2 days ago
'We are deeply heartbroken': Free food service shuts doors after 15 years
By
Maisie Arnold-Barron
Photo:
Supplied
Free Store Wellington, which has operated next to St Peters church on Willis Street for more than a decade, has announced it will permanently close its doors.
The service redistributes food for free every weekday to hundreds of people, donated by more than 60 eateries.
The store said in 2024 it rescued 42,000 kilograms of food, contributed to 126,000 kilograms of CO2-equivalent emissions reductions, and racked up 15,000 volunteer hours.
Spokesperson Scott Reeve said he was "heartbroken" but the decision was made after a significant drop in regular donations.
"We've tried really hard to keep it going, and we are aware of the huge impact this is going to have on people that really need it," he said.
He blamed the increasingly complex needs of clientele, intensified by national policy shifts which made life more difficult for people who were struggling, and the toll on his staff who worked alongside those highly vulnerable people.
Photo:
Supplied
Reeve was disappointed by the charity's closure, and hoped people would be able to fill the gaps.
"We should all be looking at the person next door and the stranger on the street, and thinking about how we help this person because there's some real challenges for charities being able to do that at the moment."
Free Store Wellington will reduce operations from next week, dropping to three days a week, with its final day on 11 July.
