The Lismore Soup Kitchen began in February 1990 to provide meals, accommodation and social support to various groups of marginalised people. These include people with mental health problems, indigenous people, those suffering drug and alcohol dependency, those with gambling addictions and those left homeless or living in rough isolated situations.
In October 2009 we purchased the lovely old Winsome Hotel which is now the home of the Soup Kitchen, and also home to 18 residents who are transitioning from homelessness to permanent accommodation.
We are entirely staffed by volunteers, and have about 50 volunteers/members.
Since the floods of February and March 2022 our Winsome has not been able to operate as usual, although our accomodation at The Winsome is operating. Currently we have 4 focus areas:
On the checkout page there is a tick box question on whether you wish your donation to go to a particular cause.
We are so thankful for the trust that so many donors have placed in us as we commit ourselves to recovery in our city, and we display a graph on our website of how monies have been spent in flood recovery.
In non covid and preflood times, we usually provide an open place at the Winsome every day from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, with coffee and tea freely available, along with a cooked lunch and sandwiches distributed for meals later in the day. We hope to be back to that in the coming months.
The “Soupie” is a safe place for people to come and socialise and it is well respected and trusted by marginalised people. We provide other key services and have the support of many local and state organisations. We depend on the good will of the community as we receive no government funding.
With the flooding of February and March 2022, the community of Lismore need support more than ever!
Yes
Yes, as soon as your donation is processed.