St John’s College students have partnered with the Order of Malta to run the Community Care Kitchen in Bondi every second Wednesday of each month. This new initiative reflects the College’s commitment to serving those in need and demonstrating leadership through action.

The meals at this service are generously prepared, cooked and packaged by the College catering provider Chartwells. The food is then transported by the students to the Community Care Kitchen, where each month, a volunteer roster of St John’s students, guided by Order of Malta member Steve Christie and Chaplain Fr Anthony Robbie, serve the guests.

In accordance with the Order of Malta’s core tenet of “Caring in Tough Times,” the students prepare, serve and clear food to around 40 people in the Bondi area who attend the Community Care Kitchen. Beyond nourishment, volunteers also offer care, conversation, and compassion to those individuals facing hardship in their lives.

Although Bondi is often perceived as an affluent area of Sydney, many individuals living in the area face significant hardship, having fallen through unseen by the system.

The Order of Malta Community Care Kitchen, which operates out of St Patrick’s Catholic Church on Wellington Street every Wednesday between 6.30 – 7.30pm, offers a free, warm nourishing meal to those in need.

Grateful members of the community are often surprised by the quality of the food served and the warm hospitality they receive from the volunteers who run the service.