Tony’s Kitchen to open expanded drop-in centre on James Street

When the doors open, this drop-in centre will offer hot meals, laundry and shower services and all-weather dining seven days a week for people sleeping rough in Toowoomba

Tony’s Kitchen founders Jo Noonan and Tony Hurle said they would be able to help more people when they more into their new building, at 174A James Street.

By June, homeless and hungry people will have a safe, dry place to get a meal, have a shower and do some laundry seven nights a week, with Tony’s Kitchen preparing to open the doors at its new headquarters.

The building, at 174A James Street is just a short walk from where the soup kitchen volunteers have handed out hot meals for the past year, behind the Settlers Inn.

Founder Tony Hurle said the new space would help restore dignity to people sleeping rough on Toowoomba’s streets.

“With all that rain we had lately, people were waiting in line for a meal while soaking wet,” he said.

The team only secured the keys to the new site at the weekend and have some work to do before they are ready to serve meals.

But already they are planning to expand.

Tony’s Kitchen will provide under cover dining, laundry services and a place to shower, seven days a week when their new office opens in June.

Unlike the old site, the new building has running water, a shower, toilets, a rubbish service and several meeting rooms and offices.

Importantly it has two large areas for undercover dining.

“It is important that we all do our part and have a home, we can have coffee, we can invite the other services in, like TASC, the Base, Emerge and anyone else that want to help out.

“We can all start working together because we are all doing the same role, but just in different ways.”

The volunteers hope to have the new kitchen open by July 1.