Be the love that is missing in the world

THERESA Mitchell does not separate compassion from action. As the Founder and CEO of Agape Outreach Inc., she has built a holistic, community-led response to homelessness and food insecurity across the Northern Rivers — grounded not in sentiment, but in systems that work.

Agape began in 2009 as a grassroots response to visible holes in the system. Today it operates a multi-layered model across food rescue, hot meal outreach, case management and psychological support. In the past year alone, the organisation rescued more than 127 tonnes of food and served over 66,000 meals. With 10 staff and more than 350 volunteers, including many students on placements from universities, Agape runs on a structured community response that combines professional oversight with volunteer power to maximise its impact.

Theresa’s background in counseling and psychology shapes the way Agape operates. Relief is only the first step. Every outreach service sits within a broader prevention–intervention–postvention framework. Agape delivers trauma-informed psychological support to young people and adults, addressing emotional regulation, shame and long-term recovery. The model reflects established evidence that food insecurity and homelessness are closely linked with elevated psychological distress.

In 2026, Theresa was named NSW Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards, recognising more than 17 years of consistent community support. For her, the award was not a finish line. It strengthened her advocacy for systemic change — particularly to push for more housing and for more research into the lived experience of those doing it hardest in our community. Agape is currently progressing registration as a community housing provider, with plans to develop tiny housing villages and then deploy the support model nationally. Theresa is a firm believer in Maslow’s hierarchy, recognising that people need the basics — including housing — to feel safe and begin rebuilding their lives.

At Agape, support is unconditional, but it is not without structure. Appropriate boundaries are modelled at every level — clear expectations, consistent policies and accountability that protects both clients and volunteers.

Agape, meaning unconditional love, is not expressed as permissiveness. It is expressed as dignity. People are welcomed without judgement, yet encouraged toward responsibility and growth. Volunteers are trained. Data is tracked. Policies are written. Outcomes are measured. Safety, respect and transparency underpin every program. In Theresa’s view, love without boundaries creates chaos; boundaries without love create harm.

Sustainable change requires both. Compassion is operationalised and accountability is normalised. Her guiding phrase — be the love that is missing in the world — is not a slogan. It is a standard of behaviour, grounded in unconditional regard and reinforced by clear, ethical limits.

Alongside running Agape, Theresa continues advanced clinical training and research focused on the relationship between food insecurity, mental health and homelessness. She believes frontline organisations must contribute to evidence, not just anecdotes. Research and service delivery, in her view, should inform one another.

Theresa’s work has grown beyond local outreach. She is actively developing a model that can be duplicated across Australia, ensuring communities have structured, trauma-informed responses to disadvantage. The aim is sustainability, not charity dependency.

At its core, her mission is clear: every person deserves the basics of life as a fundamental human right — food, safety, dignity and a place to call home. No one should go hungry. No one should be invisible.

If you would like to support Agape Outreach Inc., visit the website or follow the organisation on social media.