Shopping students need at CBD pantry

A COMMUNITY pantry on Camp Street is providing groceries to one hundred and fifty international university students every Wednesday afternoon.

From 2pm to 4pm Australian Catholic University and Federation University students can access the shopping items they need for the week, like fresh produce, bread made by Fed TAFE bakery, staples, some treats and toiletries.

A collaboration between Fed Uni, ACU and the City of Ballarat, the pantry is stocked with support from St Vincent de Paul, university staff donations and Melbourne’s Pinchapoo.

ACU Ballarat campus senior community engagement officer, Bree Seamer said international students have been one of the most disadvantaged groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They’ve been left unable to work and ineligible for benefits, so both unis have been offering financial assistance to those students, but on top of that, we wanted to help with their need for the bare basics of toiletries and food,” she said.

“We wanted something to be welcoming, and sustainable, so we run the pantry weekly. They just bring a bag, there’s no limits, and they can grab what they need.”

She said it’s been brilliant to collaborate with the institution which would normally be their competitor.

“To put that aside, join forces and combine efforts to have a great impact has been amazing.

“We’re seeing more students as the weeks go on and they feel more comfortable, and that highlights the need during these pretty crappy times,” Ms Seamer said.

Fed Uni mechanical engineering student, Tausif Pattan has volunteered with the initiative and picked up his own groceries from the community pantry.

“It’s really great. The students feel like it’s home, it’s their stuff, it’s their university and they can come and get whatever they want,” he said.

“We work with student feedback, so we’re trying to get their most popular foods on board.

“We’re hoping to keep this running until things get back to normal.”