Rotary Waste Not! Pantry Project
Thank you SDRC and Australian Government!
Rotary Club of Stanthorpe - Satellite Club was a recent recipient of a $5000 Community Drought Program grant provided by the Southern Downs Regional Council and the Australian Government.
Kitchen equipment purchased will be used to produce non- perishable pantry products from donated perishable food to fill the Granite Belt Food Support Scheme. The Scheme is an outreach service offered by the Granite Belt Neighbourhood Centre; providing food baskets for those in need so that they can maintain a healthier lifestyle. Fresh produce is donated to the Scheme from a range of local sources. Our Rotary Waste Not! Pantry Project takes perishable donations not consumed by the scheme, freezes them until cooking day, then turned into non-perishable pantry items such as jams, pickles and sauces.
The equipment purchased by the grant includes induction cookers, pots, preparation tools, measuring equipment and packaging tools. All equipment is stored in our Rotary Club of Stanthorpe Shed along with an upright freezer for temporary storage of raw materials.  A colour printer was also purchased to print labels for the items packaged that list the required food packaging information.
 
This same equipment would be available for use at other Rotary Community Projects. For example, the cookers and pots can be used to offer home-made soups at various functions that we cater at for community service, extending our range of food offerings from BBQs. As with all equipment owned by our Rotary Club of Stanthorpe, other Community groups may access the equipment to assist them in their community endeavours.
This project:
- reduces waste of perishables donated to the Food Support Scheme in quantities in excess of demand
- provides a greater range of products available to Scheme customers, including jams, sauces, pickles, etc.
Some preserves are made specifically to sell at markets. Funds raised will be used to buy staple products (rice, pasta) for the Food Supply Scheme (staples are not donated in quantities that meet demand).
Some of the Waste Not! products such as jams are given to the local school Breakfast Clubs, with obvious advantage in helping schools feed their students as a better start to the learning day.
Some Waste Not! products are used by our Rotary Club as raffle prizes in ongoing fundraising for other local products. For example, funds to support applicants to attend Rotary Youth Camps at no cost. A small amount of funds will be kept to supply basic ingredients such as sugar and pectin for the making of the products for the Food Support Scheme.
 
To date the Pantry project has made almost 1000 jars of preserves.
So many benefits from our little Pantry Project for so many people!
Rotary in Action!
 
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government and Southern Downs Regional Council