THE cost of living may be climbing, but plenty of organisations in Tamworth are prepared to ladle out some support.
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A soup kitchen coming to Tamworth this winter will give away free meals, with a point of difference.
Luke Macdonald and the staff at the Billabong Clubhouse are qualified mental health support workers.
"Not only are we offering a free meal, but we're also offering our mental health support," he said.
"We're really excited about what difference we can make.
"We definitely have a process in place that if someone needs mental health support, we can offer that to them as well."
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For the last 12 months, clubhouse staff have been thinking of ways to help the community.
They received a $100,000 grant for the soup kitchen, and for a cook to be on site between 10 and 2 from Monday to Friday to help with meal delivery.
The clubhouse offers a daily $5 meal at midday, Monday to Thursday, 10:30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and has never provided free meals before.
Giving the community a nutritious, warm meal every Wednesday between 4pm and 6pm from June 7 to August 30 should help those struggling with climbing prices.
"We see it all the time in newspapers and on television that the cost of living is getting out of control," Mr Macdonald said.
"This is part of our way of also reconnecting with our community as well, to establish Billabong as a mental health program in Tamworth."
Encouraging eat-in only will allow staff to build connections with the community and the clubhouse can strengthen its relationship to Tamworth.
Launched in Tamworth in 2021, and about to be trialled in Kootingal, is Anglicare's mobile community pantry.
While people can turn up and fill a bag to the brim with basic necessities for $15, the aim is to build relationships, Anglicare New England North West regional manager Claire Dunlop said.
People begin to tell their stories as relationships build, and it allows Anglicare to find out what help they may need and refer them.
"Because as we know, in our community, people are becoming quite isolated," she said.
"You're actually helping change whole systems, and empowering people to change their lives, rather than just meeting a need then and there."
The van travels to St Paul's Church, West Tamworth every second Tuesday for an hour from 10:30am; Oxley Vale Public School for an hour every second Thursday from 3:30pm; and Coledale Frontyard Church every second Thursday for an hour from 10:30am.
Free hot meals are provided every Wednesday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm at HOPe (Heart of Peace) kitchen at Mary Help of Christians Church Hall in South Tamworth.
The Cornerstone Community Kitchen provides free dinners every Tuesday at 5pm from the Coledale Community Centre.
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