Free Guys

Founded in August 2020, Free Guys is our social supermarket where shoppers can access rescued and donated kai once a week. It’s an evolution of a Food Parcel delivery service we first ran during Auckland’s level 4 lockdown in 2020 and our now defunct Community Fridge and Pantry at Avondale Community Centre.

The Fridge and Pantry was popular, but we were forced to close it due to Auckland Council’s COVID-19 restrictions. This led us to deliver food parcels instead during lockdown levels 3 and 4. However, we found parcels by themselves were too transactional and didn’t grant people the agency to choose their own food or allow for meaningful social interactions.

This contrasted with what we’re trying to achieve as a wider community development project so we established the Free Guys social supermarket model, where shoppers can select whatever kai is appropriate for their households. It also encourages people out of their homes and into a space where conversations can happen, from sharing what's happening in their personal lives to receiving recipe ideas and knowledge about kai they’re not familiar with.

Our Free Guys shoppers are referred to us by social services, schools and our wider Kai Avondale network. The service is not open to the general public and we share location and opening details with these individuals and whānau directly.

We still operate a food parcel service as well for people with mobility issues or those unable to pick up because they don't have a vehicle or are restricted in other ways. While we do some of these deliveries ourselves, Avondale-based social service providers like TYLA Youth Development Trust, Kāhui Tū Kaha, Anglican Trust for Women and Children (ATWC) and Parent Aid Central West also collect parcels from us to distribute to the people they serve.