May 2, 2025
The Kingaroy Rotary Club has committed to donating $5000 a year for the next three years to The South Burnett Pantry as part of a “sustainability” project for the Kingaroy-based charity.
The first cheque for $5000 was handed over to Pantry manager Jim Bennett on Friday morning.
The “sustainability” project aims to ensure The Pantry can continue to grow – and support the public – without the need to rely on government subsidies.
Jim said The Pantry began almost 13 years ago, originally to help farmers who had been hard hit by drought but it quickly grew into much more than this.
“It was set up so you don’t need to have a concession card,” Jim said.
“Farmers are often asset rich but cash poor.
“One-quarter of the people who come here now don’t have concession cards … they are the working poor.”
Jim said he hoped that “someone younger and smarter” than him would one day be able to step in to help The Pantry expand its services to help more people.
This was why the “sustainability” project had begun and why a working group had been set up in conjunction with several local not-for-profit organisations.
“If we accept government help for wages, we can’t help people who don’t have a concession card,” Jim said.
Jim said The Pantry was currently supporting about 107 households every week.
“People wouldn’t eat if we weren’t here,” he said.
The Pantry is open from 8:30am to noon on weekdays (except public holidays) at 1A (Lot 3) Railway Terrace in Kingaroy.
People have the choice of buying a basket of items for either $40 or $25.
The $40 price tag has been the same for a decade, but the lower-price option was introduced more recently.
Jim said local supermarkets had been very supportive, especially by donating fruit and vegetables.
The Pantry’s volunteers then sort through the donated items.
“It has saved us so much money,” Jim said.
The Pantry also sources items from Foodbank at Morningside which is delivered for free thanks to support by local businessman Col Forsyth.
