A community Heart Market for the people by the people is coming to Te Manawa – Porirua’s city centre.

Porirua City Council is working with Wayne Quinn and his daughter Parris, who run Filo on Hagley Street, to trial the new market.

The name Heart Market came from the Quinns’ mahi over the last three and a half years distributing “heart parcels” of nourishing, hot meals and tasty desserts each week to the homeless living in Wellington. At the start, it was done out of their own pockets – now the Heart Market will make funding the charity more sustainable.

During the six-month trial, all proceeds from the market will go to heart parcels – to help homelessness “one plate at a time”.

“This market is for our people. And the money should go back into the community,” says Wayne.

The Quinns don’t discriminate when distributing their meals. “Alcoholics, mentally ill, students, gamblers, drug addicts – we welcome them all. We want to bring the communities together to help one another.”

The Council wants to see a focus at the market on sustainability, upcycled and second-hand items to help reduce the city’s carbon footprint and would also like opportunities for the city’s migrant and refugee communities to set up and share cultural offerings of food and wares. Music and entertainment will also feature.

Council’s Commercial and Economic Development Manager Andrew McCarthy says the Council tested a car boot style market focusing on upcycled and second-hand items in December with a great response.

“We had young people selling art and handmade goods, second-hand providers, several businesses and residents. The feedback was excellent and several of these vendors asked for more car-boot markets, so these will become a regular fixture at the Heart Market.”

The Heart Market starts on Saturday 7 March and will run weekly from 7am to 2pm.

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