Our 1st Anniversary for Wednesday Night Lights. Kicking off last winter, we’ve lit a little fire that has kept the community warm and connected for the last year – and all of us at Addi Road equally inspired.
Every week all kinds of people come to take advantage of the wraparound services, free hot meals (and desserts), and good company. Some are battling, others just passing through and enjoying the social vibe before, or after, they take advantage of shopping at our low-cost grocery store, Addi Road Food Pantry Marrickville.
Outside the pantry doors, long tables are set with flowers. People sit down to eat, enjoying one another’s company, card games, talk, bad jokes, one another’s wisdoms and life stories too.
Our partners in Wednesday Night Lights add to the good vibrations. Free medical help from Street Side Medics. Free haircuts and stylin’ up from the Feel Good Project. Clothes washed and dried for free by Orange Sky Australia. Free advice too from our buddies who join us from Marrickville Legal Centre. Advice and help from 4 VoicesVoices for women in need of support for anything from dealing with domestic violence to coping with loneliness or seeking a new job. Free toys and books from Joy Of Giving. With cool clothes donated by Reunion Store Newtown, hanging on a rack for people to pick from as they please.
Over in Hut 8 we also encourage people to take part in a Healing Circle if they feel so inclined… a mix of conversation and therapeutic guidance for anyone who might need to express how they are feeling.
It’s a beautiful night in every way. And for our 1st birthday, perfect weather before the threat of a week’s rain. Addi Road’s Wednesday Night Lights birthday cake is brought out as a bonus, plenty of pastries and purple donuts included from Bob & Pete’s 100% Yum!
Our volunteers in the kitchen have been working hard to prepare the vegetarian pasta and even more sponge cake so everyone has ‘a good go’ at dessert. Volunteers included as there is plenty for all.
It’s an un-rushed and fulfilling way to take advantage of the services as well as enjoy the free hot meals and friendship on offer. A lot of people, from our own Addi Road staff and volunteers (inside and outside the Food Pantry), through to the doctors, nurses, hairdressers, cooks and mobile laundromat crew, have made bonds with one another as the nights have grown in popularity.
It’s the same for all the people who visit us: be they homeless or battling rental stress and cost of living pressures, refugees or students or locals, anyone who feels the need or desire to be here.
We even run a pick-up service from our sister store, the Addi Road Food Pantry over in Camperdown. A small bus we provide picks up people from Mission Australia’s Common Ground housing – and brings them here to Marrickville for each Wednesday Night Lights.
Addi Road’s driver Martin says they like to take the long way home afterwards, cruising up King Street Newtown, enjoying the bright lights out the window, blasting music from acts like ZZ Top and Stevie Wonder, singing their hearts out to whatever song they choose.
Wednesday Night Lights happens 6pm – 8pm every week.
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