Our beginnings: Free Store Waitākere

Food rescue was an evolution of the original ‘Free Store Waitakere 2011’ project which proved that food insecurity was very real in West Auckland.

The idea emerged from the Waitākere Wellbeing Collaboration Project under the Food Security Call to Action. Auckland Council, Lifewise, MPHS, and Vision West were all part of this original social supermarket. We found that people were whakamā to be seen at a foodbank in a busy area, so we switchen to a behind the scenes model where we equip community services with kai to help where people already are.

Check out this story from 2012 with Love Food Hate Waste.