In a conversation with NITV Radio, Chelsea Clayton co-founder of Koori Kitchen said that the kitchen is helping not only those who were affected by the natural disaster but, also people from all walks of life struggling with the spiralling cost of living including homeless and retirees from Lismore and surrounding areas.
“Because we’ve been there since the first flood which is going on past six months now, people know we are there; it is a sort of a security and a comfort spot for them to come and have a chat with other people that have gone through the same thing,” Chelsea Claydon said.
People come to the Koori Kitchen hub for a hot meal or just to sit down for a yarn amd share stories about their lived experiences
Over time, Koori Kitchen has attracted many volunteers willing to give back to the community coming from the local area and further afield. “The experience for me and the reason it’s been so amazing has been to connect with the community there. It’s been brilliant and, to get to know everyone but also to give back and see how much the warm meal and a big happy smile actually benefits everyone.”
The kitchen [provides 600 hot meals every day. Several times a week, its premises host other services including social and mental health support. Despite its popularity and the high demand for its services, Koori Kitchen Lismore has seen a heavy-handed local council dishing out parking fines to its volunteers adding an unwanted strain to their activities. Chelsea Claydon believes that through dialogue this issue and other friction can be ironed out.
