Sharing Kai, Strengthening Systems
The Pātaka Kai initiative in Te Awa Kairangi (Lower Hutt) began with a simple yet powerful act of community ownership. The first pātaka (community pantry) was installed at Walter Nash Park during Phase 1 of the Healthy Families initiative, a recycled kitchen cabinet filled with kai and guided by the principle of manakitanga.
What started as a local experiment in food sharing has now evolved into a wider community-led network of pātaka across the wider Te Awa Kairangi rohe. In this phase, Healthy Families Hutt Valley worked alongside Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, community groups, and local champions to identify communities of interest where access to kai was becoming increasingly strained but a shared value of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga was already thriving.
Through a process of scoping and community engagement, feedback highlighted that while food relief services exist, many whānau still experience barriers such as transport, service opening hours, and the stigma associated with asking for help. The pātaka offer a mana-enhancing alternative, a visible, accessible and judgement-free way to share kai within neighbourhoods.
From these conversations, locations were identified across the valley, from Petone and Central Lower Hutt to Taita and Trentham, each with a local kaitiaki already doing incredible mahi in their community. These kaitiaki, whether attached to schools, community groups or health service, have become the heart of each site, ensuring the pātaka remain well cared for and reflective of local needs.
One such example is Birthright in Epuni, who had already been informally sharing donated goods by leaving them in boxes outside their premises. While this gesture was generous, it wasn’t always obvious to the community what the boxes were for, and items were sometimes left exposed to the elements and pests. The installation of a pātaka Kai at Birthright has created a secure, visible, and purpose-built space for sharing. It has also given the organisation more room to collect and distribute donations safely, while continuing their long-standing commitment to supporting local whānau.
Another pātaka, located at Naenae Primary School, has been seamlessly integrated with the existing Lunches in Schools programme. Rather than letting surplus lunches go to waste, staff now place leftover meals in the pātaka each day and post updates on the Naenae Community Facebook page to let locals know what’s available. This simple act has connected the school’s kai-sharing kaupapa with the wider neighbourhood, strengthening trust, reducing waste, and ensuring good food reaches those who need it most.
“On the first day we posted on the community page that we had surplus lunches left over from the lunches in schools programme. Within 30 minutes they were all gone. The next morning I returned to Kura to find multiple food parcels in there and loaves of bread that the community had donated. It made my heart so happy!” We are so grateful to have received the pātaka. It has given our community a safe and easy way to share what they have and access what they need. Kaitiaki and Kaiako of the Naenae Primary Pātaka,
Pātaka Kai at Naenae Primary School filled with generous donations.
The build and installation of the new pātaka was made possible through collaboration with local builder L & M Projects, and the generous support of Solutrades Naenae, who provided warehouse space for the team to assemble and prepare the units no matter the weather outside.
Healthy Families Hutt Valley is now entering the next stage, evaluating the social impact and patterns of use, and exploring how the pātaka can continue to support equitable food systems across Te Awa Kairangi. Early signs show they have become trusted spaces and places where manaakitanga is visible, community connection is strengthened, and kai is shared in the way it has always been meant to be.
The Pātaka Kai initiative continues to grow, grounded in community voice, collective action, and the shared aspiration that everyone in Te Awa Kairangi has access kai.
You can find a Pataka Kai near you:
· Walter Nash Park, Taita
· Pomare park, Pomare
· Naenae primary school, Naenae
· Taita College, Wingate
· Birthright, Copeland St. Epuni
· Hutt union Health, Jackson St. Petone
· Te Whare Kahukura, High St. Lower Hutt
· The Hub, Fergusson Dr. Trentham