Kindness is in full swing in Bangalow, with the town’s key charities and churches joining forces to help those doing it tough in our community, led by the Bangalow Mens Shed. Georgia Fox spoke with organisers David Noakes, Louise Anderson, and Rev. Rosie Wynter about this initiative that’s been five years in the making – and whose arrival couldn’t be more timely.
When former Byron Anglican Parish Community Priest, Rev. Rosie Wynter, moved into the Ashton Street Rectory in 2020, she was struck by the number of people she observed sleeping rough in cars in the neighbouring Piccabeen Park carpark. Particularly how many of them were mothers with children and older women – some of whom ended up on the ABC documentary on the subject, “Under Cover”. Settling into her ministry at All Souls’ Church, she also found herself frequently providing pastoral care to local residents quietly doing it tough behind the veneer of the town’s increasingly affluent reputation.
“You know there’s homelessness in Byron because it’s a transient population,” Rev. Rosie explains, “but we assume in these more sort of ‘upper echelon’ areas that no one’s struggling, but it’s just not true. People are struggling everywhere. You never know what goes on behind closed doors.”
With our nearest neighbourhood centres in Byron and Mullumbimby, it became clear the lack of resources in the 2479 area for people experiencing hardship needed addressing. Rev. Rosie took a proposal to the Parish to create a drop-in centre in Ashton Street that, amongst a raft of comprehensive social services, included a community pantry. She planned to appeal to businesses for donations, as well as encourage locals to purchase a few extra cans or packets of something during their grocery shop, which she saw as an important opportunity for families to gently introduce the notion to children who have never had to go without, that not everyone is quite so fortunate.
Sharing her dream with Bangalow Men’s Shed President, David Noakes, in late 2020, she found an equally passionate ally. To get the ball rolling while the bureaucratic wheels slowly turned on the drop-in centre, she and David, both members of the Bangalow Lions, secured generous funding from the Club to develop a scheme distributing vouchers to be redeemed for groceries at Foodworks. The demand was far greater than anticipated, and as word spread, the amount of people knocking on Rev. Rosie’s door in need of help increased.
By late 2023, with plans still tied up in red tape and the voucher program exhausted, Rev. Rosie’s tenure in Bangalow was up. “Heartbroken” to be leaving the area before her vision was able to come to fruition, David vowed to continue the fight, bringing the project under the auspices of the Men’s Shed and working closely with Clare Hopkins. They (along with Brent, Andrea, Neil, Ruth, Kerry and Lorraine), launched the H.I.Y.A. 2479 (Help in Your Area) initiative in April 2024, reinstating an expanded grocery and fuel voucher program, jointly funded by the Men’s Shed, Lions, and CWA, and supported by all four churches.
Around this time, fellow Men’s Shed member, Louise Anderson, who works in social services and has experience with community pantries in Sydney, joined David and Clare in the planning team. Instead of a cache of basic non-perishables to be distributed at a drop-in centre opening a few hours a day, a few days a week, a literal outdoor pantry was devised that would enable 24/7 access, that as well as catering to people not able to attend during designated operating hours, allows discreet and autonomous access for those who may find asking for help just too uncomfortable.
A collective donated effort between Bunnings Byron Bay and local builders Pepe Munir and Shane Dettman, and Parallel Power electricians, saw the standalone structure established at the far (creek) end of the Men’s Shed carpark, becoming operational in December 2024. It was painted by ‘Miller’, and is currently awaiting a trompe-l’oeil rainforest mural by local artist Ian Ritchie, which will see it blend further into its bush setting.
The Pantry’s motto, “Take as much as you need, give if you can,” perfectly sums up the project’s ethos… and there are so many ways to give if you are in a position to do so. You can drop basic non-perishable pantry goods, including baby food and toiletries, into the allocated box located on the verandah of the Men’s Shed, or in one of the many boxes that will be popping up around town over coming months. You can help raise funds by purchasing plants from the trays in the carpark using their honour system, or use the payment box to simply donate cash. Or you can donate your skills or time – even an hour here or there can make a real difference and help lighten the load for the team.
While it might fly largely under the radar down the shopping strip of Bangalow, Rosie, David and Louise have seen with their own eyes the cumulative impact the last five years is having with the underlying housing situation, the pandemic, the floods, and now the cost of living crisis. “It’s obviously not just Bangalow, but that’s what we’re focused on,” says David.
Louise explains the power of the combination of H.I.Y.A. 2479 and the Pantry, with the fuel vouchers allowing people to get to jobs and appointments, the grocery vouchers providing fresh produce, and now the Community Pantry for staples and toiletries. “The emotional comfort that comes from knowing there are anonymous people in my community that actually care, sees selfesteem and mental health skyrocket… we know it’s helping people.”
Rev. Rosie is looking forward to an upcoming trip to Bangalow to see the Pantry in action, along with the H.I.Y.A. 2479 mornings – both a legacy of her love for the community and compassion for its often invisible members. She is thrilled that through David and the team’s continuing efforts, that something tangible is being provided for the community.
If you would like to become involved or donate in any way, please contact David at bangalowcommunitypantry@gmail.com (donations over $500 are tax deductible).
The Bangalow Men’s Shed is located at the corner of Deacon and Station Streets, offering obligation-free H.I.Y.A. 2479 vouchers between 7-9am each Monday and Friday, with no registration required or questions asked. You can help yourself to the Community Pantry anytime of the day or night, which can be found at the creek-end of the carpark, by the far gate, with sensor lighting and CCTV monitoring to ensure users’ safety. The plant payment/donation box is a white pole at the opposite end of the carpark closest to the shops, and basic pantry/toiletry items are gratefully received via the donations box on the Men’s Shed verandah.