On Saturday 16 December, Order of Malta members and volunteers in the Northern Territory conducted a food distribution to the homeless. This was the regions last distribution before Christmas.

The project, designed to deliver a nutritious meal to homeless people living rough, involves the preparation of food parcels consisting of a piece of roast chicken, salad, fruit, buttered bread, a sweet and a bottle of water.

Hygiene packs containing soap, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste is also included as part of the distribution.

Our December service took our teams to three areas in Darwin: Darwin City, Nightcliff and Palmerston. The project is deliberately designed to be an outreach service where our members and volunteers seek out the homeless where they are living in city parks, under awnings and in bush areas. By seeking out the homeless our distribution teams often stop to ask them where they are from and what brings them there. Their life journeys deeply touch their hearts and as they serve, listen and learn about lives defined by courage, resilience, fraternity, simplicity and faith.

The distribution teams find a wide variety of people including people who are visiting Darwin and have nowhere to stay, people escaping violent situations in their communities, people with substance abuse issues (including alcohol) and people who have been excluded from their communities and cannot return. The recipients are a diverse mix – people of all ages, both female and male, including family groups with young children, young adults and people in the later stages of life. Amongst them are also people with health issues and our volunteers have administered first aid as well as called for medical assistance as required.

The 16 December service delivered over 90 meals to homeless people and we had the assistance of eight volunteers as well as several members of the Order of Malta in Darwin.

We would like to recognise and thank the volunteers who assisted the members of the Order with the meal preparation and distribution. Without their assistance the service would be restricted.

Our next service is scheduled for the beginning of January.

Please consider a tax deductible donation to support this work.