By Maisie Arnold-Barron
Photo: Supplied
It was 5pm on a wintry Wednesday evening at The Free Store in central Wellington. Dozens were already lined up for the night's offerings: bread and soup, sandwiches, curry, bagels and scones.
People stood around and laughed, drinking tea, while volunteers bagged up goods and cruised around with trolleys of hot beverages and biscuits.
A Boom Box blasted hip-hop, while customers caught up with friends they had made through the store.
It's a scene that has been repeated on weekdays for 15 years - but on Wednesday night, customers were told that it would soon come to an end.
The service redistributed surplus food from more than 60 eateries, free to those in need. Last year it rescued 42,000kg of food.
The Free Store in central Wellington redistributes surplus food from more than 60 eateries to those in need. Photo: Suppplied / The Free Store
Despite its success, the Free Store’s organisers said they could not provide services to safe and feasible standards.
Its permanent closure was ultimately decided after significant drops in regular donations.
Spokesperson Scott Reeve said he was "heartbroken", but the decision was made after a significant drop in regular donations.
"We've tried really hard to keep it going, and we are aware of the huge impact this is going to have on people that really need it," he said.
He blamed the increasingly complex needs of the clientele, intensified by national policy shifts which made life more difficult for people who were struggling, and the toll on his staff who worked alongside those highly vulnerable people.
Photo: Supplied
Reeve was disappointed by the charity's closure and hoped people would be able to fill the gaps.
"We should all be looking at the person next door and the stranger on the street, and thinking about how we help this person because there's some real challenges for charities being able to do that at the moment."
Interim General Manager Rose Robinson said the store had played an integral role in both feeding people and creating community, and its closure is a real loss.
"So far, people I have talked to are feeling just really sad," she said.
"There's been a few tears and a sense of disappointment and grief."
Robinson feared the loss of the Free Store would destabilise some people in the community, and hoped other organisations could fill the void.
Volunteer and previous patron Ben Buist said the service sustained a lot of struggling people.
An emotional Buist said that he was prepared to walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff if it could help save the store.
"I hope another organisation is going to come and take it over," he said, teary-eyed.
"I will stay on, and I do this every day - push the trolleys and collect the food. I was really upset last night."
Customer Anika said that the store has been a special place for her.
"It's probably one of the most formative places of my life," she said.
"I love community, I love the way it brings people together and creates belonging."
Jem Traylen was previously a Free Store customer during a period of unemployment and continued to volunteer at the service since then.
Traylen said that for many, the Free Store was more about community than food rescue.
"There's nothing really quite like it. When I was unemployed, I went to the soup kitchen and all those places, and I was grateful for all the assistance I could get.
"But this place is different, and we are going to lose something very special in Wellington."
Volunteer and former customer Nigel Mander said he had enjoyed being a part of the community.
"I'm disappointed that it's winding up, but it's certainly been a highlight of my life," he said.
Free Store Wellington will reduce its hours to three days next week.
The Free Store's final day will be on 11 July.