Local grocers back Whare Āio with $80,000 donation

Whakatāne social supermarket Whare Āio has been given an $80,000 boost to help strengthen food support for local whānau, thanks to funding from Foodstuffs North Island’s Here for NZ Foundation. 

New World Whakatāne owner-operators Bruce and Kirsty Jenkins officially presented the $80,000 cheque to Whare Āio on Monday, 10 August, during a community presentation attended by Whakatāne Mayor Nándor Tánczos and East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick.

Whare Āio opened in July 2024 through a partnership between Waiariki Whānau Mentoring and Foodstuffs North Island, with New World Whakatāne as its local buddy store. The partnership reflects Foodstuffs’ co-operative model, where locally owned stores work together to support initiatives that strengthen their communities. The social supermarket provides a dignified, grocery shop-style experience for individuals and whānau experiencing food hardship, allowing people to choose the food and groceries they need in a familiar supermarket environment, rather than receiving a food parcel.  

For Bruce and Kirsty, supporting Whare Āio is about backing a service that is making a tangible difference in the community they call home. 

“This is the strength of the co-operative owned by local grocers. On our own, an $80,000 donation would be very difficult. Together with other owner-operators across the North Island, we can pool our resources and back projects that make a real difference in communities like Whakatane,” says Bruce Jenkins. 

“As local business owners, we’re proud to invest back into the community we live and work in. Through the co-operative, we can support initiatives like Whare Aio in a way that would be much harder for a single store alone.” 

The donation comes from the Here for NZ Foundation, funded by New World, PAK’nSAVE, Four Square and Gilmours owner-operators who are members of the Foodstuffs North Island co-operative. By working together through the co-operative, store owners can support communities at a scale that would be difficult to achieve individually. 

Here for NZ reflects the the commitment local grocers make to the communities they serve. As a proudly 100% Kiwi-owned co-operative, Foodstuffs North Island backs local people, suppliers and causes, while working to build stronger communities, create meaningful and safe work for its people, and protect the environment. 

Whare Āio is a strong example of what can happen when local organisations, businesses and the wider community come together around a shared purpose. 

The partnership between Waiariki Whānau Mentoring and Foodstuffs North Island was established to create a food support model that provides greater choice and dignity than a traditional food parcel. Whare Āio uses a points-based system, allowing shoppers to select groceries according to their household’s needs. 

Waiariki Whānau Mentoring CEO Waata Heathcote says the social supermarket exists to support hardworking individuals and whānau who are struggling to make ends meet and facing difficult choices between putting food on the table and paying essential household bills. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for this donation which will help Whare Āio continue its work supporting local people experiencing food insecurity and ensure the social supermarket can keep providing access to essential groceries in a way that protects choice, dignity and mana,” Heathcote says.  

Bruce says the $80,000 contribution reflects the collective power of Foodstuffs’ owner-operators to make a difference in their communities. 

“Every New World, PAK’nSAVE, Four Square and Gilmours owner contributes to something bigger than their individual store. Because we’re a co-operative, local business owners can work together to support causes that matter in their communities.  Whare Āio is a great example of what can be achieved when local grocers pool their resources and invest back into the people they serve.” 

About Whare Āio 

Whare Āio Social Supermarket is a partnership between Waiariki Whānau Mentoring and Foodstuffs North Island. Located at 220–224 The Strand in Whakatāne, it provides grocery support through a supermarket-style model designed to give whānau greater choice and dignity. 

About Here for NZ Foundation 

Here for NZ is the community-focused foundation of Foodstuffs North Island owner-operators. Collectively, New World, PAK’nSAVE, Four Square and Gilmours owners support local people, communities, suppliers and causes across the North Island, reflecting Foodstuffs’ commitment to being proudly Kiwi-owned and Here for NZ.