Merimbula RSL Club has shone a bright light for the community during regional NSW’s stay-at-home orders, with hundreds of meals that might have otherwise gone to waste going to people in need.

Merimbula RSL Club has shone a bright light for the community during regional NSW’s stay-at-home orders, with hundreds of meals that might have otherwise gone to waste going to people in need.

It was all hands on deck in the Merimbula RSL Club kitchen to cook more than 400 meals for Sapphire Life Opportunities community pantry using ingredients they’d prepared for a busy weekend trade before getting three hours’ notice they would go into lockdown.

The RSL packaged and labelled meals including some of the club’s favourite Chinese, Thai and pasta dishes. They also donated fresh milk, fresh salad mixes and fish.

Sapphire Life Opportunities CEO Janita Fernando said pantry supports an average of 100 families every week, and the stay at home order was likely to increase that need.

“We are so grateful to the RSL for their generosity. This is a huge benefit to our community. There are lots of people struggling, these meals and other fresh food will mean so much to the people who are doing it really tough right now,” Mrs Fernando said.

RSL head chef Derek Philistin and secretary manager Michael Mutsch, met with Bega Valley Shire Council a few days before lockdown to sign up for a new initiative, Nourish & Flourish, which connects food businesses with community pantries in Merimbula, Bega and Eden.

“We saw the ads on television for Nourish & Flourish but we didn’t realise until we met with project officer Sarah Eastman just how easy it was to donate to the pantry,” Mr Philistin said.

He said although the lockdown was something everyone had hoped to avoid, the timing worked out perfectly.

“Like most kitchens, we have a strong focus on not wasting anything, but because the lockdown was pretty sudden we did have excess. We were so pleased that we could pass this food onto the pantry to support our community.”

Mr Philistin said knowing the meals were going to people in need and not to landfill was a special feeling for all the chefs, with most volunteering their time to prepare the meals.

“This is just the start of a long relationship between the RSL and the pantry. We’ve got lots of ideas of how we can help in the future.”

Nourish & Flourish project officer, Sarah Eastman said it was inspiring to see the way the Bega Valley community supported each other.

“This is what the Nourish & Flourish project is all about, supporting and making these connections between food businesses and the pantries,” Ms Eastman said.

“We are experiencing a constantly changing situation placing pressure on families and landfill. Awareness is growing, and people are realising that donating is a simple step that anyone can take.”

  • When the RSL donation hit social media and the local news, a large number of food businesses also donated to the Merimbula, Bega and Eden pantries. The awareness raised also prompted a lot more people to contact the pantries and ask for support.
  • Businesses wanting to donate to the Eden, Merimbula or Bega community pantries can sign up to Nourish & Flourish at www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au/nourishandflourish or phone Sarah Eastman on (02) 6499 2222.
  • Nourish & Flourish is a NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.