Residents in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, can now access updated opening hours and location details for local food pantries to help manage the rising cost of living. LifeHouse Care confirmed its service information in March 2026 to make it easier for people experiencing financial stress to get essential groceries and personal care items.
The charity runs several sites across the region where people can choose their own items at a low cost. In Coffs Harbour, the pantry at 169A Orlando Street is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am to 12pm. Other locations include Toormina at 4 Minorca Place on Mondays and Thursdays, and Bellingen and Woolgoolga on Tuesdays and Fridays during the same morning hours.
This service began in 1996 with just one tin of smoked mussels and has since grown to support seven communities across the Coffs Coast and Northern NSW. In January 2026, the LifeHouse Care Pantries received the Aussie Spirit Organisation award at the local Australian Citizen of the Year awards for acting as a place of hope for families doing it tough.
The update comes as more people find it difficult to afford basic needs, with a report from Foodbank showing one in three households in the state struggled to put food on the table last year. Of those households, about 74 per cent were facing these food shortages for the first time ever.
LifeHouse Care, which is the community arm of LifeHouse Church, is currently looking for volunteers to help at its op shops and warehouse. Local residents interested in helping their community can find roles at the warehouse on Orlando Street or at shops in Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Toormina, and Woolgoolga.
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