We continue to invest in supporting and empowering residents through our tailored placemaking framework as we can see the impact of residents connecting with each other and their wider communities. Some highlights from our resident-led placemaking events include:
The Epping Pantry
The pantry was founded by the Epping residents’ group in 2024 and supported by the Haven Home Safe Client Engagement and Inclusion Team. The pantry exists to ensure that everyone in the neighbourhood can access affordable food (most items in the pantry are a gold-coin donation). The pantry is stocked with goods donated by local businesses – Woolworths in Kalkallo, Encompass Care, The Gibbs Family Bakehouse and From us 2 U.
During 2024 the resident’s group has run 6 pantry sessions and supported 191 families. The group also received an additional funding boost when the City of Whittlesea approved a grant to HHS to support residents of Whittlesea experiencing cost of living challenges. This has seen the group expand their program to now include hampers and other supports for Epping residents
Exploring new career opportunities
We came together with the Epping residents’ group, the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) and the local council came together to co-deliver a training and employment event allowing residents to explore career and training opportunities in a relaxing and familiar environment. Seven organisations attended the event chatting with residents and sharing their services and training opportunities.
