Eden has a Community Pantry
Open every Thursdays 10am to 1pm. Come along and have a look, get some good food at a budget rescue prices and have a cuppa while you're there. Bring your shopping bags.
20 Chandos St. Eden 2551
What's it about? A powerpoint presentation What's it about? Welcome flyer
The pantry aims at community building and to help people stretch their budgets to include basic food.
The Eden Community Pantry is open every Thursday from 10am till 1pm and on market days from 10-12 (3rd Saturdays of the month).
Food at the Pantry is received from a charity called Foodbank and other donations and is available to 'shoppers'. Each item received in the Pantry is allocated a ‘purchase price’ which is simply on a cost recovery basis. Shopping at the Community Pantry removes the ‘hand out’ element that sometimes is associated with charity. Dignity and self-esteem are important in the philosophy of Community Pantries.
The pantry is enabled by a group of church and community volunteers who are engaged in roles including hospitality, ordering, stacking shelves and sales. Community-minded volunteers are also encouraged to assist with morning tea and to sensitively welcome shoppers so that strong feelings of belonging are fostered.
Everyone is welcome with no membership process for people to fill-in before shopping at the Eden Community Pantry.
A broad cross-section of grocery items is offered with a total shopping bill well below the normal retail price. Also, there is often free bread and meat as well as some fresh fruit and vegetables. These are supplied by OzHarvest, Woolworths Fresh Food Rescue, Wild Ryes bakery, Aldi, Coles SecondBite or, in the case of fruit, vegetables, or meat, the generosity of local growers, hunters and farmers.
Community Pantries have consistently shown to have an insignificant effect on the profits of the surrounding retail outlets. Community pantries have limited stock and limited opening hours and families still have to complete their shopping in the usual retail outlets.
If you would like to volunteer on a roster basis just come along and have a look and make yourself known or use the Contact Us page at this website.
$ donations can be made via the information at the Donate page on this website.
The Eden Community Pantry is located in the Uniting Church Hall, 20 Chandos Street, Eden.
Pictures from the opening day 18th April 2019 More pictures
A visit to the community pantry from Foodbank and Celeste Barber