McCracken St food share pantry supports the community 

Kensington Neighbourhood House (KNH) worked with locals to establish a food share pantry to support local community members access food items and to provide residents the capacity to take, swap or donate food, which can all be done anonymously, 24/7. 

Locals formed a team to set up the pantry in May 2020 and guiding principles and goals for the pantry were established. Key principles decided at the outset were to take a test and learn approach, following an iterative process of adapting and responding to communities needs quickly and to engage with the community with hope and trust in capacity of others. The pantry has been embraced by the community, with residents undertaking regular giving and receiving occurring. Since opening, demand has more than tripled.

The pantry is designed to take action at a local level to address food insecurity. The pantry has been a great resource to local residents especially during the pandemic and supports those who struggle to keep food on the table, allowing them to supplement their needs. It was built by two locals, Marti and Bruce, using recycled materials and includes a plastics depository where people can drop off their bread tags, bottle tops, corks and ring pulls which are passed on to organisations to recycle. 

A grant was recently gained to continue to build on the ambitions of the pantry team from Vic Health. This is to establish a system to offer fresh, local produce from local gardens, build relationships with local businesses and undertake more community consultation. This has also meant that one of the dedicated volunteers could become a paid project coordinator. 

The pantry is coordinated by a paid team member Danxi and is also maintained by local volunteers from KNH. The pantry team ensure there is a regular supply of various items and that supplies are maintained to the required standards. The pantry accepts donations of various items, excluding ones which require refrigeration, that are homemade, past their use-by date or fresh vegetables that are highly perishable. Items need to be in their original packaging and not previously opened. The pantry does not accept donations of old clothes or other items that would normally be donated to an op shop.

The pantry is located on the veranda at the centre and is based on the principle of taking what you need or exchanging food items in the pantry as a swap or just donating some food for local community members. Items that are available include staple canned food items, long life milk, durable vegetables, dried pet food and basic cleaning such as dishwashing liquid and personal items. The variety of what is available can vary depending on demand and what is donated.

Esther, who assists in the coordination of the pantry at KNH, commented recently, “the pantry allows residents to act at a local level, empowering them to take personal action in donating food to their community or to supplement the needs of those who experience food insecurity that live locally, it has been a great activity in bringing the community together.”

The service has proved very popular and has given local residents the ability to make a difference to their community. If you would like more information you can contact KNH on 9376 6366 or donate, swap some food or take the food you need anonymously, come visit the pantry located at 89 McCracken St, Kensington. Access to the pantry is 24/7. Find us on Facebook by searching for “McCracken St Food Share Pantry” •