IT DOESN’T have a Facebook page, an Instagram following or even a name, but a local effort encouraging shoppers to donate a ‘tin in the bin’ for families in need has drawn a big following from the community, in just a few weeks.

Food bins set up inside Casterton Foodworks around two weeks ago have been quickly filling up with non-perishable goods and other essential supplies from locals, helping to provide for struggling families.

The initiative was originally started in Coleraine in March by local man, Anthony Bolden, who saw the potential to support those less fortunate.

“I know things are going on in the area that we weren’t really aware of, as far as people needing help,” he said.

“I’d been in that situation as a young feller, we used to get fed by the Salvation Army when I was a kid.

“My memory of it was that the man used to come to the door with a big box of groceries and he used to be like Santa Claus because he had the big beard.”

Mr Bolden contacted the Salvation Army’s Mark Thomas in Hamilton, to offer assistance and learned of the trouble the organisation’s efforts were facing.

“He said (the Salvos) feeds between 30 and 40 families just in this little area alone, not including Hamilton,” Mr Bolden said.

He heard that between the rising cost of living and the effects of the pandemic, efforts to provide groceries for struggling families were in “all sorts”.

“Pre-pandemic, they were getting $2000 a month worth of goods from Melbourne and now, since the pandemic, they’re getting about $800 worth of goods from Melbourne,” he said.

Mr Bolden conceived the idea for food bins during his conversation with Mr Thomas, after hearing the Salvation Army was especially in need of food donations.

While his initial idea was to set up a bin each at his home and the IGA supermarket in Coleraine, with a monthly pick-up, the results of his word-of-mouth advertising created the idea of extending the drive.

The food bins’ success led to him contacting Casterton Foodworks Assistant Manager, Lauren East, to set up two food bins at the supermarket.

“I then advertised it on Facebook here on the Casterton Buy Swap and Sell and when I did that, I got a heap of people commenting,” Mr Bolden said.

Within a week of being set up, both bins at Foodworks had been filled.

The goods left in the food bins are collected by Mr Thomas, to deliver directly to families relying on the assistance of the Salvation Army and Mr Bolden said he received overwhelmingly positive feedback from Mr Thomas about the amount of goods the food bins had brought in.

“He rang me nearly in tears – he said, ‘you wouldn’t believe how much this is helping’,” Mr Bolden said.

“There was one week where he got a phone call that was a family that was left off the list – he literally came to my house, picked up my bin and took it straight to their house.”

Tinned food and long-life milk have been among the most popular – and sought-after – donations to the food bins, but luxury and sanitary items have also been welcomed.

“It’s the things we take for granted, to an extent,” Mr Bolden said.

“I received some UHT milk and I said to Mark when I gave it to him, ‘it’s long-life milk, how much do you need that?’ and he said ‘it’s like gold!’.

“He said they’d had to restrict the amount they give to people because they don’t get enough of it to give out.”

Mr Bolden said he was “frightened” of his own publicity when he first set up the food bins, preferring the community’s focus to be on the cause rather than his personal efforts.

“Something I’ve had to get used to is, when it’s on Facebook, there’s people around the world (saying) ‘Good on you, mate’,” he said.

“I didn’t want someone in Darwin or America who couldn’t help me, saying I’m a nice guy.”

However, he has remained committed to continuing the initiative and has even considered expanding.

“I really want it to grow because the awareness of it is so important to me and the more we do, the more people are helping,” he said.

Mr Bolden said the food bins would remain only in Casterton and Coleraine for the time being. Locals are encouraged to continue donating non-perishables, sanitary items and food vouchers to the food bins during their shopping trips at Foodworks Casterton.