Kathleen Syme Library hosts free Local Lunch Club program

Violet Li

City of Melbourne Libraries have initiated a pop-up Local Lunch Club program, partnering with charitable organisation Open Table and not-for-profit Cultivating Community to deliver four free lunches utilising food that might have otherwise gone to waste.

The first community lunch kickstarted in the Kathleen Syme Library in Carlton on March 25, with the remaining three unfolding throughout the year.

The inaugural lunch event has seen a community lunch with Open Table, a community gardening workshop with Cultivating Community, and a live music performance from Triple J unearthed duo Convenience Store.

Working with local community groups and not-for-profit organisations, the lunch program incorporates community information sharing and skill-building through workshops on nutrition, minimising food waste, sustainability, grocery budgeting, cooking with limited kitchen resources, and pickling vegetables. 

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the program was aimed to boost health literacy and wellbeing.

“The lunches will create an environment where community members can relish in the delight of a delicious meal, while learning how to garden, budget for groceries and make sustainable food choices,” Cr Capp said.

“Programs like these are great examples of how we partner with local not-for-profits to deliver positive and healthy outcomes for our community.”

The Lunch Club followed a $24,000 grant as part of State Library Victoria and Public Libraries Victoria’s Libraries for Health and Wellbeing Innovation Grants program.

For more information, click here. 

Photos by Ajay Viswanath.