Sharing Food and Stories community lunch

The Sharing Food and Stories community lunch is an initiative designed to connect local residents with refugees and promote cultural understanding. Organized jointly by New Peninsula Community Caring and AMES Australia, this event, now in its fourth iteration, takes place on September 12, 2026, at the New Peninsula Baptist Church in Rosebud, Mornington Peninsula.

Attendees will have the opportunity to share a meal prepared by local chefs while listening to personal stories from refugees. Featured speakers include Travis, a refugee from Myanmar known for helping victims of human trafficking, and Olivia Toma, who fled Iraq at 16. The event seeks to break down barriers, challenge preconceptions, and highlight the Mornington Peninsula as a welcoming place for education, employment, and settlement.

Andrew Taylor, General Manager of New Peninsula Community Caring, emphasizes the goal of providing a place of acceptance and belonging, believing that diversity enriches the community. Proceeds from the lunch will support refugees and disadvantaged families in the local area.