Australia – Food Outreach

Please Note: This program is temporarily unavailable. Check out our alternative programs in Australia or schedule a one-on-one call with one of our expert volunteer advisors.

 

Join a community aid program in one of Australia’s most well-known cities. This program works with food banks and local organizations who aim to support and encourage vulnerable populations by offering them warm and nutritious meals through an outreach project.

Program Highlights:

  • Experience the less affluent side of Australia, that is often overlooked
  • Provide people in need with a nutritional meal that you prepared
  • Help combat food insecurity in a local community
  • Visit a Wildlife Park during your first week to learn about Australia’s unique wildlife
  • Live close to Sydney with the opportunity to explore it on the weekends

 

Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum One-Week Commitment):

Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD). From there you will be met by the local team. Settle in to your accommodations in Beecroft (just 20 minutes outside of Sydney) and greet fellow volunteers.

Day 1, Monday: You will begin with an orientation to the project and an overview of what to expect in the week ahead. Once you have been briefed, you will dive straight into your volunteer work by preparing delicious and nutritious meals for the homeless. In the evening you will meet other volunteers at the project site in Sydney, and offer the meal that you have prepared to those that await you.

Day 2, Tuesday: Before beginning your volunteer shift, you will visit a Wildlife Park where you will meet some of Australia’s most famous wildlife ambassadors, including koalas, kangaroos and emus.

Days 3-4, Wednesday & Thursday: Join efforts a local community group which cooks and serves food for the homeless. Learn about the impact that their contribution is making on the community as well as hear about their personal stories and connection to the project.

Day 5, Friday: Visit food banks to stock up on ingredients for the following week. After lunch you will have time to explore the City of Sydney.

Days 6-7,Saturday & Sunday: Free time to rest, explore Sydney or take a weekend trip away to its surrounds.

Remaining Weeks: The following weeks will follow the pattern of volunteer work Monday-Friday and free weekends. Departure is on a Saturday.

 

Location icon Location of the Project: Sydney, Australia

Project length Project length: Min 1 week – Max 4 weeks

Arrival Airport Arrival Airport: Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD)

Volunteer Work Volunteer Work:  Meal preparation and distribution

Age Age:  18-65. Participants aged 16 and 17 may apply with parental consent and participants above 65 may apply with medical clearance.

Number of Volunteers Number of Volunteers: Up to 20 international volunteers

 

What’s Included

Accommodations Accommodations: Shared, dormitory-style accommodation

Food Food: Three meals a day during the week (If volunteers stay on-site on the weekends, self-service food is provided.)

Airport Transfers Airport Transfers:  Airport pickup is provided upon arrival

Orientation Orientation: All necessary training and introductions are provided upon arrival.

Support Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

 

What’s not Included

Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, airport drop-off on departure day, personal expenses.

This community aid program takes place in Sydney, one of Australia’s larges and most well-known cities. This harbourside city is most commonly recognized by its architecture, by both the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This city offers beautiful beaches as well as a lively nightlife.

 

Become an instrumental part of people’s lives as you serve nutritious meals to those that are otherwise unable to access them. By volunteering in the food outreach project, you will impact the many people of Sydney that have either been living on the streets for many years, or may just be down on their luck and in need of a warm meal. Learn to work in a team and well as interact with a variety of members of society, cultivating kindness and compassion. This is your chance to give back to the community in Australia!

Some of your tasks may include:

  • Preparing meals
  • Serving hot beverages as well as meals to the homeless
  • Engaging with different communities in Sydney
  • Retrieving ingredients from food banks
  • Processing donations made to the project

Internet icon Internet: Free WiFi is available at the volunteer house.

Laundry icon Laundry: Laundry facilities are available at the volunteer house.

Accommodations icon Accommodations: You will stay in shared, single-gender, dorm-style accommodation, in a residential neighborhood in the Sydney suburbs.

Food icon Food: Food will be provided for volunteers to prepare their own breakfast and dinner. A packed lunch will be provided on weekdays. During weekends, all meals are self-service from the pantry and fridge stocks.

 

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

  • Participants below 18 should have parental consent and participants above 65 should have medical clearance to take part in this program.
  • Basic level of English
  • Interest in working with vulnerable communities
  • Police clearance

Your program will take place from Monday to Friday and weekends will be free for you to explore the city on your own. The places of interest and activities which you can visit during your free time include heritage sites, beaches, city centers, museums, walking tours and many more. Some of the interesting sites are as follows:

Hyde Park
This one’s for the nature lover! Take a stroll through Sydney’s oldest public park and admire the mixture of fig, palm and other types of trees that line the beautiful gardens.

Sydney Opera House
Take a visit to one of Australia’s most iconic places! Whether you just want to enjoy the architecture or actually want to see one of the theater’s forty shows per week, this landmark is a promising tourist destination.

Bondi Beach
Soak up the sun at one of Australia’s most popular beach destinations! This beach is a hot spot for any volunteers who are looking to relax in the sand or surf the waves in their free time.

Volunteer Experiences

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