Jaffas Dressing Rooms, on Kerikeri Rd. Photo / Peter de Graaf
She also sought suggestions via Facebook for the best location.
Eventually she settled on a spot in front of Kerikeri Preschool on Hobson Ave, almost opposite the Post Office.
It was central, well-lit at night and convenient for drop-offs, but more discreet than a main road location for people who needed to collect food.
The idea was that anyone with surplus fruit or vegetables from their gardens, or non-perishable food they wanted to donate, could leave it in the pantry.
Anyone in need could then help themselves according to Giri's motto of ''give a little, take a little''.
Fraser-Nathan said she would make a roster of volunteers willing to look after the pantry, which she expected would be installed early next month.
''There's always a flurry at the beginning, the hard work will be keeping it going,'' she said.
She knew Giri through her shop but didn't have an especially close connection.
''I just want the spirit of what she brought to the community, her generosity and kindness, to be remembered.''
John Tetley, of Kerikeri Men's Shed, said the group felt privileged to be part of the project.
''We're always keen to support community activities and this one is particularly poignant,'' he said.
Pātaka kai are currently operating in Taipa, Kaitaia, Kohukohu, Rawene, Kaikohe, Moerewa, Kawakawa, Hikurangi and in the Whangārei suburbs of Onerahi, Morningside, Tikipunga and Kensington. Go to www.patakai.co.nz for exact locations; go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/pataka-kai to donate to Nalinee's Pantry.
