Liberty Foodcare is a shop where people under financial stress can obtain food and hygiene essentials for a greatly reduced price, or even free.

Established by Liberty Church volunteers, the shop offers items donated by Foodbank Australia and OzHarvest.

There are hopes a local supermarket will pitch in with fresh fruit and veggies.

Spokeswoman Cass McIlrick said the project was a longstanding dream of the church’s local pastor James Ardill.

It will carry goods such as baby formula, nappies, soups, condiments, pasta, snacks and even dog treats.

“We’re trying to stick to healthy foods,” Mrs McIlrick said.

“We want to be nutritionally savvy and help our community in making better food choices, especially for their children.”

The shop will be open on Thursdays, but Mrs McIlrick said she thought the demand would be there in future for it to open more days.

Items are assigned point values and can be put together in ‘hampers’ costing $10-$50.

One Tamworth mum who signed up at the registration day today said that, with three little boys aged under 5, it was hard to keep up with household expenses.

“I put $20 per week onto my power bill and it’s still not enough to cover the bill – I still have to add $160 to $180 every quarter.”

She said she’d recently moved to Tamworth and her old hometown had a similar shop.

“It was excellent; I used it every week.”

Another young woman was registering with her nearly two-year-old daughter.

She said she hoped the shop would help her serve up more fruits and veggies.

“Fresh food and healthy food is usually the dearest,” she said.

“I think it’s a great idea, this place being here.”