Every weekday, the people who run catering and events for that big building on Capital Hill with the giant flag of Australia above it prepare 125 additional nutritionally-balanced meals especially for in-need people in the Ainslie community.
It's been that way since early in the coronavirus pandemic thanks to a collaboration that emerged between the Vinnies Blue Door drop-in centre and the staff of the Department of Parliamentary Services in the wake of challenges in supply chains for nutritional food staples for the volunteer service.
The staff in parliament have now produced more than 45,000 meals for the drop-in centre, as much a vital service as it is a connection between the origins of Capital Hill as a meeting place and the community who live around it.
Many of the dedicated and long-standing food provision partners for Vinnies faced a major issue with food security in March 2020 as people began stockpiling staples like flour, rice, pasta, meats and other proteins.
Barnie van Wyk, the chief executive of St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra-Goulburn, explained it became difficult for the local business partners to keep themselves supplied amid the ongoing uncertainty, let alone supply food to Vinnies.
He also needed to think about the safety of volunteers, which resulted in a reduction of the amount of food they were able to prepare at the Blue Door kitchen that sees around 2000 drop-ins per month.
What started as a short-term measure of support has become a welcome and vital collaboration to support Canberrans in need, Mr van Wyk said. "We are so grateful to the team at Parliament House led by David Learmonth for reaching out to provide a lifeline for the many vulnerable Canberrans that depend on our service," he said.
While COVID-19 social distancing and movement restrictions have been a challenge for all Canberrans, the restrictions have hit individuals experiencing financial distress and social exclusion particularly hard.
Providing simple, home-style meals in a five-day pre-planned menu with a variety of starch and proteins can give the people eating them a sense they're being catered to and taken care of, parliament's executive chef Mr Learmonth said.
"Through this pandemic and this arduous time, obviously we all reflect on how difficult our own circumstances are, but we kind of forget about those vulnerable people amongst us in Canberra," he said.
"We feel grateful and fortunate for the fact that we can provide this for the people that are really in need."
Volunteer workers at the Blue Door reheat and serve the meals for people in the Ainslie social housing community and others who visit the drop-in centre for other needs, including haircuts, hygiene supplies and advice.
The meals are more than just a vital source of balanced nutrition, Vinnies' Mr van Wyk said.
"They also provide the opportunity for social inclusion and connectedness which are critical components of well-being," he said.
"The Blue Door is open to anyone in need."
