This Christmas, Hills residents can have their overdue library fines waived by donating non-perishable food items as part of the Mayor’s Christmas Library Fine Amnesty.
Hills library members are invited to donate long-life food items such as biscuits, canned goods, and tea. All contributions will go towards supporting local families in need, helping to spread kindness and generosity throughout the Hills community this festive season.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, encouraged all residents to take part in her Christmas Appeal and Library Fine Amnesty.
“I am incredibly proud of this community-driven initiative, which partners with Anglicare’s Mobile Community Pantry to provide affordable food options to individuals and families doing it tough, particularly during the festive season,” Mayor Byrne said.
“Beyond supporting this worthy cause, the Library Fine Amnesty also helps return valuable resources to the community, bringing old books back to our library shelves for everyone to enjoy. “Whether or not you have a library fine, everyone can bring a donation. Let’s see if we can top last year’s record of 2,132 food items and make it our biggest year yet, helping even more local families enjoy a brighter Christmas.”
Anglicare’s Community Pantry has provided essential support to over 27,700 customers, distributing 20,200 affordable pantry bags and 11,400 affordable food bags to those in need.
“The Community Pantry is a partnership between local Anglican church and Anglicare. Together, we provide low-cost groceries to help individuals and families in reducing their cost of living and stay connected with the local community,” an Anglicare spokesperson said.
“What makes this partnership special is that it serves people holistically – meeting more than only physical needs through food, but also social and emotional needs by welcoming people into friendship and community.”
The 2025 Library Fine Amnesty will run from Saturday, 15th November to Sunday, 14th December at all Hills Shire Libraries.
Acceptable non-perishable food items include:
- Tinned ham or chunky soup (450g)
- Tinned salmon or tuna (415g)
- Tea (100pk)
- Coffee (100g)
- Packet of biscuits (no chocolate biscuits)
- Dried pasta (500g)
- Long-life milk
- Tinned fruit and vegetables (425g)
- Jam (500g)
- Pasta sauce
Standard sizes are preferred.
(Please note that chocolate or chocolate-coated items unfortunately cannot be accepted, as they may melt.)
