Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

News Worth Sharing

10 | May• 2019

N

ewZealanderBenjamin

Johnsondidn’tfeelcomfortable

aboutthehugeamountoffood

wastebeingthrownoutbycafés,

eateriesandcateringcompanieswhile

somanypeopleweregoinghungry.

So,hedidsomethingaboutit. With

thehelpofvolunteers,hesetupa

‘FreeStore’systemwherefreshand

perishablefoodwouldberedistributed

tothosein need.

Withnomoneytoleasea

commercialspace,theyconverted

a rusty old six-metre shipping

containerintoa beautifulpurpose-

builtstore.

Startingin Wellington,New

Zealand,in 2010,theconcepthas

growntoeightstoresthroughoutthe

country.Moreofa ‘movement’thana

franchise,theseFreeStoresserve

peoplefromallwalksoflifeandare

runentirelybyvolunteerswhocollect

anddistributethefoodona daily

basis.Aslocalvolunteersknowwhat

is mostneededin theircommunity,

eachstoreis a littlebitdifferentyet

is founded on shared principles.

Free Stores Distribute Surplus Food

COMPILED BY VICTORIA POLZOT

ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES