Covid 19 coronavirus: Pāpāmoa dairy owners foot bill for essential workers

Owners Harjinder and Svetlana Singh are giving back to essential workers. Photo / Google Maps

A Pāpāmoa dairy is brightening essential workers' days by footing the bill for their supplies.

When an essential worker comes into Papamoa Super Seven, a popular Tauranga superette, in uniform, they do not walk with their wallets any lighter.

Owner Svetlana Singh said it was their way of giving back to those "working so hard" at this time.

She said they had been part of the neighbourhood for five years and the people had always been "so lovely".

"We just thought we need to help each other right now... it's time to show humanity."

Firefighters, paramedics, police and even rubbish people could pick up items free of charge from the dairy.

The store was St John paramedic Francois Stols' local and it made him feel "really good" when the store gifted him more than $20 worth of supplies the other day.

"It was such a kind gesture."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

He said the couple who owned it were "always so kind and lovely".

When he insisted on paying, the owners declined and said the items were for "all the hard work that you do", he said.

Stols also said small things like that, as well as being allowed to the front of the queue at some supermarkets were amazing gestures the community were doing for essential workers.

"I really appreciate it, it gives me more time with my bubble when I'm not at work."

Singh said that they had always been about serving the community.

She went out the other day and bought large bags of yeast and flour to divide up into smaller bags so the community could get some while stocks were low.

"I just want to keep people happy... we are all going through the same thing right now."

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