Feeding and supporting the Tweed Heads community

by Barry de Silva 

In The Joy of the Gospel: Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis declared that “none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice”.  

Parishioners at St Joseph’s Parish in Tweed Heads have embraced this message by supporting those in need within their local community through two key initiatives—the Parish Pantry and Lunch with Friends. Donna Walsh and John Storey from St Joseph’s share how these programs offer more than just food; they serve as a lifeline for many. 

The Parish Pantry 

For the past two years, the Parish Pantry has been providing non-perishable food items to anyone in need, from Monday to Thursday, regardless of their background.  “We have a group of volunteers who come in every week to help pack the food items for people,” Donna said. “We help families who may be struggling, as well as people from the wider community.”  

In addition to individual assistance, the parish also provides food packages to those in government-funded assisted accommodation. Donna credits the success of the pantry to the generosity of parishioners of St. Joseph’s who continually donate. “We’ve been fortunate to have their support, which has meant the pantry has been well stocked —we’ve always had enough food for everyone,” she added. 

Lunch with Friends 

John Storey and Pat Twohill coordinate the Lunch with Friends initiative, which began in 2006 when two parishioners, Bill Lovering and Denis Pommer, identified a need to provide meals for the homeless in local parks. “It started as a way of giving back to the community, so they began cooking sausages on the beach front at Coolangatta every Thursday, and then moved to Goodwin Park in Coolangatta” John explained. 

Over time, Lunch with Friends evolved and partnered with Fred’s Place, a drop-in centre run by St Vincent de Paul that offers meals, shower facilities, and laundry services for disadvantaged people. Every Tuesday, volunteers gather in the parish kitchen to prepare 60 ham and salad rolls, which are then delivered to Fred’s Place.  

Lunch with Friends has also received vital support from two local clubs through the NSW ClubGRANTS Program, providing 100 hot meals, which are distributed at Fred’s Place every Thursday.  “We’ve been seeing more older women coming to collect food, possibly because of the rising cost of living. Often they just need that extra support, and Fred’s Place does a great job by offering frozen food as a supplement to the fresh meals.” 

A Mission of Compassion 

The Parish Pantry and Lunch with Friends share a common mission—to ensure no one in the community goes hungry. For John, it’s more than just food. “It’s all about helping people and volunteers understanding the disadvantage in the area,” he said.   “It’s only a small token of what can be done, but we make sure no one goes without food. It also gives those we’ve helped a sense of knowing that people care for them.”