From theatres to sportspeople to food parcels, local giving makes a difference.
Across New Zealand, locally owned PAK’nSAVE stores are involved in community partnerships supporting youth sport, the arts and families under pressure.
Last year, PAK’nSAVE gave back $4.2 million to local charities and organisations as part of the brand’s wider HereforNZ commitment to supporting communities, people and the environment.
Stores across Aotearoa also donated a whole lot of food – more than 1.5 million meals – to food rescue organisations and food banks.
In Marlborough, that commitment is demonstrated at PAK’nSAVE Blenheim, where owner Mark Elkington says local involvement is part of the job.
The store was built 13 years ago. Its partnerships form part of the wider PAK Gives Back programme, through which PAK’nSAVE stores across New Zealand give back to the communities they serve.
Elkington and his wife Andrea Boock have lived locally for 25 years. Andrea is a third-generation grocer, and with four children, their connections run through schools, sports clubs and the local theatre community.
PAK’nSAVE Blenheim supports more than 100 local groups each year and employs around 200 staff. Elkington said support ranges from long-term partnerships to smaller contributions such as gift cards for school galas and fundraising auctions.
“Sometimes it’s a big commitment, sometimes it’s small, but it all adds up,” he said.
One of the long-term partnerships is with Inspire Marlborough, a charitable trust offering grants and mentoring to young people pursuing ambitions in sport, the arts and education.
Chair Mark Davis said the organisation distributes about $80,000 to $100,000 each year. PAK’nSAVE Blenheim is a premier sponsor.
“We give young people opportunities they may not otherwise have,” he said. “When they first receive a grant and stand up to speak in front of 200 people, you can see the confidence grow.”
Recipients have included athletes representing New Zealand in rowing, football and water polo, and a young composer whose work has been taken up by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The trust also provides resilience support through its “grit” programme.
“It’s not all gold medals,” Davis said. “People face setbacks, and that’s why wrapping support around them matters.”
Creative programmes are another focus. Through its support of ASB Theatre Marlborough, PAK’nSAVE Blenheim helps make discounted access possible, keeping programmes affordable.
Rise Academy founder Alison Dight said her performing arts academy provides training in music, dance and musical theatre, with students staging full productions at the theatre. The academy has grown from six students rehearsing at home to around 100 within two years.
“If we didn’t have that local users’ discount, there’s absolutely no way we could afford to put these shows on,” she said. “Without that support, the cost for the kids would be through the roof.”
Dight said working in a professional theatre environment opens opportunities beyond performance, with some students discovering interests in lighting and sound.
“It’s quite a rare opportunity to work in a theatre at this level,” she said.
For Elkington, the store’s role extends beyond community partnerships. Many of the 200 staff are aged 15 to 17 and in their first jobs, learning responsibility and workplace skills.
“It teaches them life skills,” he said. “You see them come through here for a couple of years, then head off to university or a trade.”
Some go on to build long-term careers within the business, moving into apprenticeships in butchery or bakery, progressing into store management and, in some cases, owning their own store.
Not all support is about opportunity.
Demand at the Marlborough Community Foodbank has grown sharply. Last year, it prepared about 2900 parcels, supporting roughly 8500 individuals.
“When I first started, we were doing about 10 parcels a week,” said manager Wynnie Cosgrove, involved with the foodbank for nearly 20 years. “Now we’re doing 15 to 20 a day.”
More than 40% of households seeking assistance are now in full or part-time employment.
“We’re seeing more working families who simply can’t make ends meet,” she said. “Some have mortgages. They thought they were okay, but with rates, insurance and everything going up, they just can’t keep up.”
PAK’nSAVE Blenheim supports the foodbank through bulk food purchases and direct funding. At Christmas, it also provided $10,000 in gift vouchers, allowing volunteers to tailor parcels to families’ needs.
Elkington said community partnerships are balanced with keeping prices low.
“It doesn’t affect our prices at all. We make sure the prices are low first, and then we create our budgets from there,” he said. “If we’re doing well, we can share that with the community.”
“There’s a huge amount of satisfaction in knowing you’ve played a small part in helping someone along the way,” he said. “If you can’t give back, then what’s the point?”
Similar PAK Gives Back commitments are made by locally owned PAK’nSAVE operators across New Zealand who are deeply connected to the communities they serve.