THE much-loved Vinnies Kitchen has been popping up in Rosebud over summer, with pop-up lunches and sausage sizzles for people in need of a feed.
Vinnies Kitchen, now in its 34th year, is a regular fixture in the Rosebud Youth and Band Hall on the Village Green in Rosebud, serving nutritious free lunches to the local community using donated fresh food from partners like OZ Harvest, and local producers. But the increase demand for fresh food and pre-cooked meals meant the Kitchen opened its doors when it would normally close through January.
Vinnies Kitchen Committee President Ree Townsend says the decision to open through January was an easy one. ‘We’ve got a group of homeless people sleeping rough in Rosebud that we look after with meals all year round, but we also know there’s more people doing it tough. So when some extra food came through from some generous donors our volunteers jumped at the opportunity to package up some lunch-packs”, said Townsend.
Food donations from longterm supporters Jim Cochrane Farms, It’s The Little Things Community and generous individual donors and home cooks meant the Kitchen has been serving pop-up lunches of roast chicken, freshly baked zucchini slice, fresh salads, fresh fruit, ice creams and cold drinks a couple of times a week. There’s also sausage sizzles and some packs of Christmas Mince Pies from the Mornington Community Support Centre.
Townsend says the co-operation between support centres and community groups on the Mornington Peninsula is really rising to the challenge of greater demand. “We’re really seeing it here, so many people are struggling, we’re all just doing the best we can, and always with a smile and without judgement,” Mrs Townsend said.
The management committee of Vinnies Kitchen, which is sometimes mistakenly associated with St Vincent de Paul, recently decided to stick with the name they’ve had for over three decades, despite people sometimes thinking they have support from the national organisation.
“We consulted widely with our volunteers, our donors, we got advice from marketing and branding experts, and they all recommended we stick with our name. For 34 years, we’ve successfully operated with strong community support, receiving cash and food donations. And we’ve never been busier. Vinnies Kitchen is here to stay,” Mrs Townsend said.
Vinnies Kitchen will be back to full service Monday, Wednesday-Saturday (closed Tuesdays) from Monday February 3rd, 11.30am-1pm.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 22nd January 2025
