Ballina’s Cherry Street Club offers free meals to those affected by Covid lockdown

The club has put aside $20,000 to ensure that, for the duration of the lockdown, those in need can pick up meals for a gold coin donation.

Cherry Street Sports Club is offering free meals to help those struggling during the current Covid lockdown.

While the club is closed to the public, workers are preparing food to help those in need on the Northern Rivers.

The meals started being offered to members of the community on Tuesday and will run until Monday, August 16, unless the lockdown is extended.

The meals will be offered to people for a gold coin donation from 56 Swift St, Ballina, on the corner of Cherry and Swift streets, at the Masonic Hall.

General manager Tere Sheehan said after the club’s board confirmed all the staff’s wages and payments were secured, he submitted the idea to help feed the community during the restrictions.

“They are ready-to-heat meals,” he said.

“We would have had food spoiled if we closed our kitchen for a whole week, so we proposed to link in with Rotary Ballina on Richmond’s Hot Meal Centre, so we are cooking up meals every single day until next Monday.

“That’s run by volunteers two days a week, and they are exhausted, so we are taking over sometimes and we are going there with our team and serving meals.

“If you can afford to order takeaway from a local cafe or restaurant, please do so, but if you can’t, we are here to help.

“There are no judgments, everybody is welcome, come with a mask, abide by social distancing rules, and get the meals if they are needed, all we ask is for a gold coin donation to support the Hot Meal Centre.”

Mr Sheehan said on Tuesday the meals available were a curry, a pasta dish and a chicken parmigiana with mash and vegetables.

“We are cooking up three different meals every day, so people have nice, good staple meals,” he said.

“Today (Tuesday) we’ve already had around 70 people come in and get meals.”

Mr Sheehan said the club has budgeted around $20,000 to make the project a reality.

In 2020, during the first lockdown, Cherry St Sports club offered half-price frozen meals delivered at home for members, and donated $25,000 in free meals.