MIRBOO North Whole Life Pharmacy & Healthfoods celebrated their first birthday last Friday with specials, treats, raffles and giveaways for locals on the day.
The community have embraced the new store and staff report it’s getting busier each week as locals discover they have access to a wide range of whole foods, pharmacy products and prescriptions, right on their doorstep.
“We have a lot of variety that previously people had to outsource from the (Latrobe) Valley, so it saves them having to just go to the Valley for some of their health food needs or things like that. They can come here and get their scripts and get the stuff that they’ve been outsourcing from further away,” said Tiana Giardina.
“I think it’s really been taken on well because we give a lot back to the community. We run a lot of fun things and events and people really get on board.”
Supporting locals and giving back to the community has seen the store become a popular and welcoming place for locals, not only to shop but to have a chat and socialise, becoming a community hub of sorts.
On the day of the celebration, local and regular customer Pat baked slices and treats using products from the wholefoods section, while Rosie from Allembee ran taste tests of jams and sauces she makes and which the store stocks, and local, Joan, was selling her handmade cards, also supported by the store.
Products from other local micro businesses are also welcomed and sold in store.
“We try to take on as many locals as possible. We don’t really make any profit, it’s just to help support that,” explained Tiana.
The pharmacy also partner with and support other organisations within the community, donating items to the local nursing home for their pamper days and donating any excess or best-before foods on a fortnightly basis to the local food bank, also helping to eliminate unnecessary waste.
Regular giveaways and competitions are run, with a colouring competition before Christmas seeing 150 people in the community, from two-year-olds up to a 90-year-old, having a go and filling the shop windows.
“There’s a lot that we do here. It’s definitely more than just a pharmacy,” said Tiana.