Lunches place order for helpers

HADDON Community Learning Centre is putting the call out for volunteers to help out with their regular community lunches.

Each meal is held on the third Thursday of most months, and with a fixed kitchen staff of four people, manager Joan Coker said the centre is “desperate” for new recruits.

“We’ve struggled with being on and off with COVID, and the cost of running it. We’re down from six people to now three or four,” she said.

“Everyone pitches in around here. We talked our secretary, Gwen Pyke, into being our chef. Others are helping with kitchen work, and I help out too when I can.

“We just need anyone willing to help. It could be from washing dishes to setting tables to taking reservations. There’s all sorts of things they can do.”

Ms Coker said she’d like to see two or three new volunteers offer their time and service, and on-the-job training will be provided in place of prior qualifications.

Each lunch starts at 12.30pm, and volunteers will be required from 10am to 2pm to help primarily with preparation and clean-up.

With an average intake of about 30 people each month, Ms Coker said the lunch is an important part of some of the attendee’s lives.

“A lot of the same people have been coming for years and years so we don’t want to stop this. And we’d like to go beyond our normal numbers,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful thing. You’re helping out the community and they’re very grateful for it. For some of them it’s their only regular outing.

‘’It’s important that we can keep it going.”

If no regular volunteers are enlisted, the centre will consider applying for support grants or hiring a social enterprise in order to meet their regular demand.

The lunches are self-funded by the centre and cost $12 for a two-course meal, to volunteer call 5342 7050.