A Thornton resident has built a thriving neighbourhood food Hub supporting more than 40 local households, after identifying a gap in access to fresh, affordable groceries across her side of the region.

Megan Elliott, who has lived in Thornton for the past decade, launched her local Hub nearly four years ago after initially travelling 15 minutes to the nearest option in Maitland.

“There was nothing like it on our side of the highway, and people were travelling just to access it,” Ms Elliott said. “After a couple of weeks, I thought this is something I could do.”

Within just a few weeks of getting started, Megan had enough interest to launch, quickly connecting households across Thornton, Beresfield, Tarro, Ashtonfield and surrounding areas in NSW.

Today, around 45 households collect their groceries each Thursday, with the Hub now almost at capacity.

The Hub operates through Box Divvy, a modern take on a community co-op where neighbours order groceries online each week and collect them locally. Members can choose exactly what they need, from fresh produce and meat to a growing range of pantry staples, with most products sourced from Australian suppliers. By pooling orders, the model helps keep costs down while improving freshness and reducing packaging. 

For Ms Elliott, the appeal was both practical and personal. 

“It made sense from a cost of living perspective, but also knowing you’re supporting local farmers and getting real food, not just what’s on supermarket shelves,” she said.

Many members now rely on the Hub as part of their weekly routine, with some setting up regular orders so they don’t have to think about groceries each week.  

“There’s comfort in knowing you’ll always have something fresh at home, as the produce lasts longer than supermarket produce,” Ms Elliott said. 

While convenience and affordability are key, Ms Elliott said the biggest impact has been the sense of community that has grown around the Hub, including a weekly “kindness box” supporting locals doing it tough. 

Each week members receive extras so they can contribute items to the kindness box plus additional items or household essentials, which are passed on to families in need. 

“If someone in the Hub needs support, it stays local. Otherwise, it goes to the wider community,” she said. 

The kindness box has supported families through difficult times and is also shared with local organisations, including Mindaribba Aboriginal preschool and community outreach programs. 

“It’s something people don’t have to do, but they want to. The Hub really pulls together when someone needs a bit of extra support.” 

For Ms Elliott, running the Hub has also provided a small but meaningful source of additional income, helping offset rising grocery costs for her own household. 

“It helps cover a lot of our fruit and vegetables each week, but more than that, it’s something I genuinely enjoy doing,” she said.