The Church Pantry in Bathurst, which operates as a partnership between Anglicare and All Saints Anglican Cathedral to provide emergency relief to a growing number of vulnerable community members in the local area, hosted an official opening on the 20th of July.
While The Church Pantry resumed operations following renovations at the end of 2021, the official reopening was a way of introducing the services on offer; including food relief, chaplaincy support and social connection to the wider community. The event also provided an opportunity to honour the work of former Anglicare Bathurst Emergency Relief Coordinator Barry “Baz” Porter who was instrumental in the pantry’s conception and who tragically passed last year.
Over the past 12 months The Church Pantry has seen a rapid increase in demand for emergency relief, with the number of people seeking assistance more than doubled from this time last year. “It has been hard to keep up with the growing demand” said Dallas Holmes, Anglicare’s Emergency Relief Hub Coordinator for Bathurst and Orange. “In just a few hours we can see as many as 40 clients seeking emergency assistance, and many of these are seeking help for the first time. We recently helped an 82 year-old woman who has never needed services before, but who can no longer manage with her soaring rent”.
While The Church Pantry is struggling with the increase in demand for services, and additional donations are always welcome, they also recognise the importance of being visible in the community. “A few weeks ago I happened to be out walking and noticed a community member approaching passers-by, asking for help”, said Dallas. “He had nowhere to stay that night and nothing to keep him warm. The temperatures in the region go into the negatives overnight and if he hadn’t run into me—someone with access to a sleeping bag and food—that could have been the end for him. This is why it is so important that people know that The Church Pantry is here.”
Anglicare CEO, Brandon Howard, spoke at the event about the growing need facing regional service providers and the significant role volunteers and community parish partnerships play in meeting community demands. Long-running volunteer at the pantry, Sue West, also spoke about the current climate of need in the Bathurst area and gave insight into the role the pantry plays for vulnerable locals.
Volunteers like Sue are the backbone of The Church Pantry, which could not continue to operate without their efforts. In the limited hours the service is open, (10:00-12:00 – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) they assist upwards of 70-80 individual clients per week, with a team of just 10 volunteers and Dallas. Volunteers come from the community and from the parish, which also supports the pantry through weekly collections of non-perishable items and occasional financial donations.
Community leaders who attended the event included Bishop Mark Calder of the Bathurst Anglican Diocese; Member for Bathurst, Paul Toole MP; local NSW Police Chief Inspector, Glen Cogdell, and Margaret Hogan of the Bathurst Regional Council. A highlight of the event was the unveiling of a memorial bench, created to honour the life and work of Barry “Baz” Porter.
