A new op shop selling pre-loved children’s clothes has opened in Tauranga to spread aroha (love) into the community in more ways than one.

The doors to the unique Kai Aroha Kids Op Shop at The Historic Village opened August 1.

The volunteer-based, non-profit organisation has helped the city’s food-impoverished and homeless community for the last 10 years by providing regular, free community meals.

The children’s op shop is the charity’s new chapter, Kai Aroha founder Tania Lewis-Rickard said.

“There was a time where I thought Kai Aroha needs to turn a corner,” said Lewis-Rickard. “I thought, ‘Let’s do something different. How is another way we can help people?’.”

Volunteers at Kai Aroha Op shop, which will fuel community good. Photo: Photo / Kelly O’Hara

With a space becoming available to the charity at the Historic Village, the Kai Aroha team got to work “zhuzhing up” the space.

“The shop is little but it’s really cute and we spent days painting it,” Lewis-Rickard said. “I wanted it to have that ‘ah’ factor you know and to be physically full of light.”

Share a taonga

Lewis-Rickard said Kai Aroha volunteers were making it look all nice and boujee “because I didn’t want the op shop to just be another shop”.

“We had Jan Tinetti, Labour MP in our region open it … she’s just been a lifelong friend, so we had a beautiful opening with community and Kai Aroha volunteers.”

Full of quality children’s clothes, all pre-loved and in good nick, the shop caters for newborns to age 8.

“I want people to feel good about when they buy the clothes and they’re actually taking [home] a taonga/treasure – someone who’s loved their clothing. That love has then been passed onto that next person.”

All clothes are washed and ironed before being put on the racks. Lewis-Rickard reckons she’s hit a niche market.

“There are no specific kids’ op shops in Tauranga Moana. There are a lot of op shops that sell a lot of kids’ clothes but this was specifically designed for kids.”

‘Cycle of giving’

Lewis-Rickard said she was inspired by the St Paul’s Op Shop and volunteers that operate that store. “It planted a seed, a thought, an idea of how we could raise money for the purpose of helping our community.”

She said funds generated by the op shop would be pooled to help those in need in the community in different ways.

“The money generated then helps someone else again – so it’s a cycle of giving.”

For example, in February Kai Aroha supported the Te Araroa, East Coast, community by sending food, water and supplies after it was cut off by slips from weeks of heavy rainfall.

“We sent four tonnes of food down there. That was during the time of when those poor souls were killed at Mauao and at Welcome Bay.

Kai Aroha founder Tania Lewis-Rickard has branched out the voluntary organisation’s operations with a kids op shop. Photo / Kelly O’Hara

“In the meantime, Te Araroa was cut off and that was quite devastating what was happening over there. We’ll definitely keep helping the East Coast if disaster strikes again.”

Lewis-Rickard said the Kai Aroha Kids Op Shop was much larger than selling second-hand children’s clothes.

“The op shop really is a little engine that funds aroha [love] – not so much kai aroha, but aroha … the clothing really is the vehicle, but the purpose is what happens because of it.”

Kai Aroha Kids Op Shop, located at The Historic Village, 159 17th Avenue West, is open 10am-3pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.