Need A Feed cooks with kindness to launch new food truck at Berkeley

Tuesday's launch of Need A Feed’s new food truck at Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre brought together an essential supply chain of supporters, from the grocery store owner who donates food, to the Lord Mayor who supports the cause, to the volunteers who cook, chat and serve delicious home-made meals.

“It's a huge moment for Need a Feed,” said charity founder Shaz Harrison, expressing her gratitude to all those who helped fundraise and finance ‘Shellie’ the food truck.

“We've been dreaming about this day and working towards this day for nearly a year now … We applied for funding, we pushed ourselves, and we even held a swim challenge [to raise money for Shellie].”

“Our volunteers are just amazing. They're the ones who make the food. They cook the beautiful veggie curry, they lift the boxes … and they love people when they need it most. A massive thank you to Bill and Dave from Figtree Lions.”

Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown opened the event, congratulating Shaz, her partner KP and all the Need a Feed volunteers. "I know that there's going to be lots of breakfast and lunches being served to people who need it the most,” she said.

Shaz launched her charity 14 years ago at Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre with the help of centre manager Maria Di Carlo. 

“Today is a full circle moment,” Shaz said, “because we're back here at the centre and so, Maria, thank you … for believing, for opening the doors and now for welcoming us back and allowing this space to become our new headquarters. It means so much.”

Berkeley is one of the southern suburbs on Lake Illawarra where Wollongong’s north-south wealth divide is most evident. Here, the 2021 census recorded the median weekly household income as $1217 – less than half that of Helensburgh, Wollongong’s northernmost suburb, where it was $2490.

Maria told the Illawarra Flame that her centre is helping many people in need of the basics, like milk.

“With the cost of living, it's so expensive – people are living cheque by cheque. At the moment, by the time they pay rent and everything, there is not much left,” Maria said.

Donations – particularly of long-life milk – are always welcome.

Maria has advocated for vulnerable people for decades and in 2024 was named Wollongong Electorate's Local Woman of the Year. She praised Shaz and her team for providing coffee, conversation and connection for the homeless, as well as food parcels for the centre throughout the pandemic.

“Need A Feed was always there for us,” she said.

“I would like to also thank the council, because they heard the community voice … so they give us this beautiful centre. 

“Today, we are such a fantastic family, fantastic service, fantastic community.”

About 40 people gathered to enjoy a taste of Need A Feed’s vegetable curry, with all ingredients donated by Omar Matar, owner of family-run independent grocery store Woonona Fruit Basket.

“We started as a very small business as well and we've expanded quite a lot over the last 11 years. You've got to give back to the community,” Omar said. 

“We've been helping Shaz for probably five or six years. Whatever they cook, whatever ingredients they need, they'll reach out to us. She gave me a call yesterday saying, 'We're going to make a big curry. We need potato, celery, cauliflower.' She gave us about 10 or 15 ingredients, and I said, 'No problem. You come in and we have them ready for you.'”

Omar has seen rising demand for Need A Feed’s services. “The community is definitely struggling, and you can see it. You can even see it through customer spending and just the amount of handouts we give to the community … more and more people are asking for help. And that's why Shaz obviously is doing this great thing and Need A Feed has got the food truck – it can help more people.

“I've got a big smile on my face being here today and just seeing the amount of people that are benefiting from this. It’s amazing.”

Lord Mayor Tania Brown is another long-time Need A Feed fan, having supported the charity at community lunches, trivia competitions and by judging last year’s swim challenge, which raised more than $13,000 for the food truck.

“We all know, with the cost-of-living crisis, it's hitting hard for people,” she said. “So it's wonderful that they're there, providing that back-up, actually delivering food to people and giving them a bit of pride and also that community connection, which is so important.”

Wollongong City Council provides funding for many community centres, the Lord Mayor said. “They are so important across our whole local government area, but particularly a community like Berkeley, it's very much a focal point … So I'm very pleased that we've got the tireless Maria Di Carlo here leading the charge, but working with groups like Need A Feed to make sure that the support is getting where it's needed.

“Please get on board if you have the capacity to help.”

With war in the Middle East and the rising cost of fuel set to affect everything from the price of groceries to filling Shellie’s tank, Need A Feed will need more donations to carry out its mission to serve food, love and kindness.

“Shellie will allow us to prepare and provide free meals on site and create connection, reaching people where they are," Shaz said.

“To keep her on the road, to fuel her, stock her and take her further into our community, we need partners who want to stand with us… to be part of something bigger.”

To donate and help keep the Need a Feed food truck going, visit the charity's GoFundMe page.