A partnership between local community housing provider Home in Place and OzHarvest has grown from supplying items for COVID care packs for tenants to a weekly delivery of food and grocery items to help people battle rising cost of living pressures. SEND US A STORY CCN encourages “community journalism”, including story leads, citizen reports, media releases & letters to the Editor.

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At the height of COVID 19 lockdowns, Home in Place’s The Meeting Place hub at Tumbi Umbi had to temporarily close.

Hub staff and tenant relations officers started providing care packs for isolated tenants.

OzHarvest had started on the Central Coast and donated food and grocery items.

Now OzHarvest driver Luke McKelvey makes a delivery each Tuesday.

In the first week of the New Year there were 60 boxes or 1.5 tonne of items which Home in Place community participation officer Jenene Carling set about distributing.

The hub has a Shack Shop which sells low cost food, grocery and other items it purchases from Foodbank and other places.

The Oz Harvest items go on its free rack for tenants and other community members in need to take home alongside items from Coles Second Bite and Woolworths.

Some items are delivered by Home in Place to people who are are struggling.

“We used OzHarvest items, as well as what we grow in our

Home in Place community participation officer Jenene Carling and OzHarvest driver Luke McKelvey at The Meeting Place hub vegetable garden, to put on a Christmas lunch for 60 tenants,” Carling said.

“The Shack Shop wasn’t open when we received the bumper new year delivery, so we set up a pop-up giveaway shop at the hub.

“Our tenant relations officers also set up pop-up stalls at several of our Central Coast social housing complexes.

“The OzHarvest items were very welcome.

“Everyone is struggling after Christmas, especially with the rising costs of living.

“The amount and type of items varies depending upon what OzHarvest receives from supermarkets and other providers but typically there is meat, bread, fruit, vegetables and drinks; pikelets are a big hit.

“Having fresh and frozen food encourages tenants to cook and eat well.”

OzHarvest started on the Central Coast in July 2021. Manager, Richard Stark, said growing demand has seen it put on a second truck on the Central Coast in November 2022.

“OzHarvest rescues healthy and nutritious food from local supermarkets and food businesses and deliver it directly and free of charge to local not for profits and charities like Home in Place, who distribute it to those in need,” Stark said.

“We work hand in hand to help the growing number of people in our community who are struggling and feeling the pinch.”

The Meeting Place is an award-winning community hub established in 2011 by Home in Place, in partnership with Housing NSW.

Home in Place funds and runs the hub and has replicated parts of the model in Broken Hill.

Carling said the hub also offers tenants social and skill building activities, support and referral to other services as well as a Tuesday coffee club is back, providing a great way for people to connect with others.

The Shack Shop is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am-2pm and is in need of more volunteers.

Home in Place is a not for profit community housing provider which manages more than 7,000 social, affordability and disability properties in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, including more than 1,000 on the Central Coast.

To find out more about its Central Coast hub or to volunteer visit www. homeinplace.org/communityhubs.

To find out more about OzHarvest, your nearest food relief centre or to support its work visit www.ozharvest.org.

Source: Media release, Feb 15 OzHarvest and Home in Place

IN MEMORIAM GIFFORD, Judith Ann OAM