The Free Store Wellington

Community Organisation

The Free Store Wellington
211 Willis StreetTe AroWellington 6011

The Free Store is a thriving inner-city community that daily redistributes perfectly edible surplus food from 35 local cafes, bakeries and restaurants to, on average, 60 people in need. Since opening in October 2014, The Free Store has redistributed 75,000+ items of food. Being a humble grassroots non-profit The Free Store took an innovative approach to creating a space to call home, converting a rusty old 20-foot shipping container into a brand new beautiful 'off the grid' purpose-built store. With the help of 25 local businesses this $70K project was completed at no cost. The Free Store is about using a little to do a lot. From our small 20 square foot plot of earth we redistribute thousands of items of food a week. We have 13 volunteers a day contribute a combined 160 hours a week. We feed the homeless, unemployed, struggling artists, the elderly, refugee and immigrant families, the sick and those struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues - people from all walks of life. We collaborate with other organisations in the city where possible to participate in the building of a more inclusive, supportive and beautiful community. We foster generosity. We foster connectedness within our community. We foster grassroots action. We foster compassion. We foster inclusion.