NOT-for-profit charity Red Cross is calling on Canberra’s hospitality sector to consider donating leftover meals as the major aid organisation recovers from a loss in food donations.

The charity’s Roadhouse program dished up around 19,000 free, hot meals to Canberrans in need last year.

In 2020 amid a global pandemic, demand for meals didn’t drop off, but donations did.

Red Cross ACT regional manager Bianca Russell says the charity lost more than half of the regular food donors it relies on to feed some 90 in-need Canberrans every night.

“Covid put a fair bit of strain on us,” Ms Russell said.

“A lot of businesses that were providing us with food closed down and weren’t serving meals any more so it meant we had to find alternative ways to feed clients and we had to start purchasing food ourselves.”

Roadhouse, at the Griffin Centre in Canberra’s CBD, has been offering a free hot meal to the homeless or disadvantaged for the past seven years.

This year the charity, like many, was forced to adapt and change the way it does things.

“We carried on through covid and still provided a hot meal but as a take-away service,” Ms Russell said. 

“Something we found challenging during covid is that we haven’t been able to provide seating space for people so they can come together and have a chat.”

Whether it’s a family dinner or a meal with strangers, Red Cross community engagement co-ordinator Karlya Parnell, says eating together can make life better.

“People don’t always come for the food, they come for the mates as well,” said Ms Parnell.

“If you think about the role that food plays in our lives, it brings us together, it’s a time to stop and sit down, it’s more than just the food, it’s a reason to bring people together.”

Given that much of the ACT has now resumed normal trade, the Red Cross needs more food partners.

“Any food establishment that could make extra meals or might have leftovers at the end of the day, instead of throwing out its perfectly good food, we would love to use it and serve it to our patrons,” said Ms Russell.

“We get some really tasty, hearty meals donated to us each night – stews, casseroles, soups and pastas – heartwarming food that everyone enjoys.

“We don’t want to pressure the businesses who were supporting us before to come back, but if they are ready to start supporting us again, that would be great.”

Roadhouse is a beacon not only for the city’s homeless in need of a regular meal, but those needing a hand up.

“We had a lady whose family was affected by the bushfires on the south coast, they lost their home and her family moved to Canberra to access services, but are struggling to find a place to live,” Ms Parnell said.

“A whole range of people come along for a meal, there are those who are working and need extra food, or people sleeping rough, some people come in even if they don’t need the food, they just want to chat, they like the camaraderie and the chance to get together.”

Having spent time volunteering in Africa recently, Ms Parnell said the view that Canberra was a wealthy city and immune from the effects of poverty needed to change.

“The poverty that we can’t see in Canberra happens in the home where families are eating two-minute noodles six nights a week, it’s not poverty that we see on the streets it’s hidden behind someone’s front door,” Ms Parnell said.

Helping others was a selfless act and being able to help others felt good.

“The pressure that we can take off a family having to provide a meal might mean they can afford to pay for the heating or school uniforms or books so the flow-on effect of one small meal that may have otherwise gone in the bin is enormous,” Ms Russell said.

“That one meal could be the only hot meal that person gets in a week or it could be that someone’s child gets to eat a nutritious meal they normally would not have.”

Businesses wishing to partner with Roadhouse should contact roadhouse@redcross.org.au or call 6234 7600.