Pay It Forward has added another service to their impressively long list of community assistance with the opening of a food bank at their Glenroi Avenue shopfront.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The food bank was opened on Monday after Pay It Forward founder Karlie Irwin said people came forward and asked for the service.
"We see the need, we've had 40 people come through in just under a week," she said.
You see people come and talk to us about their power bills and even I'm struggling to keep them on and we're seeing people to make repayments and putting off things like groceries, we see that all the time.
- Karlie Irwin
Ms Irwin said she didn't want to tread on the toes of FoodCare, which is a food bank already operating in Glenroi, but put a survey out to find why people wanted an alternative service.
She said while the survey had an "overwhelming" response they wanted another food bank, Pay It Forward's operation it didn't diminish the value of FoodCare.
"I think every service is valuable and a lot of the response to us is [Foodcare] is only open two days a week," she said.
"Sometimes there's a need on other days when people have a dire need or are trying to get through the weekend with nothing."
She said 40 people had signed up to be members, which costs $30 for three months and allows fortnightly access to select 30 items of groceries, and Ms Irwin wasn't surprised by how popular it was.
"You see the need for it," she said.
"You see people come and talk to us about their power bills and even I'm struggling to keep them on and we're seeing people to make repayments and putting off things like groceries, we see that all the time."
The food bank is open to people from all walks of life, and Ms Irwin said several farmers had made use of the program.
"There's no criteria with us, there's never been a criteria," she said.
"Some of our current members are people we might assume are doing okay, looking at where they're living and the car they're driving, but you find they're struggling just as much as the next person with the mortgage and bills and kids.
"We shouldn't have criteria, if someone's in trouble they're in trouble."
The Pay It Forward Community Shed is located at 101 Glenroi Avenue and can be contacted on 53 111 633.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...