The Community Builders NZ Trust

Over the course of a year local residents from Otara got together and worked on a new initiative for the community that officially opened Friday 15th May 2020. With a donated 40ft shipping container thanks to PANUKU, the willingness of an Otara neighbour who offered up her residential front property with free access to power for almost 7 months & a start up grant of $25k from the Auckland Council Waste minimisation team, coupled with further support along the way from other groups and individuals, our team of local resident volunteers worked relentlessly to modify and upcylce whatever they could do develop what we now see in place at the Otara Town Centre, The Otara Kai Village!

Fast forward a year and a half and it's been amazing to see how a donated second hand shipping container and the willing hearts of local residents have impacted our community and has become a beacon of hope especially during Covid19 and all the lock-downs.

Do you know how difficult it is to modify a 40ft shipping container on a residential small property in the middle of winter with minimal resources and using for the most part youtube "HOW TO" videos!? Well we do :-) As challenging as this was, sitting back now and seeing the place finally open and the community being served during one of the most crucial times in NZ history, was all worth it but now we need your help to sustain our free healthy & hearty winter meals while giving us a bit of breathing space while we look to build a long term sustainability plan for this wonderful new space for our community.

The Otara Kai Hub Village is a social eco sustainable space focused on enabling families experiencing food insecurity to have dignified access to affordable nutritious food in their neighbourhood while tackling waste. It also recognizes that the 'Social' is a vital part of the change process and that food is a powerful connector and catalyst to expanding wider social, economic and cultural opportunities for individuals, families and communities.