Interview with Kristian Hovarth
In our latest chat, Eat Well Tasmania sat down with Kristian Horvath from the Sorell Community Network to discuss their brand-new initiative: a Low Cost Store designed to help local families stretch their budgets further.
For those who haven’t visited yet, what is the ‘Low Cost Store’ and how is it assisting your local community?
It’s a space where people can purchase groceries, pantry staples, dairy, meat, and pre-prepared meals at a significantly reduced price. We already run a weekly free food program for about 70 local households, but the Low Cost Store is a new way for people to access essential items they might otherwise struggle to afford. It’s pretty hard to understand in a world of a wealthy country like ours that we have people who live in poverty and are unable to afford the basics. The Low Cost store is just one initiative that allows people to shop with dignity and choose afford what their family actually needs.
Your first week was a huge success. How many people visited, and how did you identify the need?
We had at least 25 customers in our very first session. The need is unfortunately growing; we are seeing more of the “working poor” -people who have jobs but simply can’t keep up with the cost of living. We’ve met parents who are having to skip meals to ensure their kids are fed and we know of some single mums living in uninsulated sheds becuase they cant afford a rental. I’ve even sent $20 to members of the community so they can purchase the fuel needed to visit us. The need is so great due to the cost of living crisis and so the low cost store is a sustainable way to provide more than just the basics and help people manage those impossible choices.
We have to ask – is there fresh fruit and vegetables on the shelves?
While we don’t “sell” the veggies in the Low Cost Store just yet, we provide as much fresh produce as possible through our free food program. We do find it challenging to access reliable sources of fresh fruit and veggies however we recently ran a “Veggie Blitz” campaign where the community chipped in so we could buy extra fresh stock from local farmers and shops. Because of our network and the generous donors who support us behind the scenes, a $300 donation actually buys about $1,500 worth of food – so every dollar donated has an amplified impact on the health of our residents.
Is there anyone that you would like to highlight or thank
It’s a massive community effort . We are a 100% volunteer effort with about 50 locals helping out – donating their time or money and support us to enable us to do what we do.
Finally, what is your favourite fruit and what veggie could you not live without?
I can’t go past a Tassie apple, and the veggie, with a doubt, is the pink eye potato.
How can locals find you?
You can find us at the Sorell Memorial Hall (behind the RSL) every Wednesday:
• Low Cost Store: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Free Food Program: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM Check us out on Facebook at Sorell Community Network for updates or to see how you can help!
