The Eating Together Volunteer Program offers monthly hot lunches to the clients of the Asylum Seekers Centre, these are refugees who have been already released/ integrated in the community. They are people coming from war torn countries – Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Central Africa etc – where they have experienced severe poverty, famine, different forms of persecution and in many cases severe trauma. For some of these refugees this is their only meal for the day, because they can not afford to buy quality food.
Our program provides monthly, free, hot meals at the Asylum Seeker Centre (ASC) in Newtown.
Part of the ingredients served at the lunches are the fruits, vegetables and herbs grown as part of our ‘Growing Food for the Disadvantaged’ program.
Hot Lunches
We require two volunteers for each hot lunch, monthly. Volunteers are expected to pre-prepare a hot lunch for about 20 people (the number might vary) following some simple guidelines provided by the Centre. They take it to the ASC in Newtown (Becher House, 43 Bedford Street) by 12.30 pm to heat up and serve at 1 pm. After assisting the participants to help themselves to lunch, volunteers sit with them at the table to chat and eat together.
At the end of the meal volunteers clear up making sure that the kitchen of the Centre is left clean and tidy.
Who to contact:
Mariella: mtotarog@gmail.com (or mobile 0418 212 533)
The photo on Page 9 of The Asylum Seekers Annual Report shows a number of Valerio Daniel De Simoni Association members at the Asylum Seekers Centre.