When fire tore through the tiny town of Carwoola, south-east of Canberra, in 2017, a much-needed community resource was born.
Carwoola has just 1,500 residents, and five years ago, the area lost eight homes and 3,500 hectares to a blaze, which also left two firefighters injured.
In the nearby town of Bungendore, Anglican Church priest Mike Pailthorpe knew two of the residents who had been affected.
"Both of them lost their homes and one of them was fighting a fire — helping other people out while their home was destroyed," Reverend Pailthorpe recalled.
But when the fire ripped through the small town, Reverend Pailthorpe, his wife Chloe and their three children were all relatively new to the area. Still, the family felt immediately compelled to help the local fire victims.
So when donated food, clothing and household items began to accumulate at St Philip's Anglican Church as part of a wider bushfire appeal, the seed of an idea was planted — the Pailthorpe family, along with others in the community, decided to open a food hub and op-shop to help Carwoola rebuild.
"We saw an opportunity to gather all of that community goodwill together," Reverend Pailthorpe said.
So successful was the family's idea, that the huge number of clothing donations was quick to outgrow its humble premises — a small shed on the church's grounds.
Eventually, the Pailthorpes transformed their home's garage into a second-hand shop, allowing the church's shed to continue as a dedicated food pantry for those still struggling to put food on the table.
However, demand for the op-shop similarly grew and it would later be relocated to a large hall beside the church.
Five years on, locals say Phil's Emporium, named after St Phillip, has exceeded its original role as a disaster recovery centre and now acts as a social hub for the community.
As well as pantry items and clothes, the baking talents of volunteers and Reverend Pailthorpe's love of coffee are now celebrated alongside material pleasures.
Reverend Pailthorpe is the head barista at Phil's Emporium and says the food and drink on offer have helped draw people together, "helping them relax and make friends" — though he credits his wife as the driving force behind the op-shop's success.
But Mrs Pailthorpe says as Phil's Emporium continues to grow, its success can be more accurately measured by the more than 60 volunteers who continue to donate their time and efforts to supporting the local community in new ways.
Elsewhere on the church's grounds, a long-running food hub redistributes donations from the community and some stallholders of the weekend Bungendore Southern Harvest Farmers Market.
Former university tutor Bari Hall-Saha left Canberra to retire in Bungendore and now volunteers at the hub. She says she has seen it "make a huge difference".
"The reach is quite phenomenal," Ms Hall-Saha said.
"Anywhere from probably eight to 12 people come each week."
Bungendore resident Jac Ford is familiar with the services Phil's Emporium offers. She says what started as a place she visited by necessity has become an informal and much-loved social hub.
"When I first started to come here, it was a few years ago and I had had a bad accident," Ms Ford said.
"I was really down and I had no money and now this place has evolved into this community centre.
"A couple of us started to meet here, people I had not known before, and now we come every Wednesday for coffee.
"It is just brilliant."
Expansions in sight as goodwill goes to school
With plentiful resources in Bungendore, the Pailthorpe family and other community leaders also began offering food and support to even smaller nearby communities.
"Captains Treasure Op-Shop was born at Captains Flat … and we are celebrating four years out there," Mrs Pailthorpe said.
More recently, late last year, Mrs Pailthorpe along with a number of community partners, including the Rotary and Lions clubs, launched a breakfast club on Monday and Friday mornings at Bungendore Primary School.
"It started because we wanted to make sure that the children who needed breakfast, and may not have had one, got one," volunteer Ms Hall-Saha said.
"But you can't pick those children, you can't take them out, so you have got to open it to everybody and hope that those children are fulfilled.
"It has been a fantastic thing to do."
Even with that growth, Mrs Pailthorpe says there is more to be done. She has her sights set on another initiative — a free community laundry.
"It is just a joy and a wonderful opportunity just to be with like-minded people and bring a bit of kindness, blessing and joy to our communities," she said.
"I think Chloe is a real visionary," Reverend Pailthorpe said of his wife.
"She has a real heart for community and people and she loves to create community and serve the community where there are needs.
"I feel really proud and excited about what has been achieved because you see the community come together and the goodwill that flows on.
"That has a ripple effect that flows throughout the rest of the community."
