Members, volunteers and employees recently celebrated 50 years since the Bishop Fox Meal Centre began supporting the Broken Hill community, along with unveiling Conference space refurbishments, enabled through funding from the Australian Government.  

Guests of honour and speakers included Paul Burton, NSW President, Yolanda Saiz, CEO and Jim Rogers, Wilcannia Forbes Central Council President. Brett Macklin, Director – Homelessness and Housing, Kelly Morgan, Regional Director – West Region, Tom Kennedy, Mayor of Broken Hill and Fr Vincent Kamba were present to mark the important occasion.  

Fr Vincent Kamba blessed and officially opened this refurbished space while celebrating 50 years of the Bishop Fox Meal Centre. The Meal Centre was formed in 1972 when a group of Society Members, including Pat Leonard, were speaking together and noticed some men taking food scraps out of a rubbish bin. They all agreed that something must be done to assist these people. Pat reached out to State Council who gave the Central Council of Broken Hill a cheque for $1,500 to get it off the ground. A committee formed and the Meal centre began its much-needed operations. 

Today, the meal centre is run by Daina Cherry and a team of dedicated volunteers, who continue to provide an invaluable hot meal service to members of the Broken Hill community, five days a week. Over the past year, around 5,400 meals were served at the centre. 

In 2019, planning commenced to upgrade the service, including allowing Conference Members to relocate to larger rooms, from the Vinnies retail space, into the adjoining Meal Centre building. Construction began in 2021 and completed in late 2022.  

Conference Members greatly appreciate the refurbished premises from which to work. Our Conference Members respond to enormous need in the community, with requests to the Broken Hill Conferences growing by 44% over the past year with more than 500 people supported with food, clothing, household bills, accommodation and other expenses.