''Supporting and empowering our community through social inclusion and educational opportunities for all abilities'
PICAL Pantry
Through our emergency food relief program PICAL provides a vital service to those people
in our community experiencing hardship. We provide food and staples in the form of meat, vegetables, frozen meals, canned food, grocery items and pet food. Our Volunteers who work in the pantry are there five days a week to serve members of the community in need.
The PICAL community garden supplies fresh produce to our pantry and much of our food is donated by Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and other local suppliers. We also obtain supplies from Foodbank Victoria.
PICAL Pantry Story
Phil Dixon - Founder of the Food Relief Pantry
Long-serving volunteer and committee member Phil Dixon started the emergency food relief service in December 2008, largely in response to the Global Financial Crisis. With the assistance of local churches, Phil organised donations from surrounding Cowes businesses and local supermarkets.
The service has operated continuously since then, with the contribution of many other local groups, banks and community organisations. Since 2008, it’s estimated the service has fed in excess of 10,000 people.
In October 2019, PICAL recognised Phil’s commitment to helping the community by naming the emergency food relief service the Phil Dixon Pantry and presented Phil with a Lifetime Service Certificate. Sadly Phil passed away in 2020, so a plaque bearing Phil’s name now permanently welcomes visitors to the Pantry in honour of her ongoing legacy to the community of Phillip Island.
Emergency Food Relief
Casseroles Cooking Group
Emergency food relief for anybody living in our community. The Pantry is coordinated by volunteers and relies on donations from local stores such as Aldi, Coles and Food Bank Victoria to support the program. We also receive donations from some of our fabulous local residents and businesses.
Open Mon - Fri 10am to 2pm
Once a month a dedicated team of volunteers cooks approximately 100 healthy meals. These meals are then frozen and sent to the pantry for distribution. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this project. Please get in touch if you think you can help!