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TA R E E
COMMUNITY
Kitchen
DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING PLACE IN TAREE THAT PROVIDES A HOT MEAL FIVE DAYS A WEEK, FREE OF CHARGE, TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS? WITH NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK BEING CELEBRATED FROM 21ST - 27TH MAY, IT’S TIMELY TO SHARE THE VERY SPECIAL WORK SOME OF OUR LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AT THE TAREE COMMUNITY KITCHEN DO TO BENEFIT OUR AREA. GARY CHRISTENSEN TELLS US MORE …
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i Gary. What’s involved with your role as Director CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning? CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning is the social services agency of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, which covers the Mid Coast up to the Johns River area. Our mission is to respond by working together with local communities to build a stronger, fairer and kinder society that values children, young people, families and individuals. In my role as Director, I am responsible for leading our incredible team of staff and volunteers to ensure the strategic and operational plans of the agency are implemented and we are meeting the objectives of organisation. Essentially, my role is to ensure that each of our teams are working to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable people in local communities. How long has the Taree Community Kitchen been in operation? The Taree Community Kitchen has a long history in the Manning. It has operated in the region for around 30 years and has always been a community focused outreach service. CatholicCare assumed the lead role in operating the kitchen in December 2015, after the previous provider made the decision to step away from it after decades of service to the community. Since the time that CatholicCare has been operating the Community Kitchen, we have made some significant changes to the physical environment. We were fortunate to receive a $30,000 grant from the Newcastle Permanent Foundation to help us refurbish the kitchen, which has allowed us to create a more contemporary feel that welcomes our vulnerable friends in the community into a modern, friendly, café style environment. One of the unique things about the Taree Community Kitchen is we provide more than
Kitchen ensure vulnerable people have access just nutritious hot meals to our visitors. The to healthy, home-cooked lunches free-ofCommunity Kitchen is also a soft entry point charge, five days a week. The volunteers pick for vulnerable people in the Manning to access up fresh produce from our wonderful donor social services they may need. There is often a businesses each day and then work their magic stigma that goes with walking into a service to much like a master chef mystery box to create seek help. We aim to minimise that stigma, by everything from bangers and mash through to creating a place that welcomes all to come in, pasta carbonara and Asian style stir fries. We have a meal, chat with our friendly volunteer recognise that for many of the people who visit cooks and have the option of being referred to a the Community Kitchen, this may be their only social service that can provide them the support meal for the day, so we aim to make each meal they need. How was a need for substantial and nutritious. Roughly how many this service identified in people does the kitchen Taree? serve each day, and how Like all communities, ONE OF THE UNIQUE many volunteers does the Manning region has THINGS ABOUT THE TAREE it take to provide this any number of individuals COMMUNITY KITCHEN IS WE service? who face difficulties PROVIDE MORE THAN JUST Our incredible volunteers and challenges. Things NUTRITIOUS HOT MEALS serve between 30 and like mental illness, TO OUR VISITORS. THE 50 lunches, five days per unemployment or underCOMMUNITY KITCHEN IS ALSO week. Since CatholicCare employment, family A SOFT ENTRY POINT FOR commenced operations in breakdown and other VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN THE 2015, we have served over unexpected life events MANNING TO ACCESS SOCIAL 10,000 meals to vulnerable can all lead to any of us SERVICES THEY MAY NEED. people in the Manning. This becoming vulnerable is remarkable, considering and needing support. the Taree Community The friends we serve at Kitchen is completely run by volunteers and all of the Taree Community Kitchen come from any the produce is donated by local businesses in the number of backgrounds and circumstances. We community. believe that communities are stronger when they We have six volunteers rostered on for each come together to support each other during the day of service. There are three rostered on to difficult times, and this the ethos that underpins the good works of the Taree Community Kitchen. complete morning preparation and three rostered Where does the service operate from? for the afternoon service and clean up shift. The The Taree Community Kitchen operates from volunteers overlap for an hour, to ensure we can Victoria Street, overlooking Fotheringham Park. meet the service needs during the peak time. Where is the produce required to produce The service currently serves lunch Monday to the meals sourced? Friday from noon to 1pm. It is our intention to All of our produce is donated by local extend these operating hours as we recruit and businesses in the community. Over the last train more volunteers. What types of meals does the service couple of years, we have been generously provide? supported by many local businesses, Coles The fabulous volunteers at the Community - SecondBite Community Connect Program,
Woolworths, Mayo Private Hospital, Taree West Plaza Butchery, Lambert’s Butchery, Eddie’s Fresh Chicken, Bakers Delight, McGrath Butchers Mentges Master Meats, Manning Valley Pie Company, Centerpoint Fresh Chickens & Game Meats and Solomon’s Fruit & Vegetables, just to name a few. Without the generous support of these fantastic local businesses, we would not be able to meet the needs of vulnerable people in the local community. Are you currently in need of more volunteers or food suppliers? We currently have around 40 active volunteers. It would be great if we had 20 more volunteers, so we can ensure we are able to share the load and avoid our volunteers being overloaded. Volunteers don’t need any particular qualifications, as we provide the induction and ongoing training they need. That said; if people are interested in taking on one our “lead cook” roles, it would help if they know their way around a kitchen and are comfortable putting ingredients together to make up a meal. At the moment we also have a particular need for volunteers who are interested in collecting our food donations. This role is ideal for a volunteer who may not want to work in the kitchen, but who still wants to contribute to the good works of the kitchen. People can volunteer for as many days as they like, from once every two months to a couple of times a week. In terms of suppliers, we are always looking for any new businesses who would like to come on board to donate produce that will help provide meals for those in need. More info? You can find out more about the good works of the Taree Community Kitchen by contacting the friendly team at CatholicCare’s Taree office on 6539 5900 or by visiting our website www. catholiccare.org.au and of course, you can always call into the kitchen Monday to Friday between 12 and 1pm. Everybody is welcome. Thanks Gary. Manning-Great Lakes focus 25