The Free Store
The Free Store daily redistributes quality surplus food from 50+ cafes, bakeries and restaurants in Wellington CBD to anyone who comes.
Wellington
The Free Store is a community that gathers around surplus food. The Free Store serves people from all walks of life including the homeless, low-income, students, unemployed, refugee families, mental health service users, elderly and those between jobs. Everyone is welcome at The Free Store, and invited to participate by both receiving and contributing to the life of our local community.
We open Monday-Friday at 5:45pm until all the food is gone. Tea, coffee, and soup is available from 5:15pm.
Each day around 80 people gather for food and each year we redistribute over 480,000 items of good food. We operate from a purpose-built converted shipping container store on Willis Street, Wellington, in relationship with St Peters Church who generously share their space with us.
Anyone is welcome to become involved by volunteering: https://www.thefreestore.org.nz/volunteer
More about us
The Free Store redistributes quality surplus food from over 62 eateries in Pōneke (Wellington) to anyone. We are a community of people from all walks of life who gather around this surplus kai (food) and become friends & family.
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Latest update
Tēnā Tātou!! A wee update from us... 29 July 2022
Over 72 days this year, we rescued 15,5318kgs of quality kai (food) from being wasted in landfill, and contributing to CO2 emissions. All this food was redistributed among our local community in Pōneke (Wellington).
Though we are discontent with the systems that mean this much food risks being wasted, and that our community face food insecurity daily, we deeper our connectedness by responding to this immediate risk & need.
As our volunteers collect, weigh, sort and hand out this kai, we grow closer by working together. As our community gathers around warm cuppa's while waiting for each neighbour to choose their food, we come to know one another :)
Nō reira, ka tuku ngā mihi ki tō mātou tūao, tō mātou kaituku hoki!
So, sending a big acknowledgement to all our volunteers, and all our donors!
THANK YOU ALL!!
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