Social Action — Stella Matheson

Social Action: Food Circle

About Food Circle

Food Circle is a community-driven food relief program that runs out of the Glebe Youth Service hall every week, providing free groceries for anyone in need.

The program supports an average of 85 local families each week, primarily from the Glebe Estate, and delivers food boxes to at least 35 households unable to attend in person.

Volunteers sort crates of produce donated by food rescue organisations and local vendors, lay everything out by category and help people collect their groceries: no referral, no paperwork, no questions asked.

But Food Circle is more than just food relief. With morning tea for visitors, it also acts as a social space that brings the community together and connects families and young people with other GYS support services. On the first Thursday of each month, residents can also drop in for free, confidential advice and support from external agencies.

The program offers a simple, clear supply chain process for an impactful result: more support, less food wasted, and one less thing for people already struggling to think about each week.

Social Action: What I Learned

Discovery 1: Why community leadership matters

One of the things that surprised me most was learning that over 70% of the young people and families supported by Glebe Youth Service identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Researching this led me to understand more about the lasting effects of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, economic disadvantage and systemic racism, and how these continue to affect First Nations communities today.

What I found particularly interesting was GYS’s decision to transition into an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation (ACCO). Instead of just providing services to the community, they’re working towards putting Aboriginal people in charge of the decisions, programs and support that directly affect them.

It made me realise how important it is for a community to have a say in its own future.

Social Action: What I Learned

Discovery 2: More than just a place to hang out

In 2024–25, GYS’s After Dark program recorded 3,363 attendances. Every Friday and Saturday night, the centre opens its doors to provide hot meals, basketball, art, cultural activities and a safe place for young people to spend time together.

But what I found really interesting was that the program is about much more than just keeping young people entertained. By creating a space where they feel welcome, they can build friendships, connect with trusted youth workers and get help with things like mental health, housing, education or problems at home.

A UTS evaluation found that After Dark helped young people feel safer, more confident and more connected to their community. It also documented examples of young people whose involvement helped them work towards long-term education and employment goals.

I hadn’t realised how much something as simple as having a safe place to go on a Friday night could mean.

Social Action: What I Learned

Discovery 3: Meeting young people where they are

Something else I discovered was how important it is to reach young people who might not feel comfortable asking for help.

Through their previous Street-Walk outreach initiative, GYS youth workers went directly into the streets, parks and local hangouts to connect with vulnerable young people on their own turf, rather than waiting for them to come into a youth centre.

The idea was to build trust through safe, non-judgemental relationships, offering practical advice, emotional support and referrals to services like healthcare, food relief and crisis accommodation when needed.

What stood out to me was the idea that helping someone doesn’t always start with them asking for help. Sometimes it starts with someone taking the time to build a relationship, so that when they do need help or are ready to receive it, they know where to turn.

Social Action

Reflection

Why I Chose Food Circle

I chose the Food Circle program at Glebe Youth Service as my social action project because everyone else in my class was volunteering there as well and it just seemed perfect. In all honesty, I was mainly interested in completing the social action requirement for Big Picture and not genuinely interested in volunteering. I didn’t approach my work there as an ongoing responsibility. I saw it as something I needed to accomplish for a tick. In all aspects of my life, I hold very high expectations of myself, but at Food Circle those seemed to disappear, and I am disappointed in myself for this. I wasn’t committed to the cause and I know if I were to do it again I would either research and understand the cause better or I would find a different organisation to commit to.

What I Genuinely Learned

From my short time at Food Circle, I was exposed to the severity of food insecurity firsthand. Through this I learned that single-parent households are the most affected by the food crisis because of skyrocketing housing and rental costs, high utility bills and low-income or casual employment arrangements. This program provides these households with support by distributing fresh, nutritious food and connecting them with essential social and government support. I was surprised to find that First Nations people experience food insecurity at significantly higher rates than non-Indigenous Australians due to a combination of historical dispossession, economic inequality, geographic isolation and structural gaps. I learned that geographical isolation doesn’t just happen in remote areas; in fact, it often happens not far from us. For example, close to my area in Campbelltown, residents are cut off from essential services, reliable public transport, and healthy food retailers. Neighbourhoods like these are often food deserts, lacking full-service grocery stores and, instead, they are saturated with cheap, unhealthy food options that are heavily marketed to the locals. Looking back at my experience at Food Circle, I can now understand that people who volunteer regularly do it not because they have to, but because giving your time toward someone else’s happiness and wellbeing is a meaningful and joyful thing to do.

The Gap Between My Intentions and My Actions

This experience taught me that there is a great difference between understanding the importance of something and actually acting on it. Understanding the importance of something is step one. It is surface level. It is recognising an issue, the least you can do. Becoming motivated into action is step two. It demonstrates that you actually care and it’s not because you want to look good, but because you feel in your heart for that someone struggling harder than you and you really care. If I’m completely truthful, I must admit that I barely did step one and only a half-hearted step two. I didn’t prioritise returning more regularly because I was thinking more about myself, my discomfort and my work for Year 12 than I was thinking about the organisation, even though I knew they depended on volunteers. My limited commitment bothers me now because I want to be better than that; I know that I can hold myself higher, and, most importantly, I know that Food Circle and the people who go there deserve my support and I should have been capable of giving it. My failed experience with The Food Circle program has been an eye-opener for me. I know that in future I need to push through my own discomfort and stubbornness or find a new solution when I encounter responsibilities that don’t immediately engage me. I now know that leaving these responsibilities on the back burner simply isn’t an option. Going forward, I am determined to prioritise my commitments, no matter how big or small they might seem at that moment. Consequently, I have already signed up to volunteer with the Youth ChangeMakers after I graduate from high school, and am ready to give up my time to make a difference for someone else.