Home-cooked meals for the homeless

Homeless Outreach Services has been overwhelmed with people volunteering to cook for the homeless.

THE Toowoomba community has banded together to provide dinner-time meals to the city's homeless.

Jo Noonan, along with 25 other volunteers, has teamed up with Tony Hurle from Homeless Outreach Services to cook hot meals for the homeless two nights a week.

Ms Noonan said originally she had just wanted to organise meals for Easter, but after speaking with Mr Hurle she realised there was an increased demand for takeaway dinner meals due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Hurle was providing pastries and sandwiches four nights a week, but recently had to increase his operating hours to seven nights a week.

He said he was grateful for the help of all the volunteers.

"The cooked food from Jo and her helpers is a godsend as funds are quickly running out due to our regular fortnightly Bunnings barbecues, our main fundraiser for rent, being cancelled until further notice.," Mr Hurle said.

"Ninety per cent of our budget has been wiped off, we need community support now more than ever to continue our services."

 

 

Ms Noonan also posted on Facebook asking people to donate takeaway containers and disposable cutlery.

"People have been amazing. I love Toowoomba," Ms Noonan said.

"When people need help, Toowoomba just provides it.

"We were trying to get some water bottles for people and F45 Toowoomba West has donated 50 stainless steel bottles to hand out to everybody."

Homeless Outreach Services is in need of cash donations to help pay the rent.

To donate or volunteer, search Tony's Kitchen on Facebook.