New social supermarket in Kaikohe to address food insecurity
The new NISS supermarket in Kaikohe has been co-designed with community stakeholders and aims to enhance mana, build capability and strengthen natural support systems. The space includes a safe and inviting area where whānau can rest, enjoy a cuppa, and engage in kōrero.
The model also recognises the complex factors contributing to financial hardship and kai insecurity and will connect whānau to capability building opportunities such as financial literacy, growing and preparing healthy kai and training pathways.
The supermarket will operate on a points system - similar to the Te Hiku Pātaka - where whānau can shop for groceries based on their family size. In partnership with Foodstuffs and New World Kaikohe, the supermarket aims to build up to supporting around 50 whānau in need each week, enhancing community health and wellbeing.
The social supermarket will provide much-needed support to whānau facing economic hardship in and around the greater Kaikohe area.
It will provide greater access to food support for the community and will offer affordable kai, fresh produce, and access to wider community support, ensuring whānau experiencing food insecurity can access the essentials they need to live well and thrive. This initiative is a response to rising living costs and the growing need to strengthen Kaikohe's support networks.
''We're very excited to be partnering with Foodstuffs to open a social supermarket for the community. It's going to be more than just a social supermarket - it will be a place that nurtures health, economic stability, and social wellbeing for whānau. By working to integrate key services under one roof, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient community,' Eruera said.
Foodstuffs North Island, the co-operative behind the North Island's New World, Pak'nSave and Four Square stores, partners with community organisations to open social supermarkets across the country and has seen the positive difference they make.
'These stores are about offering dignity, choice, and wraparound support to people experiencing food insecurity,' Willa Hand, head of social supermarkets for Foodstuffs North Island, said.
'Partnering with Ngāpuhi Iwi Social Services means we're able to help provide whānau in Kaikohe with a supermarket experience that supports their immediate needs while also contributing to the long-term resilience of the community.'
New World Kaikohe will be the buddy store, providing ongoing training and operational support to ensure the success of the social supermarket.
Beyond groceries, the social supermarket will provide additional resources, including a whānau space where whānau can rest, enjoy a cuppa, and engage in meaningful kōrero.
There will also be a mahinga kai - a hub for sharing and distributing locally grown produce and a kāuta, a learning space for sharing mātauranga about kai preparation and encouraging healthy eating habits.
The NISS team is also exploring opportunities for the social supermarket to support skill development, training, and employment pathways for whānau and taitamariki, further contributing to the long-term wellbeing of the community.
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