Dining Hall

Sacred Heart Mission’s Dining Hall, where a meal is just the beginning …

Our warm, welcoming Dining Hall in St Kilda is the heart of the Mission and where hundreds of people who are experiencing homelessness come every day of the year to share a meal. Hear from Head Chef Kirsty, Chef Robyn, Volunteer Simon and Case Manager Catherine, why the Meals Program is vital for our community:

Kirsty: At the Meals Program, it’s very important that we are providing a nutritious meal, but it’s not just about the meal. It’s also about trying to engage the people and to give them a sense of community. Donations are very important. Probably 90-95% of our food is produced through the donations from big and small businesses.

We do make over 400 meals a day. It’s very busy. It can get very hectic at times, but it’s also a lot of fun.

Simon: For me, it’s about realising how fortunate I actually am, and how unfortunate many of us are in the community. This is part of the community; it does a great service to the city of Melbourne and to the people in need.

Robyn: We make a difference in people’s lives. We’re including people that are often isolated. We welcome them to the Dining Hall. Everybody is welcome here.

Kirsty: We do this every day, 365 days a year.

Catherine: As a Case Worker, the environment of the Dining Hall is a place where you can engage with clients and may take many meals before they feel safe to start asking for help, but then you’re there and you can start providing a whole range of services that the Mission.

And that’s why it’s far more than just a meal.