Food sharing

The Bellingen Shire community is actively involved in food sharing.

The Neighbourhood Centres of Bellingen facilitate the Cupboard of Plenty. Located on the side verandah of Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre this is an open pantry for community members to both donate and take food.

The Neighbourhood Centres of Bellingen also operate the Bowl of Plenty, a free lunch for community members. This is held at the Bellingen Citizen’s Centre from 11am–1pm on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month and at the Urunga Neighbourhood Centre from 11am–1pm on the first Wednesday of the month.

The Shire also has a number of online and in-person food exchanges. The Bellingen Fresh Food Exchange is an online community where people can share or trade their excess produce with others in the community. Urunga Growers is a group where gardeners and farmers can show, sell, swap and trade their seeds, herbs, vegetables, fruit and plants with others in the local area.

There are also many opportunities to forage in and around the Bellingen Shire. Anyone is free to pick produce from the row of citrus trees along Connell Park. Many keen growers and gardeners also share their excess produce by putting a food box out in their street.