The Catholic Weekly 5 April 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 7 5, April, 2020 Find out more catholichealthcare.com.au/bodymindspirit 1300 216 675 Holistic aged care for every stage Home Care | Retirement Living | Residential Aged Care Body. Mind. Spirit. CANICE’S KITCHEN in Eliz- abeth Bay last week launched a take-away meal service for the homeless and other peo- ple needing extra support during the coronavirus pan- demic. Nestled underneath St Canice’s church in Elizabeth Bay, the fully donor-support- ed soup kitchen and drop-in space has operated for nearly 30 years. Now, like many other sup- port services across the city, it is adapting to meet public health restrictions and the increased needs of its guests amid extraordinary circum- stances. Volunteers no longer meet in the kitchen, but form virtu- al teams using technology to cook ‘together’ from each of their homes. They drop meals to the two Canice’s caretak- ers who then provide them at the front gate, following social distancing and hygiene guidelines. The take-away service will operate three days a week with the goal of operating dai- ly in a few week’s time, says community manager Carrie Deane. “We anticipate this may be the situation for at least six months and are planning for support services to keep running even through these challenging times,” Ms Deane said. “As we move forward through this pandemic we are now also planning for what our city will look like post COVID-19. Devastatingly we expect the need to be even greater. I am working on how we can meet that demand as greater numbers of vulnera- ble Australians emerge after this disaster.” When The Catholic Week- ly visited Canice’s Kitchen last month it was a calm and friendly oasis in Sydney’s bus- tling inner east. Three men lingered chat- ting over a table in a courtyard graced with potted plants and overhung by a stately jacaran- da, while another sat with two Staffordshire-cross puppies and their mother resting at his feet. Inside, volunteers were wiping down the tables in the bright dining room decorated with original local artworks and religious images. Guests, volunteers and staff alike loved its transfor- mation from stark and func- tional to something more like a comfortable trendy cafe. Canice’s open for service ElizabethBay service closedby virus is up and running again Canice’s Kitchen community manager Carrie Deane. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK Aesthetic changes are just one part of the revamp, with an early morning pro- gram launched to offer much-needed support to lo- cal disadvantaged and social- ly isolated people. Prior to the shutdown, the doors opened each day from 8am offering hot beverages and pastries, newspapers and renovated bathroom facilities where toiletries and towels were also provided. “Start your day with Cani’s is the name of our new cam- paign which is about giving some of our most vulnera- ble people the dignity they deserve,” said manager Car- rie Deane, Canice’s Kitchen community manager. “They don’t have a chance like we all do to roll out of a nice comfy bed, grab a cup of coffee and have a shower and something to eat before going outside. Here they could go to the toilet and have a shower, if you’re a woman you could change a tampon, things like that which are so necessary but difficult if you are living on the streets. “It’s a clean, safe space and our two caretakers are a point of contact for any emergency support such as the police or a counsellor. “We aim to provide a level of early morning support that currently in our area doesn’t exist.” A strict usage policy and some rearranging and bright- ening of the spaces attracted more women to use the facili- ties than in the past. “Our tagline is ‘the kitchen is the heart of the home and we are the heart of the com- munity’,” said Ms Deane. The daily lunchtime ser- vice has been upgraded. Teams of volunteers from across the city dish up their favourite recipes with staples such as fresh meats and fish provided by Canice’s. Ms Deane said the service needs to raise $50,000 to keep daily meal offerings going, as well as access to toiletries and sanitary items, plus to meet the increased cleaning costs necessary to re-open the shower and toilet blocks. It has opened an online fundraiser here: https:// canices-kitchen-emergen- cy-fund.raisely.com/ ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues ‘Start your day with Cani’s’ is the name of our new cam- paign which is about giving some of our most vulnerable people the dignity they deserve ...” Carrie Deane Volunteer Adrian Simmons cleans the dining room. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK NEWS