The idea is that the social supermarket will be a place that provides more than just emergency food access. Photo / Supplied
The idea is that the social supermarket will be a place that provides more than just emergency food access. Photo / Supplied
Tokoroa locals struggling to make ends meet will soon be able to access food support with dignity as a social supermarket opens in town in August.
The special supermarket will allow people who are experiencing food insecurity to choose what they need for themselves, instead of being given a pre-filled food parcel that might not meet their specific needs.
The initiative is a partnership project between Pacific-led health and wellbeing organisation Buttabean Motivation (BBM) and grocery distributor Foodstuffs North Island who is committed to 'Here for NZ' ensuring all New Zealanders have access to healthy affordable food.
Foodstuffs North Island head of membership experience Willa Hand says when people come to a traditional food bank, they would usually 'just get given what they get given'.
"That's really helpful, but it doesn't take into consideration cultural needs, allergies, food likes and dislikes.
"The idea behind social supermarkets is that ... [people can] come in, have the dignity of choosing the products they need themselves, so they can make the kind of meals they want to cook, shopping in an environment that looks and feels like a normal supermarket."
The social supermarket operates with a point system with points being allocated to each product and shopper in relation to the size of their household.
The Tokoroa supermarket will be Foodstuffs' third, following the success of the Wellington City Mission Social Supermarket that was established a year ago and the recently opened Te Hiku Pātaka in Kaitaia in partnership with Te Kahu Oranga Whanau.
Hand says all three social supermarkets are different.
"We work closely with community partners to set up something that is uniquely suited to their needs."
The community partner for the Tokoroa social supermarket is Buttabean Motivation, an Auckland-based and Pacific-led organisation that was established by retired boxer David Letele to tackle obesity in New Zealand's Pacific communities. It offers weight loss programmes and, since the Covid-19 lockdowns, food support.
The social supermarket in Tokoroa will be Foodstuffs' third, following the success of the Wellington City Mission Social Supermarket and the recently opened Te Hiku Pātaka in Kaitaia. Photo / Supplied
Hand says Foodstuffs partnering with BBM was a "no brainer".
"We've had a close relationship with BBM for some time now, and have supported their Foodshare operations in South Auckland since the beginning of the pandemic. When they told us about their plans to open another Foodshare in Tokoroa, it made total sense that we would throw our support behind it."
Letele says he knew Tokoroa was a place in need of this kind of support because he has a BBM group there.
"Through that [BBM group] I have learned a lot about what the community needs. We have a member in Tokoroa who weighs well over 300kg. Every time I visit him, I think if we had a service down here, and if he had the support like we do in South Auckland, he would have more of a chance of living."
He says the social supermarket was about supporting people through tough times without taking away any of their dignity.
"No one should feel ashamed to be getting food support."
Foodstuffs says there are already plans under way to roll out social supermarket initiatives to more communities.
Letele says the Tokoroa initiative is more than just a supermarket.
"The idea is that this will be a place that provides more than just emergency food access – it's a place where people can connect with a wide range of support services to help make sure that one day, they don't need the social supermarket anymore."
