Can you believe it has been over 16 weeks since we rolled out our COVID response plan. A quick update on what has been happening and how you can help.
The Stats
8800 meals already! What an incredible feat, especially considering all this has been done in our volunteers homes and served from our gates. Our Guest are humbled by the support they are being offered, especially as they are aware that many of our volunteer members fall into the high risk categories, have families with medical needs or they themselves are essential workers. Despite all these challenges, our volunteers haven’t waivered and have continued to provide love, compassion and support to our street community.
Our Guests
Everyday we are meeting more people at the gate. The number of women reaching out for help is apparent, along with everyday Australians who need our food service to supplement their drop in income.
This change in demand clearly demonstrates the wide spread impact that COVID is having on our community and how we must adapt to meet these needs. Canice’s Kitchen started as a place where lonely locals could meet and find support. Over thirty years it transformed into a place where those living on the streets could find refuge and a hot meal, and most recently as a community space. Now we are seeing a whole new era begin.
Be assured that we are working to guarantee that Canice’s Kitchen is a place of support for everyone who needs it and ensuring our partner organisations are made aware of new faces needing their support.
Volunteers needed
We continue to look for more volunteers to join our Virtual Cooking teams. If you’d like to be involved you can sign up here
Fundraising through COVID
Our online fundraiser is nearly at the half way point! Help us reach our target by donating today. All donations are 100% tax deductible
For the Kids and Adults!
Our Virtual Winter Sleepout registration page is now live!
Join us for this FREE event on the 28th August.
The event is a chance to explore the real trials faced by our community on a day to day basis whilst sharing your experience and pledging to help us make a change.
Participants will sleep rough in their backyard or on their balcony and complete a series of experiences that aim to shed light on some of the challenges our Guests face. We have a guest speaker who has a lived experience of homelessness who will join the event via Zoom to tell her story.
The event is open to adults and children and we would strongly encourage parents of school aged kids to get them involved. The event is a great way to start the conversation around homelessness.
All participants will make a personal pledge to homelessness at the conclusion of the event. This might be a pledge to volunteer, a pledge to talk to friends at school about their experience or a pledge to work with a local community group in supporting people in need.
Thank you for continuing your support for the Kitchen through these times. Whether that’s through volunteering, fundraising or just telling our story. Please reach out to us with any questions at all and if you aren’t already, make sure you follow us on facebook and Instagram for daily news.
With wellness
Carrie & the Kitchen Team