A group of aged care residents on Sydney’s Northern Beaches is showing that kindness does not fade with age, rolling up their sleeves each month to cook home style meals for people experiencing homelessness.
In partnership with community charity ONE MEAL Northern Beaches, residents at Scalabrini Allambie Heights Aged Care are helping provide hot meals to vulnerable locals and families. For the seniors involved, the initiative offers more than a chance to give back. It has become a regular source of connection, purpose and shared joy.
Around a dozen residents take part in the monthly cook up, turning an in house get together into a practical act of community support. The program has been running for about three years and is enjoyed by both the residents and the people who receive the meals.
Residents are involved from the very start, including planning the menu and preparing the food. At a recent session, the group cooked 50 serves of pasta and meatballs along with bruschetta, before travelling by bus to Brookvale to help distribute the meals through ONE MEAL.
Wellbeing Co-ordinator Alessandra Salso said the activity had become a highlight for many residents.
“The residents really love getting involved in this charity activity. It gives them a sense of purpose, and they can see the impact firsthand when we bring the food to ONE MEAL during our afternoon trip on the bus,” she said.
“Even residents who do not particularly enjoy cooking take part, because they understand the meaningful reason behind what they are doing.”
Family members often join in to lend a hand and donate sweet treats to accompany the meals, adding to the sense of community around the initiative.
ONE MEAL is a not for profit organisation that supports people who are homeless or experiencing hardship, providing weekly meals at seven locations across the Northern Beaches, including Manly and Narraweena.
For the residents at Scalabrini Allambie Heights, the monthly cook up is a reminder that giving back can be just as rewarding as receiving, and that compassion remains a powerful force at every stage of life.
