By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
A JOINT effort by Berwick locals, businesses and schools means hundreds of homeless people can rely on a warm, fresh and nutritious meal three times a week.
In operation with the St Vincent De Paul Society, the Berwick Soup Van services Berwick, Narre Warren, Hampton Park and Cranbourne.
In a rotation between various Berwick schools and hospitals this week, staff members from Beaconhills College delivered homemade soup, sandwiches, warm snacks, pasta, tea, coffee and hot chocolate to the numerous drop-off points around Casey.
Soup bus co-ordinator at Beaconhills College, Clare Tuohy, said the restaurant quality meals were a real treat for those sleeping rough.
“It’s very important for us to be able to deliver this wonderful service and to be able to give something that is freshly made.
“They love the food but also the contact with people, they love talking to us,” Ms Tuohy said.
Serving specially made meals for the soup bus once a month, Restaurant Eighty One owner Catherine Charles said their meals served up to 80 people.
“If St Vinnies have any food donations they will drop it off to us and we’ll add that into the dish but normally we use all our own vegetables, pastas and rice and we make the sauces from scratch,” Ms Charles said.
Servicing the soup bus for more than a year, Ms Charles said there was always a decent amount of vegetables in their dishes.
“We try and make a variety of meals that are generally vegetarian so everyone can eat them,” she said.
The meals are packed into supplied polystyrene takeaway packs. Ms Tuohy said about 70 people would be served on an average night.
“We serve a variety of people; it ranges from people with mental health issues, alcohol and drug-related and those who have been marginalised.
“On a cold night we might get as few as 58 people but in the summer that can go up to around 90,” she said.
A team of more than 100 volunteers support the operation that runs every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
The Narre Warren station and hostels around Berwick are just some of the drop-off points decided on a needs basis by St Vincent De Paul.
