The Hurstville church food pantry team.
Hurstville Church set up a pop-up food pantry for the St George area for the first time in the Adventist history. Located at 181 Parramatta Road, Annandale, NSW, community members in need of groceries are encouraged to visit during open hours to help fill their cupboards.
Volunteer church members distribute items including bread, canned vegetables, milk, rice, pasta, muesli bars, noodles, fresh fruit and vegetables.
More than 100 community members have registered to receive a list of food items every week; they also get invitations to events at the church, such as health seminars and vegetarian cooking demonstrations. There is an increasing number of people returning each week.
The food pantry is a joint initiative with the Sydney City Mission and Lifestyle Centre, a not-for-profit which is headed by Pr Kerina-Lee Joy, who attended the Hurstville Adventist Church as a child. During her research of community needs, Pr Joy realized there was extra demand for a food pantry in the area, and she worked out the partnership between the Hurstville church and the mission centre.
Now, the food pantry is open on a weekly basis, offering a variety of pantry staples, in-season fresh produce, and household necessities. Volunteers from the church staff the pantry.
But for Pr Joy and other organizers, the mission goes much deeper than physical food.
“It is crucial to note that it’s not about the food, nor where the food comes from, nor is it about the food pantry logistics, operations, nor management,” says Pr Joy. “Rather, it is all about being an active, relatable ministry that intentionally strives to facilitate personal encounters between the community and Jesus Christ.”
The pantry is open on Thursdays from 11am-3pm. Registrations are encouraged by sending an SMS to 0405 939 558.
