Amaroo says: “Pull up a chair, have a feed and a chat”

It’s long been known that when starting a discussion, breaking new ground or making new friends, doing it over a meal can make the experience a whole lot more enjoyable.

And one thriving neighbourhood centre in the west of the City of Monash has taken that notion and run – or rather cooked - with it.

The Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre first opened as an op-shop/fix-it centre in 1980, looking to meet the need in the West Ward of the former City of Waverley for a local organisation that provided a range of goods and services neighbourhood residents could afford.

For more than 40 years, the centre has continued to provide assistance to those in need.

Nestled unremarkably in a quiet suburban street in Chadstone, Amaroo is not unlike the nine other neighbourhood houses in Monash. It runs a variety of courses; offers advice and support for locals; features multi-purpose rooms for the use of community groups; and its walls are adorned with the customary artwork, posters, community notices and information flyers.

It does, however, boast the best looking opp shop I’ve ever seen.

Rows of donated goods – clothes, books, crockery, glasses, even golf clubs – are shelved immaculately, with wayfinding signage directing potential purchasers to the treasure trove within.

Cheery volunteers avoid a scorching afternoon outdoors, scurrying about tidying, cleaning, and showing great pride in this neighbourhood gem.

Janine, the Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre manager, said they have the goal of making the centre the heart of community life - drawing more and more locals through the front door and involving them in activities or in something as simple as having a chat.

“I’ve seen people sitting on the bench outside, under the mulberry tree, and I thought ‘I want more of that’. It’s those moments of real community,” she said.

“And people have started dropping things off from their gardens now. I think we got 50kg of quinces from the community last year. We’ve been making quince jam and quince paste ever since.”

But, perhaps, the highlight of all that the Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre has to offer is its Chat and Feast program.

Held on the last Monday of every month, community luncheons offer diners an outstanding three-course meal for a gold coin donation. Prepared by a talented team of volunteers, the lunches are a great way for the neighbourhood to get to know what this marvellous community hub has to offer.

Not only is this the perfect way to introduce the community to what’s going on at the centre, it provides a nutritious and affordable meal for those most in need of it.

Many in the neighbourhood - members of the CALD community, the elderly, those doing it tough in the current economic hard times - are at risk of becoming isolated. The luncheons open the front door and throw out a lifeline.

“If we can get them to a community lunch, that takes the budget pressure off them for at least one meal and starts to involve them in the community,” Janine said. “We build a bit of a rapport, and they might come back when they really do need help.

“When we started, we were aiming at 30, then we were aiming at 40 and now it’s going gangbusters. We had 65 for our Christmas Dinner.

“We have about half a dozen volunteers, but we certainly wouldn’t turn anyone away. Our volunteers are all pretty exhausted by 12 noon (on luncheon day).”

Themed luncheons, often with guest speakers, also open conversations about important social issues - once again, a task made easier when participants are sharing a meal.

Recent lunch themes have included: International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, Neighbourhood Watch and Safety Month, NAIDOC Week, Lunar New Year and a Christmas Dinner.

“It’s a conversation starter, an ice breaker, a beautiful exchange of why we are so diverse,” Janine said.

Guided by the Monash Health and Wellbeing Plan, the luncheon’s main objective is to provide an affordable and nutritious, quality meal for participants. Planning for each month’s menu begins with this principle as its starting point.

“It needs to be seasonal,” Janine says, gently tapping the index finger of her left hand with the index finger of her right.

“It needs to be what’s fresh in the garden at that time,” she continues, tapping her middle finger.

“And it must have 13 fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs,” she completes the checklist with a touch of her ring finger.

Iwona, project lead for the Chat and Feast program, laughs.

“And if it doesn’t,” she said. “The boss will throw it out and tell you to start the menu again.”

As well as plating-up an affordable and nutritious menu, Iwona said the community luncheon provided the Amaroo team with the challenge of working with new flavours and ingredients.

“We want to expand the traditional taste buds of Australians, which can be a bit conservative,” she said. “Our Christmas Dinner was very traditional, but other menus we look for challenges.

“What’s in the community garden is the starting point. Being a gold coin donation means there’s limited funds and a limit to what can be served. But there’s always a big emphasis on value.

“We always have nice tablecloths, plates, and glasses. We don’t just want to be serving two-minute noodles.”

In November last year, a luncheon to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, featured a menu that included an entrée of creamy cauliflower soup with parsley, followed by main meal choices of balsamic, tomato and fetta pasta; burger wraps; and watermelon salad with Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre greens. Dessert was Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre mulberry and hazelnut brownies with vanilla ice cream.

A couple of months later, Amaroo celebrated the Year of the Dragon with a Lunar New Year luncheon in January. The meal started with an entrée of vegetable spring rolls with Nuoc Mam dipping sauce. Main meals followed - vegetable stir-fry noodles, honey soy chicken drumsticks, Amaroo  and Asian greens salad – before a dessert of coconut mango sago with lychees wound up the very tasty proceedings.

Influenced by the popular “from the garden to the plate” culinary trend, and in line with Council goals of developing a more sustainable Monash, the Amaroo team is attempting to grace its monthly menu with as much produce grown in its own gardens as possible.

Planter boxes border the carpark at the rear of the building, and their lush, green rows of herbs - parsley, oregano, thyme and sage – ensure the luncheon menus will have bountiful flavour without the cost of supermarket-bought bunches of herbs.

The nearby mulberry tree shades visitors to the centre and supplies fruit for various menu items.

Traditional suburban garden beds at the front of the building support standard salad vegetables including tomatoes and baby rocket, while productive grapevines wind their way along a lengthy stretch of wire fence that divides the garden area and an outdoor picnic space.

But the highlight of this space is the increasing number of indigenous plants taking pride of place in the garden. Native finger limes, a strong citrus flavour with fascinating colourful  caviar-like pulp; native river mint, a powerful burst of flavour stronger than the strongest of peppermints; and warrigal greens, spinach-like greenery that’s perfect for steamed vegetables or stir-fries.

“Not only are they better suited to our conditions,” Janine said, “But it allows us to experiment with a whole new range of flavours.”

Book a lunch spot or find out more about this neighbourhood gem. Bookings for the Chat and Feast luncheons are essential (call 9807 2625).

Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre

Address:  34 Amaroo Street, Chadstone 3148

Phone: 9807 0570 or 9807 2625

Email: Coordinator@amaroonc.org.au

Website: www.amaroonc.org.au

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm