Where to find Christmas meals and food support this festive season

AS FAMILIES gather around tables this Christmas, community groups across Geelong are making sure there is a place for everyone.

From Christmas Day lunches to year-round food relief, local services are stepping up to offer meals, connection and support throughout the festive season.

Geelong Community Christmas Lunch

The Geelong Community Christmas Lunch, hosted by Christ Church, has been running for more than 20 years, providing a welcoming place for people to share a meal on Christmas Day.

Doors will open from 11.30am, with lunch served from noon, at the corner of Moorabool and McKillop streets in Geelong’s CBD.

The lunch caters for upwards of 150 people, including children, and is open to anyone looking for company or support on the day.

For catering purposes, those planning to attend are asked to register by emailing [email protected]

Christ Church’s Community Meals program will also continue throughout the Christmas and New Year period, providing free breakfast seven days a week between 7.30am and 9am, and evening meals on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4.30pm to 6pm.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army will host a Christmas Day lunch from 11.30am to 2pm at the Northside Community Centre in Cox Road, Corio.

The two-course lunch is open to singles and couples, but no children under 18 are allowed.

OneCare Geelong

A special Christmas Day lunch will be held at 61 Candover Street in Geelong West, providing a shared meal for people experiencing disadvantage or social isolation.

The lunch is expected to cater for more than 100 people, many of whom may have no other social gathering or celebration during the festive season.

Alongside the meal, attendees will receive a selection of Christmas pantry items, helping to make the day special for those struggling to make ends meet. For many, the lunch represents a rare opportunity for connection, conversation and celebration.

 

OneCare continues to provide food and community support throughout the year via its weekly community meal, held on Thursdays from 10am, with lunch service at noon.

Ongoing food relief and support

When many services close over the festive period, The Outpost will remain open at 42 Little Ryrie Street, Geelong.

The service operates seven nights a week from 7.00pm to 9.00pm, as well as Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10.30am to 1.30pm.

On Christmas Day, The Outpost will this year distribute summer survival packs filled with essentials such as food, towels, sunscreen, snacks and drinks.

Lazarus Community Centre, located at 202 Myers Street in Geelong, will also be open over the holiday season.

The centre provides support 365 days a year and is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, weekends between 10am and 2pm, and public holidays from 10.30am to 1pm.

Feed Me, with its locations on the Surf Coast, Bellarine and Geelong also offers emergency food relief every day of the year.

For support, contact 0422 798 791 or email [email protected]

With Christmas Day meals on offer and food relief services continuing throughout the holiday period, help remains available for those who need it, ensuring fewer people face the festive season alone.