In what started as a staff volunteering project in 2020, the relationship between Reaching Out in the Inner of Melbourne and the Community Bank Seddon has flourished to have included food, coat and milk donation drives  right through to the purchase of a van in 2023 to assist with their pick ups and deliveries.

During that time, demand for Reaching Out’s services has also expanded. Their Monday night service – where they provide provide home cooked vegetarian meals, fresh fruit & vegetables, non-perishable food items, clothing, toiletries, doonas, blankets, pillows, sleeping bags to people experiencing homelessness and those generally struggling – has grown from approximately 80 attendees in 2019 to around 500 each week. With the addition of the van, they also provide outreach services to local community housing locations several times throughout the week.

The project is 100% volunteer based, which not only includes cooking meals and supporting the Monday night service, but also the pick up and sorting of food and donations at their warehouse space, kindly provided by Victoria University in Footscray. Reaching Out has been fortunate to receive growing support from local businesses and community to assist with the growing demand for their services, including food and drink donations, staff volunteer programs, free dry cleaning of bedding and clothing donations and free van servicing and insurance.

The level of support they receive from the community reflects the ethos and integrity with which the organisation operates. If you would like to learn more about Reaching Out in the Inner, become a supporter or volunteer, join their private Facebook group HERE