Seddon said food hardship was a growing and complex issue experienced by many people across New Zealand and in Rotorua, and the social supermarket was a way it could adapt and change its response to better meet people’s needs.
Puawaereti Ryder, clinical practice manager and senior social worker with Rotorua Salvation Army, said with the social supermarket individuals and families would be assessed and allocated a number of points. They could then fill their trolley with the kai and items they needed, negotiating with their points.
As well as the social supermarket, Ryder said Te Kai Mākona would also include programmes helping people to grow kai, cooking classes and recipes - especially for those living in motels with limited equipment, and Kiwi Kai Co-op/fruit and vegetable co-ops.
The plan was to open the social supermarket by July next year but it needed funding and volunteer support to help convert the foodbank into the social supermarket.
“We would love some volunteers to help us make this a reality.”
Elmer and Gina Peiffer opened a free food supermarket called Rotorua Whakaora on Depot St in August 2020.
Elmer said their free food store was open on Saturdays, where people would visit counters dedicated to different produce and items that were manned by volunteers.
The volunteers would offer items to them, and people could choose what they wanted.
Elmer said they had seen the model at Palmerston North-based free food store Just Zilch, and decided to open one in Rotorua because they knew there was a big need in the community.
He said the response when they opened had been good, and over the past few years, they had seen an increase in demand.
He said they closed the store in late February this year for a month and a half to get the site restructured, opening it again in April.
He said the social supermarket at the Rotorua Salvation Army was a great idea.
“I know there’s huge demand for access to food in all Rotorua and it will be beneficial.
“I think the social supermarket idea is really great because it allows people accessing the food to take food they know they will eat ... they can turn down foods they don’t know how to prepare.”
Rotorua Budget Advisory Service manager Pakanui Tuhura said he liked the idea of social supermarkets.
“To me, the main benefit to people in need is the preservation of their dignity and giving the ability to choose what they need.
“We have never encountered a client who wasn’t thankful for the food parcels given out by Salvation Army and other providers, but some were a bit shamed having to take a handout and others felt that they needed more in the parcel.”
Tuhura said the main challenges would likely be maintaining stocks of necessary foods and household items, such as toilet paper, making sure people in most need were given the first opportunity to shop, and reducing “overshopping” by some individuals.
“I think we need more initiatives like this in Rotorua, especially as the cost of basic necessities such as food goes up. Such initiatives allow organisations to help people in need without encroaching on their dignity, and that is always a good thing.”
Tuhura said with accommodation and power costs rising, many of its clients were reducing their food budgets.
“This is because food is the only one of the three basic necessities - accommodation, food, power - that the client has some control over (garden for vegetables, fall back on whānau help, community fruit trees, change to cheaper vegetarian meals etc). Accommodation costs and power costs are dictated by someone else.”
He said other issues included the rising cost of living and prices at the supermarket and petrol pump, and isolation from whānau support where people were living away from their traditional whānau support networks.
Some more historical issues were around repayment of debts incurred previously when people could afford to take on debt of large ticket items but now their incomes no longer covered everything, he said.
“There are some really good examples of how a social supermarket can work well around the country, and I hope the new initiative that Salvation Army put in place will also be able to be used if we have future pandemic lockdowns.
“The food parcels distributed by them and other providers during the last two lockdowns were considered essential services, and rightly so.”
The idea to convert the foodbank follows the social supermarket at the Hamilton Salvation Army foodbank that opened in August.
Raewyn Tong, Hamilton Salvation Army foodbank co-ordinator, said the social supermarket was put in place to give people the choice to select what they want, instead of the Salvation Army making the decision for them.
“We allocate points to the client depending on how many are in the family, and then they get taken around the supermarket with a personal shopper who is there to help and guide them. The personal shopper also keeps a track of their points.
“We want it to be a positive, mana-enhancing experience for them, as well as offering educational resources such as recipes and meal kits, should they find that helpful.
“We also know by encouraging people to choose what they like, it will help prevent food waste.”
Tong said, “It has been amazing to see the smiles on people’s faces when we let them know they can choose what they will eat.
“They are so grateful for what has been done to help them.”
Tong said the Hamilton Salvation Army was also excited about what it had planned for the future - helping with growing kai and cooking it.
