FOFA stands for Feed One, Feed All and it’s all about helping people in need by addressing food insecurity and providing hot fresh meals.
FOFA came about after the massive storm that ripped through the Dandenong Ranges in June 2021.
Those who experienced it said it was an absolute miracle no-one was killed. There were 76 homes destroyed, another 92 severely damaged, power cut to 6500 homes and thousands of people displaced.
Compassionate Lillie and a couple of friends offered to cook meals for the traumatised community at the storm centre headquarters in Kalorama.
“We had a makeshift kitchen, and the need for hot food started growing and growing so I started connecting with other friends to start an organisation to help more of the community,” Lillie said.
“I’m a trained chef and a teacher and I used to work in Criminal law but that’s all behind me now and I love food, playing with food and sharing food.
“I also specialize in teaching especially with NDIS participants.
“It teaches them life skills and encourages them to try new things.
“Every week we cook and use upcycled goods, fresh ingredients delivered to us by our partner Outer East Foodshare and we create the meals and pack them up in containers.
“We don’t see the clients at all our agencies actually come and collect the meals and deliver them to the clients in need.
“The meals are for people who are sick, elderly people recovering from illness, people with Mental Health issues or victims of domestic violence.
‘’Volunteer for Knox approached us asking if we needed more volunteers. They said they have 30 young people from the Resound Church in Scoresby who would like to contribute to our cause.
“We are now working with the youth program and using the commercial kitchen at the church.
“Resound Youth are a bunch of energetic people and they take over our kitchen.
“They chop, cut, stir-fry and wok, you name it they do it.
“They pack and label everything. The rate they go they are faster than us they are super so energetic they love it as well”
‘’I must say Volunteer for Knox are amazing. They are available anytime we need them.
“They have been fantastic finding us volunteers, especially in the marketing area. We are really grateful for Volunteer for Knox because without them we would still be struggling. ’
“The volunteers are my life line actually. The kitchen is the heart of FOFA and the volunteers are the life line. They are the arteries and capillaries that flow through and without the volunteers FOFA wouldn’t be here today.
“Our volunteers come here number one to pay it forward and to give back what they can to the community but also it’s about the social connection.
“They get a lot of joy just being part and parcel of the family. We call ourselves the family, the FOFA family.
“We support each other just talking about the general things in life and having fun with food as well.
“If anyone is wanting to change the world take a little step and contact Volunteer for Knox and they will direct you in the right way to doing your little bit.”
