General News
23 July, 2025
Belly full of food and a heart of gold
IN the heart of Lake Bolac, Carla Hutchinson is quietly making a big difference, one food parcel at a time.
Inspired by the work of the Ararat Neighbourhood House’s food bank, Carla decided to bring the spirit of community support closer to home. Originally, Carla volunteered by delivering food parcels from Ararat to those unable to make the trip.
But something told her she could do more.
“I said to my husband, something’s not sitting right with me. I feel like we need to do something more, for the communities, our neighbours.”
Working from the Lake Bolac Bush Nursing Centre, she is now running her own grassroots food distribution effort to support local families in need.
“Two years ago, I started off with a small charity, but we didn’t do food at the time. We started off with free clothing for the community and then decided to do a little extra on top of that when we could.”
That 'something more' came to fruition through her small business, Soothing Aroma.
Carla now channels all profits from selling candles and gifts at local markets into purchasing food for local families.
“So what I make from that is what I use, all that profit goes towards buying food for the week,” she explained.
Though some called her idea ‘crazy,’ Carla knows first hand how valuable the support can be.
“I myself have struggled in the past and I’ve had to ask for help, and so I know what it’s like to be on that road.”
Additionally through her charity Sammy Heart Says, which focuses on mental health, Carla has seen the direct connection between food security and wellbeing.
“The hardest part right now is that we are only able to serve 10 families between Lake Bolac and Willaura,” she said, pointing to limited funding as the biggest barrier.
“It’s always different families, that’s how we know it’s growing.”
Carla, who regularly posts to Facebook community group pages about the food support, is hoping for more local support, whether through food donations, financial contributions or simply spreading the word.
“They can message me, they can reach out and say, ‘we have something for you.’
We are happy to pick it up, fruit, veggies, anything that they are willing to give.”
In a time when many small towns struggle to provide for their own, Carla’s drive and compassion are keeping the spirit of community alive in Lake Bolac.
Anyone in need can contact Carla on 0478 151 266.
Read More: Lake Bolac