Photos: Supplied.
FROM ST PETE’S PANTRY
St Pete’s Pantry is a small, totally volunteer-run charity that operates twice weekly from within St Peter’s Anglican Church Hall in Bride St, Wynnum.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, St Pete’s volunteers distribute much-needed assistance in the form of groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, along with frozen foods, to local folk in need.
Starting many years ago as a small outreach of St Peter’s Church, The Pantry grew to become a fully registered charity in 2021.
Wanting to do more for the community, a Brekky Club was started on Monday mornings, where people can come and sit, chat with friends for a while, and enjoy a hot toastie or two, tea, coffee, or a cold drink at the same time. Expanding on the idea of helping others, the Monday Hub came into being, where several other organisations gather, including Rosies – Friends on the Street, the SUSO team with their popular Wash Bus, and the hairdressers from HairAid Australia give free professional haircuts to 30 or more people, every six weeks. All volunteers dedicate their time to helping others in the most practical ways.
Christmas becomes a very busy time at The Pantry. Each year in October, The Pantry launches its Christmas Project. This involves, with the aid of the local community, businesses, organisations, and individuals, a special giving of Christmas fare in the form of Christmas hampers containing an assortment of goodies, to those who, through their financial circumstances, cannot enjoy Christmas as many of us do. The aim is to gather, pack, and distribute up to 200 single and family hampers. Along with the Christmas Hampers, toys for children are collected and given as presents from Santa to younger children up to the age of 12.
Early in December, The Pantry will host a hot Christmas lunch for up to 100 people, all catered for by the local Wynnum RSL, as they have done for several years now. It’s only through the generous support of the community, individuals, organisations, and businesses that The Pantry can carry out its vital work of helping others in need in our wonderful bayside of Brisbane.
