Hauraki’s Pātaka Kai Social Supermarket has been forced to temporarily shut its doors following weather damage from Cyclone Vaianu in April.
The Paeroa-based social supermarket has been closed since it was flooded out on April 12.
Te Whāriki Manawāhine O Hauraki Hauraki Women’s Refuge, which runs the supermarket, says it will remain closed for the foreseeable future, with no set date to reopen.
“We were wiped out, basically,” director of research Paora Moyle said.
“And we do this without funding, so it’s really knocked us over.”
The Pātaka Kai wasn’t the only part of the refuge’s operations affected in the storm, Paora said – its Thames premises, located on the second floor above BNZ Bank, also took a battering.
“Everything just got completely saturated. I think the weather came in sideways under the roof,” she said.
“Being an old building, the landlord has had some trouble with pigeons all the way along. It’s made it less than versatile.
“We’re using one half of it and we’re drying out the other half – there’s been some repairs that have happened up there. But we are in the process of moving to new premises.”
The relocation will also involve moving the Pātaka Kai back to Thames, which Paora said would be necessary to help reduce operational costs.
Meanwhile, the refuge’s safe house, which helps women and children dealing with domestic violence, was unaffected by the cyclone.
Paora said the organisation would continue to operate as normal despite the disruptions.
“We’re moving, basically, and reorganising. We can’t stay where we are,” Paora said.
“But we will continue to look after people as best we can. And it may mean a mobile service and going out to visit and that kind of thing… we will be back to the space we were before in terms of providing for the community.
“We’re just going to have to get used to being better prepared and doing things better and differently.”
