By Callum Ludwig
The Yarra Junction Over 50s friendship has been able to gather for a free community meal, hoping to encourage some of the Upper Yarra’s older residents to come together.
The lunch aimed particularly to target those who are lonely and isolated or financially struggling or even homeless, and over 50 people attended.
Organiser Carole Corcoran said they hoped to provide a Christmas meal for those who didn’t have anything or anyone to celebrate Christmas with.
“A lot of these people wouldn’t even have a roast chook, unless they went down to Woolies and decided to buy for, for some of them, to have a proper cooked meal is out of the usual,” she said.
“We can hear from the chatter and noise in the hall that people are really communicating with each other, which is something they wouldn’t normally do. It’s important for these people to try and get out and about in the community.”
The free meal has been supported by one of Yarra Ranges Council’s Upper Yarra Community-Led Recovery Grants which provided up to $10,000 for projects to help the community bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic and other strains such as the June 2021 storm event.
Ms Corcoran said it’s about convincing people that it’s okay to come out of their homes again.
“They’ve been frightened, Covid has scared a lot of people and now they’re hibernating in their homes, hoping it doesn’t strike them. They won’t mix with people now,” she said.
“We had our card group, as usual, this Monday, with a light lunch and they loved it this Thursday we are going to the Healesville RSL, so we are getting them out when they otherwise wouldn’t. I asked one chap what he is doing Christmas Day and he said he would go have a few tinnies by the river and it really broke my heart, that’s not Christmas Day.”
Another spokesperson for the Over 50s Friendship Group who wished to remain anonymous said they want to let people realise there’s more to life than sitting in a chair watching television.
“They lose contact with a lot of friends, trapped in four walls with the ‘magic box’,” they said.
“Why be alone? That’s the kind of person we want to have come here, out of their chair. We will provide the entertainment or the meal, but we aren’t there to pick them up, we want to encourage them to come.”
Local traders have supported the group as well, with Cortella Homewares providing a discount on their plates and cups and Yarra Junction Woolworths providing $100 to purchase the food.
Yarra Ranges Council Community Development Officer Michael Goodrich has been working with the group to utilise the grant and said it has been a privilege.
“What we started here, going on four years, to respond to the issue of people living in isolation, it’s really amazing to support the community-led approach to supporting each other,” he said.
“Building connection through Covid-19 has been a real issue. The meals are actually about building friendships, connections, and an even more resilient community through that as well. It’s been great to work with these volunteers, a passionate community with amazing skills and hopefully, they can access Round Two of the funding as well.”
The meals were catered by three young volunteers, including a qualified chef, who dedicated their own time to cook for the over 50 attendees.
The Over 50s Friendship Group is hoping to continue to self-sustain their monthly meals and frequent social outings through the open-age ballroom dance at the Wandin North Hall as the Star Mail previously reported is beginning on Saturday 28 January 2023.
The next free community meal with the Yarra Junction Over 50s Friendship Group will be on Wednesday 18 January.
