Kununurra Community Kitchen

The Kununurra Community Kitchen has delivered a healthy, free community feed, every single Sunday since December 2016 - we haven't missed one yet! That's nearly 15,000 meals. COVID-19 meant we were no longer able to gather, so since social distancing commenced, we have hit the road and deliver to where we know its needed. We will come together again as soon as we are safely able to.Please visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Kununurra-Community-Kitchen-789882501220136/ for more pictures and posts and to keep updated on what we're up to.We continue to build our community partnerships and nurture relationships at a grass roots level within our community.As yet, we have never applied for, or received grant funding (there's community empowerment in that). We have relied soley on businesses, services, farmers, individuals and volunteers for physical support and donations. That's where this GoFundMe comes in! It offers a way that you too can support us, whether you're based in the East Kimberley but don't have time to volunteer, have been meaning to donate but haven't as yet, or if you live anywhere else and see the value in supporting this community led initiative.We currently need financial support to carry us through the next six months. Specific things include:- Utilities expenses for freezers- Pantry and cold items for meals- Meat and chicken- Containers for meals- Adoc hampers that are created as incentives and/or are given to other services and agencies to support clients- Adhoc street feeds beyond the Sunday dinners, where we hit the streets and connect and nourishOUR STORYThe idea of a soup kitchen was originally suggested by Paula Hayman to contribute to the Kununurra Empowering Youth (KEY) program which was birthed in December 2016. We called the initiative 'Paula's Kitchen' and funding was made available to cover venue hire at the Save the Children youth hub each Sunday. All food ingredients and time were donated or volunteered and a collection vehicle was kindly loaned by KREAC then Wunan. This phase ran for the December school holidays ending in January 2017. From this time, based on the overwhelming positive response by community members, Mandy Milburn decided to keep the initiative going,  and it was renamed The Kununurra Community Kitchen.The Community Kitchen has fed up to 120 people on a Sunday, and is currently catering for approximately 50-70 every Sunday while delivering during COVID-19.  We offer a nutritious meal, connection and a consistent presence in a community where things are constantly changing. This is not an Australian Indigenous program or initiative, it is a group of humans from mixed cultures, giving back to their community in a heart based way, that understand the power of nourishing others - all are welcome and all get involved. This is humanitarian.Here is an example of how the entire community has been involved in supporting us. Not every person or every donation has been listed, but it will give you a sense of how The Community Kitchen is bringing community together and the importance of connection, relationships and open hearts, to keep us doing what we do.Volunteers! Invaluable and our biggest asset!Kimberley Marketing - plates, forks and adhoc food items since inception to today.Coles and SecondBite - twice a week we visit Coles to collect any bread, fresh produce or meat that would be thrown away, deemed not fit for Coles shelves. We are registered with SecondBite which is a food redistribution organisation. We either redistribute food immediately, freeze it, or use it in our meals for that week. Coles also provided a $100 gift voucher once a month for most of 2020.Save the Children - venue space and other adhoc support like trailer use, containers etc.Ceres Farms - Provide produce when in season.Oria Orchards - Provide produce when in season.EKJP Community Development Program - Nutrition and Wellbeing Group - a partnership designed to upskill the group in learning how to grow and prepare healthy meals, in conjunction with the Community Garden.Red Cross - provided adhoc donations of excess clothing that we are able to hand out from the kitchen.Revive - provided adhoc donations of excess clothing and toys that we are able to hand out from kitchen.Share the Dignity - 'care bags' for women and young women sent from WA and other eastern states that we are able to hand out to community members from the kitchen (include hygiene products)Subway - Adhoc cancelled catering orders and/or excess food items.Rustic Pathways - when volunteer students are visiting from all over the world the group donate their time and offer a donation.Fisheries Department - when available, adhoc donations of seized fish.WACOSS - WA Council of Social Services support us in improving food security and relief.