“When you lose everything, you crave for something that you can't get,” says Johnny. “Here, if you've walked in and you've had a hard time, you've been craving for something, say, some mashed potato, we’ll make some mashed potato, just to keep you happy.”
‘Here’ is , a health and support service in inner-city Melbourne that helps people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. And at the project’s Life Skills cooking classes, where Johnny* is a regular, comfort food is often on the menu. The free classes, launched in 2016 and now held four days a week, aim to help the homeless take control of their food and improve their health too.
Dependency on food vouchers, soup vans and food scraps takes a big toll on health, says Melanie Raymond, chair of the Board of Directors of , a charity that provides frontline support to people facing homelessness through services such as the Living Room. Based in inner-city Melbourne, the Living Room offers medical services, counselling, food and more.
Johnny, who once spent a brief period living on the streets, is one of the stars of the Living Skills program. Source: Youth Projects
It's hard for people to imagine what it's like to have everything you eat handed to you and absolutely no say in it whatsoever.
“We know that the majority of people we see will eat two meals a day if they’re lucky and it won't always be good food… The food from food vans, it needs to really be a last resort. It's not meant to be a way of life but people are becoming homeless for longer now. They really need some support around taking control over their diet and being able to exercise some preference in what they eat.” Raymond says. “I think it's hard for people to imagine what it's like to have everything you eat handed to you and absolutely no say in it whatsoever.”
“When you are couch surfing or living in a hostel or on the streets, you lose control over your diet,” Raymond says. People who are, or have been, homeless also suffer much than the rest of the community, she says, in part due to their diets.
So the Living Room helps by showing people how to eat better on limited budgets. That might be as simple as boosting a cup of two-minute noodles.
“A lot of people are living on those sorts of cup noodles. They're very popular. They're highly transportable. [So we] show people how you can finely chop some veggies and add them into a bowl of two-minute noodles and make them better than they are.
“You learn about nutrition, you learn how to cook, you learn how to clean, you learn household budgeting,” she explains.
We've got one man who's from India, and he's vegan, and he's homeless. And we're very careful around making sure there are foods that he can eat.
Johnny*, who once spent a brief period living on the streets, is one of the stars of the Living Skills program. The Living Room, he says, have been a huge help to him. “They're really good people.” Now he helps others learn how to cook. “You don't know one day to the next who's going to walk into the kitchen … we’ve got people from all over the world … you've got a walk-in who says ‘I'm a vegan". I'd never heard of a vegan. Then another chick comes in and she’s gluten-free…” Anyone is welcome, he says, and “the ones who can cook help the others.”
The two-to-three hour classes, led by qualified nutritionists, often with therapists and other staff joining in, operate from Wednesday to Saturday; the cooked food is often shared with other clients at the Living Room. On Saturdays, the food might help fuel a social movie night.
“Part of the cooking program is just for fun and clients get to nominate what they want to cook. One week, it was crumbed lamb chops. Another week, it might be nachos,” Raymond says.
"If you've walked in and you've had a hard time, you've been craving for something, say, some mashed potato, we’ll make some mashed potato." Source: Youth Projects
“There is the possibility for clients to be able to say, ‘This is the food I really miss. I remember a time when we would eat this’ or ‘I remember cooking this for my family’. Food is a great connection into heart and soul – we use food a lot to connect to people.”
A lot of thought goes into the free meals available to those dropping into the Living Room, too.
“Our clients come from all sorts of backgrounds. We've got one man who's from India, and he's vegan, and he's homeless. And we're very careful around making sure there are foods that he can eat. We also do sort of an all-day breakfast because your timelines are bit out when you haven't slept properly. You decide how you like your toast and what you like on it. People get control back over everyday things.
“Just because you're homeless doesn't mean you don't have those food preferences or needs. So we try and respect those.”
Participants, like Sara, learn how to cook using food - typically donated - in the cooking classes led by a nutritionist. Source: Youth Projects
The centre also helps clients explore new flavours. “For people who are experiencing homelessness, it's really difficult for them to expand their palate because that involves taking risks. When you have got very little money, you can't afford to get it wrong. Most people, if you don't like something, you'll throw it out or get something else. But if that's all the money you have, you tend to stay safe.
She says 'Thanks Johnny, I haven't had a cooked meal for a month!’, poor girl. It made me cry. That's the Living Room.
“And the food vans have a huge job to do in terms of giving out free food, but it does tend to be the same sandwiches and pies … so we're very keen to get people thinking about their nutrition and the other kinds of foods they can eat, particularly when so many of them are quite low-cost.” So the meals in the centre, and the dishes in the cooking classes, will feature things like hummus and lentils that use affordable ingredients and pantry staples.
In the 12 months to June this year, The Living Room provided more than 14,500 episodes of help. For many of them, the centre is also helping them take back control of their food - one of life’s basics. “It's not just about not being hungry; it's about so much more than that,” Raymond says.
One meal at a time, The Living Room is making a difference. “I had a girl who begged me for some chop sui, so I gave her a whole pot full. She was so thankful. She gives me a lovely hug, she says 'Thanks Johnny, I haven't had a cooked meal for a month!’, poor girl. It made me cry. That's the Living Room.”
*For privacy reasons, Johnny's surname has not been used.
SBS's new season of Filthy Rich & Homeless is an honest and compassionate exploration of what it’s like to be homeless in Australia today as it shines a light on a part of our society often overlooked and ignored. Watch the trailer below:
Filthy Rich & Homeless airs over three nights – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 August on SBS from 8.30pm. A special live studio program will air directly after episode three.
Join the conversation #FilthyRichHomeless
