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.