Little Pantry idea flourishes

Despite community concerns that it would be taken advantage of, the free community-run pantry on Brookman Street is still going strong one year after the initiative began.

Introduced by Hope Community Services, Goldfields but run by the community, the Our Little Pantry is filled almost daily by those who have the ability to spare some food, and emptied just as quickly by those in need.

Located in the garden of Hope, the pantry has helped feed many families in need since it was introduced on December 28, 2018, and headspace manager Samantha Mitchley, who helped to create the pantry, said it showed no signs of slowing down.

“When it was established, people said it wasn’t going to work and that people would take advantage of it,” she said.

“But we looked at it in the view of what, ‘so what if people take advantage of it?’. What they are taking advantage of is food.

If you are going to come and fill your car up, you obviously need it and that is fine, because we know the generous community will fill it again for the next person in need

She said there were a number of businesses and families in town who were regular donators, naming City News Kalgoorlie for their “incredible” efforts to keep the pantry full.

“They have a collection point and a donation box and always go out and buy items or make little packs for school kids, which is just amazing,” she said.

“And with school starting up again soon, we know those will be extremely popular.”

Mrs Mitchley said the pantry was put in the garden instead of inside the building so that families and individuals could take what they needed without fear of being watched or having to ask for help.

Having been contacted by St Joseph’s Primary School last year, who wanted to create a similar pantry in Boulder, Mrs Mitchley said she hoped schools and businesses would band together to create one in as many places as possible.

The only request is that any additional pantries keep the yellow colour so people know what its purpose is.

“The pantry is for the community, and it runs itself. All we do is wipe it down every now and then to keep it clean,” she said.

“We have had no issues at all with it, no vandalism or anything like that, and the demand is clearly there because it gets cleared out quite quickly. But it never stays empty for long.”

The initiative spread down to Esperance last year, with two pantries introduced by the Hope team there.