Buying kai

Across the motu, Salvation Army foodbanks are expanding their food response to offer new food-based wrap-arounds alongside traditional food parcels. These new food supports are strengths-based and help build knowledge, skills, access and connection, empowering whānau to move from dependence to a place of greater resilience, sovereignty and security. 

We’ve defined seven areas of food security support that Salvation Army Community Ministries can offer. These are

• Choosing kai
• Cooking kai
• Growing kai
• Sharing kai
• Buying kai
• Connecting with kai
• Partnering around kai

Because food insecurity is different in every community, our foodbanks are empowered to adopt the food security initiatives that best meet the unique needs of their community and match their own resources. This flexible approach helps target our resources to best effect and provides a great opportunity for partnering with other community organisations. From Kaitaia to Invercargill you’ll see different expressions of food security at Salvation Army foodbanks. In this video you can see how our Whangarei team is helping strengthen food security for whānau and their community..

You can help our Community Ministries  implement or expand food security programmes in their Community by making a donation through their landing page.

• Accessing affordable food through fruit and vege co-ops
• Participating in intentional, holistic co-ops that offer buying, growing, sharing and volunteering opportunities for members
• Link to Kiwi Kai Co-op video

Another empowering food support growing in popularity is ‘buying kai’ where Salvation Army Community Ministries host initiatives that help clients and the community access food at affordable prices. This is achieved in two forms – the hosting of traditional fruit and vegetable co-ops, as well as a more intentional, holistic form of co-op called Kiwi Kai Co-op which brings together more affordable shopping, home gardening, volunteering and sharing of kai for co-op members. By helping whānau access affordable kai we can avoid or reduce the need for food parcel support.

Cost savings are a key benefit of the co-ops but they also offer important social and health benefits, ensuring ready access to nutritious kai that may otherwise be unaffordable and providing an opportunity for social connection through the weekly tasks of sorting and packing fruit and vege boxes for co-op members. Kiwi Kai Co-op goes further delivering social and development benefits by connecting members through weekly packing, sharing of excess kai through pātaka and growing vegetables through home gardens in planter boxes and tubs. The ultimate goal is for members to take over leadership and running of the co-op freeing up Salvation Army kai champions to start up new co-ops elsewhere.  Learn more about Kiwi Kai Co-op through this video.