Parish Pantry connecting community
Vicar Paul Milson has free bags of food and a place to connect at Parish Pantry. Photo: Anne Hardie.
Once a month, the St Paul’s Church Hall in Brightwater is a place to pick up a free bag of food, enjoy a free sausage sizzle and hang out for a chat.
The vicar of the Brightwater Community Anglican Church, Paul Milson, says Parish Pantry evolved after the free food charity, Kai with Love, closed about 18 months ago, then the Hapori fruit and veg box programme was discontinued early this year.
“With Parish Pantry we’re aiming to meet two needs; helping people around food - bring a blessing through food - and to connect with people in the community by having a relaxing place to chill out. Having a connection is really important.
“That was part of the magic of Kai With Love which we had here for three years. We’ve got people who are part of our church family now who were connected through Kai With Love.”
A handful of local donors in the community provide the funding for Parish Pantry which fills between 20 and 30 bags of mostly dry goods to give to people.
“If we run out of food and someone comes along, we can get something to them the next week.
“If people just want to connect with people in the community, that’s totally fine.”
Parish Pantry will usually be held on the third Friday of the month between 3pm and 5.30pm, with games for the kids if parents want to chat with others in the community.