Clutha Food Hub - Unsung, Unseen, Unstoppable
June 2025
The volunteers are the quiet force behind the Food Hub—busy, caring, and always avoiding the spotlight (and cameras). These are the people driving to the supermarkets to pick up donations and bustling around out the back, weighing, sorting and splitting, packing parcels, tidying, and making sure everything is just right.
There are 11 core volunteers, who together contribute over 1,200 hours a year. Most work a regular shift once a week, while others help out monthly or as needed (like the "spud man" who picks up the potatoes from the farm).
Then there are the extra, over-and-above things the volunteers do, like:
- Bringing baking in for the team every Wednesday
- Taking home ingredients and magically turning these into tasty meals, packaged, frozen, and ready to heat & eat
- Hosting cooking classes in the school holidays
- Staying late and coming in extra days when short-staffed, to ensure no staff member is left alone at work all day
- Turning up for events like Toot for Tucker
- Meeting deliveries on days when the hub isn't open, so donations aren’t missed
- Giving much-needed emotional support to staff, so support can keep flowing to clients
These wonderful people shrug off recognition, hide when the camera comes out, and won’t let their names be shared—but the heart they put into every task, and the calm they bring on even the busiest days, is undeniable. The Food Hub simply couldn’t run without them.
During Volunteer Week, the team says a huge thank you. Their kindness, reliability, and generosity make a real difference. They are not just part of the team—they are the backbone of it. Each one is appreciated more than words can say.
