Nā Mahina Perenara rāua ko Piripi Taylor nō Pūkāea.
Have a Heart Charitable Trust has opened its third food hub in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, bringing lower-priced groceries to Ōpōtiki as families struggle to meet the cost of living.
The new Have a Heart Food Hub – Whare Kai follows those established in Whakatāne and Kawerau. The trust provides affordable groceries, community pantries known as Pātaka Kai, and support for families across the region.
Food hub manager Charlie Maru (Ngāti Awa) said the Ōpōtiki opening followed more than a year of planning, with local families already making up a significant share of customers at the existing hubs.
“A lot of whānau have been waiting for this, and a lot of whānau have been lining up, so it’s great to bring our model to the whānau of Whakatōhea,” he said.
The hubs operate with community volunteers, opening one day a week. Income from grocery sales helps keep their shelves stocked and meet operating costs.
“We have a lot of working whānau who come in and let us know that they are struggling. I do know people are struggling elsewhere, and maybe they don’t know about our service,” Maru said.
“We are not here to make a profit. We are here to stock up our shelves, pay our utilities and keep our kai affordable for all our customers.”
Support from the trust’s board has helped maintain that approach as the service expands.
“I’m lucky I’ve got a good board that stands behind what we do in our model to bring affordable kai for our struggling and working whānau,” he said.
“With the price of living these days being pretty high, to be able to give affordable kai to our whānau is something that we hold on to, and we do not break that model.
“We are here to serve our community. We are here to serve our whānau. Anyone is welcome to come here. We are not limited to certain socioeconomic groups. Anyone can come and use our service.”
The hub also provides free food alongside its low-cost groceries.
“Whānau who are really, really struggling and have no money, then come and have a kōrero to the manager on site, and we will do something for you to give you kai, as well as access to the free kai as well,” Maru said.
Volunteer Ngawini Taingahue-Beale (Ngāti Porou) was among those helping customers when the hub opened earlier this month.
“It’s been amazing. I was surprised with how many people came. Awesome kaupapa, and I love to be a part of it,” she said.
“I just think it’s an awesome kaupapa for all our whānau. Cheaper kai, so why not? I just love to help where I can for our community.”
Maru estimated close to 100 families use the trust’s services each week. He believed greater awareness of the hubs could help reach others facing hardship.
“We know there are probably plenty more out there who are struggling to put kai on the table, which is why we do what we do to help our whānau feed their kids, so that their kids can live a full life and keep playing,” he said.
“So as long as we can do that for our whānau, feed our kaumātua, feed our mokopuna and tamariki, then we are doing our job.”
Relationships with iwi and local organisations are also helping support the initiative. Maru credited Tūwharetoa with helping establish the Kawerau hub and said discussions had been held with Whakatōhea, Te Ao Hou, Whakaatu and Core Collective.
“So we’re not only working with the iwi, we’re working with services as well. They can help us maintain and sustain our shop,” he said.
“It’s not all set in stone, but we are working towards collaborating and making sure we can all come together to do the best for our whānau.”
The Ōpōtiki hub will open every Wednesday. Any extension of its hours would depend on demand and additional volunteer support.
“At the moment we are only open one day a week because we are volunteer-based, and we don’t expect our volunteers to work more than five hours a day,” Maru said.
He also wanted people to feel comfortable using the hubs, including those who hesitate because they believe other families need more help.
“That’s the stigma that I am trying to get rid of. It’s for anybody. Yes, you might have a few extra dollars than the other whānau, then that’s kei te pai. If it’s saving you a dollar, then ka pai, nau mai, haere mai,” he said.
“We are not here to stipulate who owns more money, who doesn’t. We are here to help everybody.”
