Not Just a Free Store
Welcome to Kairos Food Rescue. Or is Kairos Free Store? A lot of people get confused. So which is it? And why do we use both titles?
No, we don’t suffer from multiple personality disorder. These two titles describe two different functions of our organisation.
Kairos Free Store, 2018
To fully understand the relationship between Kairos Food Rescue and Kairos Free Store, let’s take a quick look at our history. In 2018, Kairos set about rescuing unsold food from local cafes (food rescue), which we then gave away to people who wanted it through our repurposed shipping container (the free store). In that simple early model, the food rescue and the free store arms of our organisation worked together seamlessly. Most people simply thought of us as Kairos Free Store, because that was the face most often put out to the general public.
In recent years, the food rescue arm of our organisation has grown exponentially. In addition to local cafes, we now also rescue food from supermarkets, farms and food wholesalers. Our warehouse and chiller space allow us to accept bulk food donations, which we can then break down for redistribution to regional foodbanks. The focus of Kairos Food Rescue changed. Instead of having a single outlet in our own Free Store, we are now able to distribute donated and rescued food to outlets across the region. By working with community foodbanks, we are able to distribute rescued food to many more people across Canterbury.
So what about Kairos Free Store? It still exists and is going strong, but is only part of our food rescue story. You can still come to Kairos Free Store during our open times for some free food, a cup of coffee and some conversation, just like you could from the beginning. In fact, with a wider range of donated and rescued goods, we have a lot more variety on offer. Kairos Free Store is no longer just about day-old bread and sandwiches. Now, on any open night, you’ll find a range of products from fresh produce to pet food. You can also get connected to other services, like free laundry or showers with Orange Sky, or budget advice from Compassion Trust.
The names Kairos Food Rescue and Kairos Free Store aren’t nearly as interchangeable as they were in 2018. Kairos Food Rescue is who we are. Our primary purpose is to rescue food that would otherwise have gone to waste so that it can be redistributed. It’s what we do, and we do it well. Kairos Free Store is still a part of that, but it is only one of many ways we redistribute rescued food to the people who need it.
Kairos Food Rescue chillers, 2023
Kairos Food Rescue warehouse space, 2023
Kairos Free Store, 2023
