For 20 years, Nishi Puri OAM and her associates have helped the Blue Door, a St Vincent de Paul drop-in centre at the Ainslie Village social housing complex, feed disadvantaged Canberrans.
The Blue Door program helps people on welfare support, and those with addictions, mental illnesses and traumas. Some need clothing, food or furniture; others seek advice, advocacy or referrals.
Every fortnight, the organisations of which Ms Puri is president, the Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC) and GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) Canberra, donate a trolley of non-perishable food. Whenever they can, every four months or so, they cook a barbecue for homeless men.
They hosted one such barbecue this Monday, to promote men’s mental health and wellbeing for Movember.
“It’s very apparent that [homeless people] need a lot of mental health support,” Ms Puri said. “And the more that people come forward, the better it is. That is why we want people to come forward, join hands with us, be a part of our barbecue, and be a part of our donation.”
The volunteers served heaps of sausages, hashbrowns (for vegetarians), salads, and chocolates to follow. (It is nearly Christmas, after all.) In all, nearly 80 people came.
“The Blue Door is not just about feeding people,” the Blue Door’s coordinator, Paul Potter, says. “It’s also about bringing people together, creating communities. This is a great way to create communities.”
While the Blue Door serves lunch every weekday, and CAHMA (Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy) comes once a fortnight to put on a barbecue, the MAC’s barbecues bring welcome variety.
“It breaks it up,” Mr Potter said. “It creates a different kind of meal to do it that way, rather than the casseroles or sorts of things that they would normally do in the Blue Door kitchen.”
So far this year, the Blue Door has provided 34,000 meals, and had more than 1,500 drop-ins. It is supported through the Vinnies network, but also receives donations from other Canberra charities, such as Good360, OzHarvest (which brings rescued food once a week), Canberra Milk (which helps them provide tea and coffee throughout the day), Pace Farm (which provides 36 dozen eggs a week), or Sri Sathya Sai (which donated a large amount of clothing on the weekend).
The Blue Door also helps people struggling with addiction to come off drugs and build a new life.
“I had a man come back to me two weeks ago,” Mr Potter said. “He’s moved out of Canberra; he got off drugs while he was here. I journeyed that with him. He’s been off for three years now. [He told Mr Potter] ‘Paul, I’ve come back to see you; I want to thank you because you saved my life.’
“That’s the sort of help that individuals look to – there’s someone significant who’s journeyed through the whole process with them, encouraged them all along the way, and at times confronted them as well. I confronted that particular man with the fact that where he was heading was towards his loss of life. You have to do that at the right moment. But that was actually the turning point for him.”
The Blue Door accepts donations of non-perishable food. The public can also help by shopping at Vinnies, or donating online or to charity drives like the Vinnies Christmas Appeal (or, next year, the CEO Sleepout).
Besides the Blue Door, the Multicultural Association of Canberra also donates food to the University of Canberra’s food pantry.
“Our main aim is to help those who are really struggling,” Ms Puri said.
The general public can help by donating funds, non-perishables, or groceries and pre-loved clothing, or by coming to help with the barbecues. Visit their website for more information.
“We are happy to be able to give back to the community,” Ms Puri said. “I know it’s a hard time, and cost of living pressures are high, but if people have a little bit of funds to spare, please help the people who really need help.”
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