The two grandmothers lead a team of volunteers who distribute food each Saturday to Hornby, Hei Hei and Broomfield.
The Grannies Mobile – Free Weekly Bread co-founders share the same iwi, Ngati Porou.
This was their point of difference and, as Māori women, they also founded Grannies with Māori values, Aroha said.
"We do it for a sense of unity and belonging," Aroha said.
"It can be summed up in just one word, whanaungatanga.
"It’s about relationships and strengthening communities. It’s about neighbours getting to know neighbours."
"You’d know the person down the road and next door, and all their kids," Aroha said.
"It’s not the same as it used to be, so we’re trying to bring that back."
The volunteer Grannies group has grown since it was founded five years ago by Aroha and June, alongside former Christchurch deputy mayor Lesley Keast who passed away in 2019.
In the early days, they would choose a street - maybe one with social housing - and start knocking on doors.
Demand increased when they began advertising their free service.
They found another sponsor, Foodbank Canterbury, in addition to Hornby’s Breads of Europe.
Not only bread but also other products, including fruit, vegetables and dairy, are given away. Anything left over is donated to the Wigram Lodge.
Regulars are told to bring a friend to show the importance of sharing.
"Don’t keep it to yourself, share the Grannies with everyone and everybody," Aroha said.
"It’s more than helping whanau with kai."
The Grannies want to become the "loving arms" of the community, June said.
"We’ve met rangatahi that don’t have a granny. We have met people that don’t know what it's like to be wrapped up in the loving arms of a grandmother."
Their love is unconditional, no matter the circumstances of those who come along each Saturday.
A highlight for Aroha was when a neighbour started bringing their own food to share.
"That’s exactly what we wanted to happen, we wanted to share resources with each other," said Aroha.
"This belongs to the community, It doesn’t belong to June or myself."
She enjoys working with the volunteers, and says the group isn't only made up of grandmothers, but mothers, men and young people too.
One young volunteer used her time with the Grannies to help gain employment - a proud moment for Aroha.
"She’s now a registered nurse. She used the Grannies as a stepping stone.
"She used that in her scholarship application, and June helped her with the te reo Māori part of the application."
The Grannies have faced challenges over the years, the largest of which has been operating in the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the lockdown, they were doing contactless distributions, but now they have a designated volunteer who takes care of contact tracing, social distancing and sanitising.
"We created a Covid team to work alongside our kai team," Aroha said.
"We still wanted to deliver the service, but still in a real safe way."
They also deliver food to people who cannot come in person and the elderly.
Looking to the future, the Grannies would like to have separate youth and male divisions, Aroha said.
"Out there we have a lot of single fathers bringing up children, even grandfathers bringing up children.
"Because they can connect with each other on the same level, I think men servicing men would be a great arm of the Grannies."
The Grannies are also putting out feelers for a base from which they can expand their service.
"In the near future, we see ourselves in our own building in a central location to distribute kai in the Hornby community, to run community projects, to learn and educate, and to create employment.”
Aroha envisions a place for everyone, under the cloak of Maori language and values.
"It’s a new year, we’re excited."
