As living costs continue to soar, more and more people need help to make ends meet. In these challenging times, community support is more crucial than ever, providing not only relief but also a vital connection to others.
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A community pantry offers more than food to those in need — it’s a caring helping hand and a beacon of hope and solidarity, helping locals navigate the current situation.
Years ago, Kylie and Dean Adams volunteered in Echuca, assisting Pauline Kerr, who would collect food that would otherwise be thrown away and deliver it to those in need. Kylie realised then that helping others was her calling.
“Seeing someone walk in, looking unhappy, and seeing them walk out with a smile on their face was such a good feeling,” Kylie said.
“I just loved it. I knew that one day, it would happen: I’d be in Pauline’s position.
“I didn’t think it would happen as it did, but maybe that’s something I was born to do.”
When the 2022 floods isolated the Barmah community for weeks, Kylie, with help from her husband, Dean, and son, Jake, didn’t hesitate to act.
“We were given 12 hours to evacuate and were told, ‘If you want to leave, leave now. If not, you’re stuck,’” Kylie said.
“We stayed.
“I put a call out for food because it got to the point where the shire couldn’t help. Nobody out of town could help, so I rang everywhere.
”It took four weeks with lots of phone calls and emails, despite the poor internet connection. A lady did a call-out to FoodShare in Cobram and Shepparton. FoodShare Shepparton, Cobram and Yarrawonga came up here and filled our front porch with free food.
“I don’t know how many thousands of dollars of free food came; it was overwhelming. We were able to open our gate and tell the community, ‘Come and grab what you need.’”
During the floods, Kylie and Dean opened their gate to the Barmah community every week, supporting the people around them and finding ways to deliver to those who were completely cut off.
“We were like a supermarket during the floods. We had pallets upon pallets of fruits, veggies, pantry items and meat,” Dean said.
“A lot of families were isolated. Forest Fire Management would come in with their big truck; we’d load groceries and deliver supplies. Or we’d load the boats and the local policeman would deliver it.”
As the floods ended, the ‘Community Grab’ initiative also ended as the town reopened. However, about a month later, Kylie was contacted by several people who had come to rely on her help.
These individuals faced financial hardships such as unexpected job loss or long-term challenges like medical conditions. Kylie contacted Moira FoodShare co-ordinator James Rouel, with whom she had worked closely during the floods, to continue her important work. He ensured the Barmah community members received the support they still needed.
According to the anonymous data the Adams collect, 300 families from Barmah, Picola, Echuca, Moama, Nathalia and other nearby towns access the Community Pantry every fortnight, and this figure could be higher.
In April 2023, Kylie decided to get a shack built to create a permanent structure that would house the goods while respecting everyone’s privacy. She reached out to the community, and Graham Buffington, a Barmah local, volunteered to build the shack.
“We have come a long way. Having the shack has been awesome. We haven’t looked back,” Kylie said.
Setting up the shack took time and effort. Once it was built outside their property, Kylie and Dean laid a track at the front to make it accessible.
A gravel donation covered most of the path, but it wasn’t enough, so the couple, despite their limited means, paid the rest out of their pocket.
During the Christmas period, the shack was completely empty. Kylie couldn’t collect supplies from anywhere, but that didn’t stop her. She contacted businesses in the region asking for help.
“Echuca/ Moama Apex Club were absolutely awesome,” she said.
“They provided us with food vouchers for the community. They have also come on board to offer some of their time and money to build another shack.”
In Kylie’s vision, the second shack would be used solely to store fruit and vegetables.
“We get inundated with fruit and veg. We can’t fit it all in here because the fridge is not big enough. So, we need an industrial fridge to just put the box straight in,” she said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the running costs Kylie and Dean pay out of their own pockets, including fuel for the deliveries and other expenses.
Since the floods, getting stock from FoodShare in Cobram has been more challenging. What Kylie and Dean used to get weekly has been reduced in quantity and frequency.
“Our demand has grown considerably,” Moira FoodShare co-ordinator James Rouel said.
“Out of a community of 60,000 people, we feed about 15,000 people. That’s triple the amount we used to feed before the floods.
“Flood recovery, the rising cost of living and rising interest rates are all factors driving this massive need for our services in the community.
“It’s pretty scary, but I have a great team of dedicated people, and we are doing what we can to help the community.”
Kylie’s determination to overcome any obstacle to improve the lives of others in her community shines through her modesty and down-to-earth approach. Her side project has turned into an unpaid part-time job to which she commits at least 20 hours a week.
Thankfully, Dean and Jake are as committed as she is to making a difference and doing everything they can to assist.
Kylie’s relentless efforts have secured regular donations from FoodShare in Cobram, the Animal Rescue Cooperative, Aldi in Echuca, Moama Bakery, Beechworth Bakery and Sutton Bakery in Echuca. Echuca/ Moama Apex Club has also pledged further assistance.
The Adamses are calling on the people of the region to see if they can do more together by donating food or money, surplus fruits and vegetables from local farmers, or even an industrial fridge if available.
“We are helping so many, but we need a little help, too,” Kylie said.
To support this beautiful community project click here: Fundraiser by Kylie Adams : Barmah Food Shack funds (gofundme.com)
Cadet journalist