April 12, 2024
The official launch of the South Burnett Support Alliance’s week-day meal project has already paid off, with five groups signing up to help.
The Alliance has been hosting Sunday lunches at the Old Railway Station Building in O’Neill Square, Kingaroy, for some time but has been working towards holding free, once-a-week meals on Wednesdays, too.
The launch of the new project occurred this week in the Kingaroy Town Hall Reception Room.
Secretary Marietta Wetzig said more than 30 people turned up to learn more about the proposal, which is based on a similar initiative in Dalby.
Guest speaker was Beth Wood who chairs “Dalby Circles Of Care”, a loosely connected group of churches, service clubs and community organisations whose goal is to help people who need a hand in Dalby.
The Dalby group organises a free meal on Thursday evenings for people in need.
Marietta said the South Burnett Support Alliance would co-ordinate the local project; individual groups would take responsibility for providing the food for one Wednesday night as well as the volunteers to serve it.
The first groups to register to help were the Salvation Army, the Uniting Church, Woolworths, South Burnett Care and St John’s Lutheran School.
“The project was just so well-received,” Marietta told southburnett.com.au
“It is very, very worthwhile.”
Marietta said the meals did not have to be cooked in a commercial kitchen, although the Alliance was investigating if they could access such a facility in the future.
“Cook it at home, bring a team together and serve it,” she said.
Sample recipes for suggested meals were shared at the official launch.
Marietta said it was not about dropping off the food for other people to distribute: “It’s about the community helping the community.”
The first free meals will be available next Wednesday night (April 17) from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Salvation Army Hall in Kingaroy Street, Kingaroy.
Marietta said she expected most people would simply collect the food and go home but they were also invited to sit at tables in the hall to enjoy their meal.
The South Burnett Support Alliance is keen to attract more groups to register, as well as more volunteers to help.
- For more information, contact Marietta on 0418-156-547 or by email
Footnote: The free Sunday lunches in O’Neill Square grew out of a project by a loose coalition of community groups which began in September 2021.
