We have installed 4 free food cupboards across the Sorell municipality.
- Carlton (Carlton Beach Road, near the corner of Convoy Rd)
- Midway Point (Penna End of Lake Vue Parade)
- Primrose Sands (Primrose Sands Road, between the General Store and the RSL)
- Sorell (Arthur St, near the skate park)
Anyone can put groceries and fresh produce in the cupboards. Please do not put dairy, meat or other items that require refrigeration.
These cupboards allow people to access help without contacting or seeing everybody. There is a huge amount of stigma with accessing services and a lot of people struggling financially.
We have heard so many heart warming stories of families accessing the free food cupboards to find a little bit of food for their next meal.
Please add a few items here and there if can afford it.
Here is a few words from me about the effectiveness of the cupboards and the purpose
The Free Food Cupboards aren't perfect. But for some people in our community, they've been a lifeline.
Last week, someone told me about a time they were living paycheck to paycheck with barely enough left over for food. They'd been quietly visiting the free food cupboard to get through the week. One day they needed turmeric. They use it to manage inflammation from a chronic health condition. They couldn't afford it. But that day, sitting in the cupboard, was an unopened, sealed bottle of turmeric and vitamins.
I've heard versions of this story over and over. Bread, prunes, everyday staples that made the difference between managing and not managing. And these are only the stories people have chosen to share with me.
People often ask me: does the food go to the right people?
Honestly? We don't always know. And that's intentional. The cupboards are anonymous. No forms, no questions, no judgment, no opening times, no need to face a single person. Because I personally know people who would go without before they'd ask anyone for help, let alone access services. The stigma of poverty is real, and it keeps people from accessing the support they need.
These cupboards exist for a few reasons:
- To fill the gaps: Local services have opening hours, and generally you have to visit a location, which is difficult for people like single parents. There are simply not enough services to ensure that every household has enough food. The cupboards help fill the gap and allow access 24/7.
- To make the invisible visible: When you drive through our neighbourhoods you can’t tell that people are going hungry. The cupboards show that there are people in our community who are going without food. Personally, I find it deeply troubling that in a wealthy country like Australia, people are skipping meals and going without the basics.
- To make it easy to give back: This is one of the simplest ways locals can help locals. Just the community taking care of each other, without bureaucratic red tape. You don't need to sign up to any program. It's always there if you want to contribute.
- To reduce stigma: If someone sees a free food cupboard as normal, maybe they feel less shame about using it. And maybe, just maybe, that opens the door to asking for more help when they really need it.
Yes, every open system gets taken advantage of sometimes. I'm not naive about that.
I am however frustrated at the large corporations operating in Australia paying little to no tax, not towards a neighbour grabbing an extra tin of beans.
The free food cupboards aren't a perfect solution. But on the ground, from the stories I hear, they are quietly and consistently making a real difference to real people at some of the hardest moments of their lives.
