Just $1 A Week From 1000 People …

October 13, 2025

The South Burnett Pantry in Kingaroy is one of the key supports for struggling families in the South Burnett, and it’s not just its hard-working volunteers who believe this.

It’s groups such as South Burnett CTC, Graham House, The Salvation Army, South Burnett Centacare, South Burnett Care … (see the video below).

This is why a committee representing some of these groups set up a Sustainability Working Group just over 12 months ago to ensure the Pantry can continue to grow – and support the public – into the future.

Several groups have already dug deep to help this “sustainability project”.

Supporting the Pantry for the next three years are South Burnett Care ($10,000/year),  South Burnett CTC ($10,000/year) and Kingaroy Rotary ($5000/year).

Donations of $5000 each have also been received from Kingaroy Lions and the local Baptist church.

But more is needed, which is why the Pantry contacted the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently to help promote an employer / employee workplace giving scheme.

The Pantry hosted a KCCI meet’n’greet last month to explain to local businesspeople what it does, who it helps and why it is seeking support from the community.

KCCI vice-president Jason Erbacher, who compered the meet’n’greet, said the Pantry was a staple service which the community needed and relied upon.

Sustainability Working Group chair Ruth Dukes said there were more and more people living locally who were in crisis and there were no other food services in Kingaroy providing the type of support that the Pantry does.

Current Pantry manager Jim Bennett wants to return to pastoral work after devoting more than a decade volunteering with the Pantry.

“I have reached retirement age and I want to step back from this and get someone who has a better business brain than me,” Jim said.

South Burnett Care CEO Cheryl Dalton said the Pantry needed someone to lead it to ensure it stays in the community in perpetuity, ie. a paid manager.

“It is tough out there,” Cheryl said.

“You have a husband who loses a job, your rent is $600 a week, you have to put food on the table … every one of us could be here at some stage looking for support.”

She said businesses could invite their staff members to donate $1, $2 or $5 a week to help the project, deducted automatically from their wages.

“It would be huge if we could get 1000 people donating $1 a week,” Cheryl said.

But why not just seek government funding?

One of the strengths of the Pantry is that people do not require a concession card to buy food.

“If we accept government help for wages, we can’t help people who don’t have a concession card,” Jim said.

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Some basic facts:

• The not-for-profit South Burnett Pantry was established in 2012; Jim Bennett stepped into the role as “temporary” manager in 2014

• The Pantry has catered for 6000-plus customers so far this year, with at least 50 per cent of customers being families

• $40 at the Pantry buys up to $140 worth of food

• 40 per cent of the beneficiaries are children

• There are currently 32 volunteers who donate their time and talents to the Pantry

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.

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The next KCCI meet’n’greet will be held at SB Hire & Sales (5 First Avenue, Kingaroy) on Tuesday, October 22.

Guest speakers will include owner Aleisha Gray who will explain the expanded range of equipment the business now offers, including upgrading earthmoving gear and tools for construction, landscaping and event hire.

Cost to attend is $15 for KCCI members, or $20 for non-members.

RSVP by email by October 19.

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A short video about the great work done by the South Burnett Pantry:

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