Christmas in the Valley: Meanjin Architecture Pantry Drive

By Genevieve Quinn, Architect and Social Impact Lead

At the end of 2024, we opened our community pantry. Available 24 hours a day, the pantry allows community members to access grocery and hygiene items. Since its inauguration, the pantry has proven very popular. Unfortunately, this is a sign of the great stress the housing crisis and cost of living crisis is causing. As Christmas approached, it became clear that the demand for basic food supplies was higher than our ability to provide, particularly over the summer holiday break. The Christmas or Holiday season is an expensive time that often puts financial pressure on those already struggling. For this reason, we decided to seek the assistance of our colleagues in the architecture and built environment sector to supply the pantry for the holiday period. Christmas in the Valley was born; a food drive aimed at businesses and organisations working in the building and construction sector.

Over the course of a few weeks, we reached out to our networks to ask those who could to collect non-perishable food goods as well as some holiday treats to stock up our pantry. We also ran an internal staff drive, encouraging everyone to contribute if they had the means. Boy, were we surprised at the result! In only a few weeks, our generous donors contributed over 300kg of food, drinks, lunchbox snacks, Christmas crackers, sweet treats, and hygiene products. Throughout the summer holiday, members of our staff popped into the office to restock the pantry, ensuring that it was full for the whole closure period.

A month on from the holidays, I thought I might share some obversions the team have made about the pantry. Firstly, demand is incredibly high. The pantry is emptied approximately every 3 days. This, though not surprising, is a humbling fact to consider. Secondly, while the sweet treats and chippies may be popular amongst youngsters walking through the Valley on a Saturday night (clientele we are more than happy to support), we have received requests for basic supplies that most of us would have noticed skyrocketing in price recently. Items such as weetbix and tinned tuna are very popular, often getting taken within 24 hours. Toothbrushes and deodorant are also in high demand.

Since opening the pantry, I personally have become much more cognisant of the simple expenses that I am lucky enough to be able to afford. Now, while I am in the grocery store, I pay more attention to the price of tampons or staples like rice and pasta. While it may seem like a silly observation, noticing that Arnott’s Shapes have increased in price by a dollar in only a few months has helped me to gain perspective and gratitude for the luck that has led me to sitting in an architecture office, comfortably writing this. I will go home tonight and maybe I will cook pasta; I might even use the luxurious name-brand pasta. And I will be grateful to be able to afford that. Managing the pantry has given me newer depths of empathy for those that an extra dollar matters, and reinvigorated my passion for working towards a fairer future.

We would like to thank all the practices and organisations that donated to our pantry. Without our beautiful Meanjin community, we wouldn’t be able to lend this great helping hand.

Thank you to: