Neighbours helping neighbours since 2011
Hillside Community Pantry (sample) started with a cupboard in a church vestry. Today ninety volunteers run a pantry, a warm space, a homework club and weekly visits.
Started by a few neighbours, run by many
In 2011 four neighbours noticed that the same families were asking the vicar for help every winter. They filled a cupboard with tins and opened it on Saturday mornings (sample).
We are still local and still small enough to know people’s names. Every gift is spent in Hillside, and we publish where it went every year.
How we work
- Anyone can come in the first time without a referral
- People choose their own food from the shelves, like a shop
- We buy food locally when donations run short
- Every volunteer is trained, and those working with children or older people have a background check (sample)
- We publish our accounts and where every $100 goes, every year
The people behind the pantry
Three part-time staff and a board of six volunteer trustees, elected at the annual meeting (sample).
Grace Mensah
Pantry manager, part time (sample)
Tom Whitfield
Volunteer coordinator, part time (sample)
Leila Haddad
Warm space and visits lead, part time (sample)
Rev. Anna Byrne
Chair of trustees (sample)
Marcus Lee
Treasurer (sample)
Priya Nair
Trustee, safeguarding lead (sample)
Charity facts
Hillside Community Pantry is a registered charity (sample) governed by a board of trustees.
Registered charity number
1100000 (sample)
Founded
2011
Volunteers
90 (sample)
Households helped last year
1,240 (sample)
Accounts
Published every September
Give us one morning a month
Sorting, driving, hosting the warm space or helping with homework. We train you and you choose your shifts.