The first Cumberland Community Pantry will be officially opening its doors to the community on Tuesday, June 13, offering residents in need some relief in the form of assistance with essential items such as pantry staples, toiletries and personal hygiene products.
Cumberland Mayor Lisa Lake welcomed the initiative and said that she hoped the program would help provide much needed relief for struggling households in Cumberland.
“The rising costs of living, coupled with inflation and increasingly high interest rates, has left many people struggling to make ends meet,” Mayor Lake said.
“Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that the cost of groceries has increased by eight per cent year on year, which means that anyone living on or below the margin is really struggling.
“At least 22 percent of households in Cumberland are low-income households that struggle to manage normally, let alone with these added pressures.”
There will be two Community Pantries that will be located in Auburn and Wentworthville, and they will be operated by volunteers from Sewa Australia, the Australia Korea Cultural Exchange Association and Beyond Services.
The Auburn Community Pantry will operate every Tuesday from, June 13, 10am-noon at the Auburn Centre for Community and the Wentworthville Community Pantry will operate every Monday from June 19, 10am-noon at the Wentworthville Community Centre.
To donate to a community pantry or to find out more information, visit cumberland.nsw.gov.au/pantry.
