What is the Kitchen Starter Pack project?
The aim of this project is to provide essential cooking and eating equipment for those in our community who move from temporary accommodation to self-contained housing. The initial focus of the project was on families who move from Elsie Women’s Refuge, a centre which provides crisis accommodation and case management for women with accompanying children, who have experienced domestic/family violence. The project has now extended to men leaving Rainbow Lodge, a long-standing Glebe facility for men who have exited correctional facilities and would otherwise be homeless or at risk of homelessness. It provides temporary supported accommodation, a program designed to help its residents integrate into the community and an outreach service for up to two years.
Both families moving from Elsie and single men moving from Rainbow Lodge into their own home need basic kitchen equipment. Our Kitchen Starter Packs aim to address this need, allowing us to show our support for these important community facilities.
A further benefit is that items in our Kitchen Starter Packs are primarily pre-loved, so this project provides an opportunity for Glebe Society members and community supporters to recycle surplus kitchen equipment.
The project is an initiative of the Community Development sub-committee of the Glebe Society (Janice Challinor, Diane Hutchinson and Jan Macindoe) and Diane Hutchinson is currently the project coordinator. It is supported by a grant from the City of Sydney, as well as Harvey Norman Broadway and the Community Op Shop in Glebe St.
How you can help
The project depends fundamentally on donations of good quality cooking and eating equipment from the Glebe community. For safety reasons electronic equipment (toaster, jug) must be purchased new, but for all other items we look to donated goods.
The contents of the Kitchen Starter Packs have been standardised through an initial trial and feedback from recipients. Sufficient cutlery, crockery and kitchen equipment for a family of four is provided to the family groups leaving Elsie, and packs for two people are provided to the men from Rainbow Lodge. In addition to the standard kitchen packs provided to all recipients, we offer a range of optional items for them to choose from, to suit their circumstances and preferred cooking style. The lists below cover both core and optional items which we would like to receive by donation.
| Recycled core items | Recycled optional items |
| Cutlery – set of 2 or 4
Crockery (bowls, small plates, dinner plates) – either
Mugs Tumblers/glasses Small saucepan Larger saucepan Frypan Ovenproof dish Bowl (for mixing, salads etc) Strainer/colander (for pasta, rice, veg etc) Sharp knives – small and large Cooking/serving spoon Tongs Lifter/turner Peeler Can-opener |
Unbreakable tumblers and plates for small children
Casserole dish Baking dish/tray Specialised kitchen tools (masher, grater, food mill etc Other? (NB No electricals) |
To ensure food safety, all recycled goods must be washed at high temperature prior to packing.
- No timber or soft plastic
- No cracked or chipped crockery
- No scratched or abraded coating on non-stick cookware
You can either:
Bring your goods to our new drop-off venue – the Aboriginal Cultural Space at Glebe Town Hall, 10am to 1pm on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month, OR
Arrange a pick-up by emailing Diane on vice-president@glebesociety.org.au (give 2 times that suit you).
For more information about this project see:
Kitchen Starter Packs – initial outline
Elsie – A Glebe Icon
Both items appear in Glebe Society Bulletin No 1, 2018 https://www.glebesociety.org.au/wp-content/uploads/bulletins/2018_01.pdf
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