Our guest speaker was Anthea Taylor, a ten-pound Pom from Kent at the age of eight years, the youngest of seven, and now generous stalwart of “Seeds Bendigo”, arriving via Echuca, Kyabram and Ballarat.
Anthea, an experienced primary school teacher and some-time primary school chaplain is now coordinator of the “Peoples’ Pantry’ project in Bendigo, “blessed” by the Anglican Diocese, operating out of Saint Mathews’ Church in Long Gully, along with Pastor Dave Fagg.
"Peoples' Pantry" is successfully offering twenty-five ‘households’ food availability and security, opportunities for socialization and means to resolve cycles of generational poverty.
Anthea the succession planner, is “upskilling” one member as novice project coordinator.
The key element of the project is that it is not a “handout to passive recipients.” Rather, the households must donate ten dollars per school term and are more than welcome to work in the kitchen, and community garden.
Our local FoodShare, FoodBank out of Melbourne, “on the road again” with a refrigerated vehicle, and now an anonymous regular donor of fresh fruit and vegs are all “in on the act”.
We acknowledge Glenn Reilly providing "Peoples' Pantry" with a ‘fridge/freezer funded by our club, which has proved essential.
Prompted, Anthea informed us that "Peoples' Pantry" needs secure storage space at Saint Mathews’ [is that tautology, a need for security in a Church Hall?], she dreaming of new cupboards.
“An open and shut case”.
She has a grant application in, with a FAQ expectation of reward.
Our Board may have opportunity to continue that conversation.
George