Times sure have been tough lately for Aussies all over and some have it worse than others. In Ulladulla, a small coastal town 230 kilometres south of Sydney, local woman Coralie Smith and her mother Melissa noticed more families struggling to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living.

To do their bit to reduce food waste and fight the problem head on, the pair set up the 'Little Free Food Pantry' outside the local scout hall–a wooden structure filled with basic groceries such as eggs, bread, milk and fresh produce.

The motto? 'Take what you need, give what you can'.

Coles Ulladulla answered the cry for help by donating various freshly baked items, meats and produce daily, while Woolworths donates weekly. All that is topped up by generous locals who often drop off something several times a day.

The Little Food Pantry was set up by two Ulladulla locals to support those affected by the rising cost of living in Australia. Image source: Facebook.

One local named Michelle has been using the service for almost three months. Before, she would eat just one meal daily while working three jobs to make ends meet.

'When I collected my first hamper all I could do was cry,' she said, feeling overwhelmed. 'I'm definitely eating more now, and I am able to keep up with my mortgage and bills.'

The 2022 Foodbank Hunger Report showed that food is the primary non-housing expense driving the increased inflation and the rising cost of grocery items is the top cause for households not getting enough to eat. So for Michelle, what’s being done by Ulladulla locals is ‘just amazing’.

Photos shared of the pantry showed a range of grocery items such as fresh food, pantry items, and some toiletries. The availability of items often changes but it primarily includes baked goods and produce that would otherwise be thrown out by supermarkets, establishments, and homeowners.

Recent offerings have included:

• Pastries, cinnamon doughnuts, cheese and bacon rolls, and bread
• Fresh fruits and vegetables including mushrooms, celery, broccoli, potatoes, apples, oranges, and more
• Meat including pork belly, sausages, chicken breast or thigh, and steaks
• Pasta, instant noodles, eggs, and snacks

Coles Ulladulla donates as part of its partnership with SecondBite – an organisation helping Australia end food waste and hunger. Store manager Lance said the pantry receives 10 banana boxes of food each day – goods, still edible, that can’t be sold in-store. Over the past 10 years, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs like Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

In response, Foodbank – the largest hunger relief charity in Australia – received 128,000 calls for assistance in June of this year. Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara calls this 'a particularly bad month' and believes things are only going to get worse.

It’s incredibly heart-warming to see how people would come together to help those in need in their community–like the volunteers at the Little Free Food Pantry, and Coles and Woolworths with their generous donations.

We will continue to share stories like this to stay informed on how we can do our bit to support those who need it most. And if you want to read more about the initiatives of Foodbank, you can visit Foodbank’s website for more information.

Key Takeaways

• A Little Free Food Pantry in Ulladulla, set up by local women, is helping people feed their families amidst the increasing cost of living.
• Local Coles and Woolworths provide daily and weekly grocery donations respectively, and the pantry is often topped up by generous locals.
• Pictures of the pantry show it filled with a range of grocery items including fresh food, pantry items and sometimes toiletries.
• Over the past decade, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs across Australia, such as Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

Have you seen something similar in your area? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Babybird]

Times sure have been tough lately for Aussies all over and some have it worse than others. In Ulladulla, a small coastal town 230 kilometres south of Sydney, local woman Coralie Smith and her mother Melissa noticed more families struggling to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living.

To do their bit to reduce food waste and fight the problem head on, the pair set up the 'Little Free Food Pantry' outside the local scout hall–a wooden structure filled with basic groceries such as eggs, bread, milk and fresh produce.

The motto? 'Take what you need, give what you can'.

Coles Ulladulla answered the cry for help by donating various freshly baked items, meats and produce daily, while Woolworths donates weekly. All that is topped up by generous locals who often drop off something several times a day.

View attachment 27748

The Little Food Pantry was set up by two Ulladulla locals to support those affected by the rising cost of living in Australia. Image source: Facebook.

One local named Michelle has been using the service for almost three months. Before, she would eat just one meal daily while working three jobs to make ends meet.

'When I collected my first hamper all I could do was cry,' she said, feeling overwhelmed. 'I'm definitely eating more now, and I am able to keep up with my mortgage and bills.'

The 2022 Foodbank Hunger Report showed that food is the primary non-housing expense driving the increased inflation and the rising cost of grocery items is the top cause for households not getting enough to eat. So for Michelle, what’s being done by Ulladulla locals is ‘just amazing’.

Photos shared of the pantry showed a range of grocery items such as fresh food, pantry items, and some toiletries. The availability of items often changes but it primarily includes baked goods and produce that would otherwise be thrown out by supermarkets, establishments, and homeowners.

Recent offerings have included:

• Pastries, cinnamon doughnuts, cheese and bacon rolls, and bread
• Fresh fruits and vegetables including mushrooms, celery, broccoli, potatoes, apples, oranges, and more
• Meat including pork belly, sausages, chicken breast or thigh, and steaks
• Pasta, instant noodles, eggs, and snacks

Coles Ulladulla donates as part of its partnership with SecondBite – an organisation helping Australia end food waste and hunger. Store manager Lance said the pantry receives 10 banana boxes of food each day – goods, still edible, that can’t be sold in-store. Over the past 10 years, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs like Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

In response, Foodbank – the largest hunger relief charity in Australia – received 128,000 calls for assistance in June of this year. Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara calls this 'a particularly bad month' and believes things are only going to get worse.

It’s incredibly heart-warming to see how people would come together to help those in need in their community–like the volunteers at the Little Free Food Pantry, and Coles and Woolworths with their generous donations.

We will continue to share stories like this to stay informed on how we can do our bit to support those who need it most. And if you want to read more about the initiatives of Foodbank, you can visit Foodbank’s website for more information.

Key Takeaways

• A Little Free Food Pantry in Ulladulla, set up by local women, is helping people feed their families amidst the increasing cost of living.
• Local Coles and Woolworths provide daily and weekly grocery donations respectively, and the pantry is often topped up by generous locals.
• Pictures of the pantry show it filled with a range of grocery items including fresh food, pantry items and sometimes toiletries.
• Over the past decade, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs across Australia, such as Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

Have you seen something similar in your area? Let us know in the comments below!

Most neibourhood centres run lunch or dinner and oz harvest once week.
.for low income people the various items donated by stores in area from that day so not to throw out...enquire in your area what is available at local neighbourhood centre.
Sometimes it's twice week you can access food and they need volunteers to help sort and distribute donated food.
Local bakery's donate restaurant donate what's left at end day as in cooked food and fruit shops etc

 

[elaine41]

Most neibourhood centres runt lunch or dinner and oz harvest once week.
.for liw income people the various items donated by stores in area from that day so not to throw out...enquire in your area what is available at local neighbourhood centre.
Sometimes it's twice week you can access food and they need volunteers to help sort and distribute donated food

That might be the case in the city but not in country towns. We have a foodbank once a week but I have to drive 45 km each way to access it so not really helpful as the cost of petrol more than eats up any savings I might make at foodbank. Plus there is minimal fresh fruit/vegies available with which to make a meal.

 

[Frigate]

Something wrong with taxation system in this country that has to be immediately fixed if people are starving - in the end of the day they would not able to pay income taxes.

 

[LadyMoonlight]

Coles, Woolies and Aldi should set one of these pantries up not far from their stores in both rural and city areas. It is a great idea.

 

[RFG]

Times sure have been tough lately for Aussies all over and some have it worse than others. In Ulladulla, a small coastal town 230 kilometres south of Sydney, local woman Coralie Smith and her mother Melissa noticed more families struggling to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living.

To do their bit to reduce food waste and fight the problem head on, the pair set up the 'Little Free Food Pantry' outside the local scout hall–a wooden structure filled with basic groceries such as eggs, bread, milk and fresh produce.

The motto? 'Take what you need, give what you can'.

Coles Ulladulla answered the cry for help by donating various freshly baked items, meats and produce daily, while Woolworths donates weekly. All that is topped up by generous locals who often drop off something several times a day.

View attachment 27748

The Little Food Pantry was set up by two Ulladulla locals to support those affected by the rising cost of living in Australia. Image source: Facebook.

One local named Michelle has been using the service for almost three months. Before, she would eat just one meal daily while working three jobs to make ends meet.

'When I collected my first hamper all I could do was cry,' she said, feeling overwhelmed. 'I'm definitely eating more now, and I am able to keep up with my mortgage and bills.'

The 2022 Foodbank Hunger Report showed that food is the primary non-housing expense driving the increased inflation and the rising cost of grocery items is the top cause for households not getting enough to eat. So for Michelle, what’s being done by Ulladulla locals is ‘just amazing’.

Photos shared of the pantry showed a range of grocery items such as fresh food, pantry items, and some toiletries. The availability of items often changes but it primarily includes baked goods and produce that would otherwise be thrown out by supermarkets, establishments, and homeowners.

Recent offerings have included:

• Pastries, cinnamon doughnuts, cheese and bacon rolls, and bread
• Fresh fruits and vegetables including mushrooms, celery, broccoli, potatoes, apples, oranges, and more
• Meat including pork belly, sausages, chicken breast or thigh, and steaks
• Pasta, instant noodles, eggs, and snacks

Coles Ulladulla donates as part of its partnership with SecondBite – an organisation helping Australia end food waste and hunger. Store manager Lance said the pantry receives 10 banana boxes of food each day – goods, still edible, that can’t be sold in-store. Over the past 10 years, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs like Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

In response, Foodbank – the largest hunger relief charity in Australia – received 128,000 calls for assistance in June of this year. Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara calls this 'a particularly bad month' and believes things are only going to get worse.

It’s incredibly heart-warming to see how people would come together to help those in need in their community–like the volunteers at the Little Free Food Pantry, and Coles and Woolworths with their generous donations.

We will continue to share stories like this to stay informed on how we can do our bit to support those who need it most. And if you want to read more about the initiatives of Foodbank, you can visit Foodbank’s website for more information.

Key Takeaways

• A Little Free Food Pantry in Ulladulla, set up by local women, is helping people feed their families amidst the increasing cost of living.
• Local Coles and Woolworths provide daily and weekly grocery donations respectively, and the pantry is often topped up by generous locals.
• Pictures of the pantry show it filled with a range of grocery items including fresh food, pantry items and sometimes toiletries.
• Over the past decade, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs across Australia, such as Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

Have you seen something similar in your area? Let us know in the comments below!

That is a heartwarming gesture. Although I do struggle at times, I would be happy to donate what & when I could. Do supermarkets have a set up like this in each of their stores? If so, many people could access this to donate. One item that may only cost a couple of dollars, but means a meal for someone else. Everyday rewards have the option to bank their $10 rewards to use for xmas. I would be happy to have the option in my rewards program to donate 10% of my rewards dollars. Flybuys probably works the same. That would be a program that would add up to a healthy amount of $'s donation to a worthy charity. Maybe you could even select which charity from a select nominated few that the supermarkets support. Christmas time is always harder for most of us, but this idea would help a lot of those less fortunate. What do you think supermarket CEO's. Just an idea folks, would you be willing to do this?

 

[Liz49]

Times sure have been tough lately for Aussies all over and some have it worse than others. In Ulladulla, a small coastal town 230 kilometres south of Sydney, local woman Coralie Smith and her mother Melissa noticed more families struggling to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living.

To do their bit to reduce food waste and fight the problem head on, the pair set up the 'Little Free Food Pantry' outside the local scout hall–a wooden structure filled with basic groceries such as eggs, bread, milk and fresh produce.

The motto? 'Take what you need, give what you can'.

Coles Ulladulla answered the cry for help by donating various freshly baked items, meats and produce daily, while Woolworths donates weekly. All that is topped up by generous locals who often drop off something several times a day.

View attachment 27748

The Little Food Pantry was set up by two Ulladulla locals to support those affected by the rising cost of living in Australia. Image source: Facebook.

One local named Michelle has been using the service for almost three months. Before, she would eat just one meal daily while working three jobs to make ends meet.

'When I collected my first hamper all I could do was cry,' she said, feeling overwhelmed. 'I'm definitely eating more now, and I am able to keep up with my mortgage and bills.'

The 2022 Foodbank Hunger Report showed that food is the primary non-housing expense driving the increased inflation and the rising cost of grocery items is the top cause for households not getting enough to eat. So for Michelle, what’s being done by Ulladulla locals is ‘just amazing’.

Photos shared of the pantry showed a range of grocery items such as fresh food, pantry items, and some toiletries. The availability of items often changes but it primarily includes baked goods and produce that would otherwise be thrown out by supermarkets, establishments, and homeowners.

Recent offerings have included:

• Pastries, cinnamon doughnuts, cheese and bacon rolls, and bread
• Fresh fruits and vegetables including mushrooms, celery, broccoli, potatoes, apples, oranges, and more
• Meat including pork belly, sausages, chicken breast or thigh, and steaks
• Pasta, instant noodles, eggs, and snacks

Coles Ulladulla donates as part of its partnership with SecondBite – an organisation helping Australia end food waste and hunger. Store manager Lance said the pantry receives 10 banana boxes of food each day – goods, still edible, that can’t be sold in-store. Over the past 10 years, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs like Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

In response, Foodbank – the largest hunger relief charity in Australia – received 128,000 calls for assistance in June of this year. Foodbank WA CEO Kate O’Hara calls this 'a particularly bad month' and believes things are only going to get worse.

It’s incredibly heart-warming to see how people would come together to help those in need in their community–like the volunteers at the Little Free Food Pantry, and Coles and Woolworths with their generous donations.

We will continue to share stories like this to stay informed on how we can do our bit to support those who need it most. And if you want to read more about the initiatives of Foodbank, you can visit Foodbank’s website for more information.

Key Takeaways

• A Little Free Food Pantry in Ulladulla, set up by local women, is helping people feed their families amidst the increasing cost of living.
• Local Coles and Woolworths provide daily and weekly grocery donations respectively, and the pantry is often topped up by generous locals.
• Pictures of the pantry show it filled with a range of grocery items including fresh food, pantry items and sometimes toiletries.
• Over the past decade, Coles has donated over 200 million meals to local charity partners and community food programs across Australia, such as Ulladulla’s Little Free Food Pantry.

Have you seen something similar in your area? Let us know in the comments below!

I love reading about this but it always stuns me how people seem to think they have to eat at least 3 meals a day. I have survived on one or two for quite some time now. Though I am older and so won't get rid of all my health issues I am much better for it. I'm sure if some people just stopped eating all the time and bought nutrient dense foods only they would cut out all the snacks and junk they don't really need. Oh but that would mean the junk food producers would not make any money and some people might actually get really healthy. Can't have that happen

 

[Jennie]

That might be the case in the city but not in country towns. We have a foodbank once a week but I have to drive 45 km each way to access it so not really helpful as the cost of petrol more than eats up any savings I might make at foodbank. Plus there is minimal fresh fruit/vegies available with which to make a meal.

Same here, mines a 40 km each way drive.

 

[Babybird]

That might be the case in the city but not in country towns. We have a foodbank once a week but I have to drive 45 km each way to access it so not really helpful as the cost of petrol more than eats up any savings I might make at foodbank. Plus there is minimal fresh fruit/vegies available with which to make a meal.

Maybe 1 day a neighbour can and another week you can that way share distance

 

[Gsr]

I live in a large country town, our neighbourhood centre has a food bank where people who need help can access some free food, they also have hot showers and breakfast and lunch options for people to access. They also keep a range of nice clothing items people can borrow or take if they have for example a job interview to go to. This is a very well patronised service as we have many homeless people in our town. Some of the charity op shops are also happy to receive food items like fresh fruit and vegies from people with some to spare, that they then give away to people in need. We have a men’s shed and community garden that also grows fresh produce which it sells for a nominal price. Our local Salvation Army store also gives out food hampers to people in need. We are very lucky to have all these wonderful services helping out.

 

[Judy HB]

Hubby and I have changed to 1 good meal a day, the other 2 quite small. We have lost weight and sleep a lot better. This will be a lifestyle for us now, much healthier. We’re also walking a lot. Has helped our budget and our health!

 

[Liz]

We have one of these pantries in a nearby suburb, I think maybe only students use it, not sure. But it is a great idea. Give one, take one if you need.

 

[starrysnan]

There is a community pantry cupboard and a book library outside one of local child care centres. Its a great place to have such a service.

 

[myopinion]

In our very small town, we have a free book exchange. When locals have excess vegetable produce it is left to help yourself. and recently on a pantry cleanout a stack of goods was donated. This was not charity but offered to those who were known to be doing it a bit hard.
Its a good feeling to know that we can all help each other.

 

[midgemills]

Wallamba share cart is one of a few in the Manning River area. This one is at Nabiac.

Wallamba Share Cart

Wallamba Share Cart, Nabiac, New South Wales. 294 likes. A place for people to swap/give/take their produce - plants, eggs, fruit & veg. If you don’t have produce that’s ok! Contributing something...

www.facebook.com

 

[GillyH]

We have a local Buy Nothing in our Community, a few dedicated locals go to the local Coles, Woolies & bakeries once or twice a week & pick up end of day food, that can't be sold, there is always plenty for the local charities. We are encouraged to only take what we need. It helps our budget. sometimes I can make a banana cake or make a tasty tomato sauce base for Bolognese.