JUST in case anybody thinks “Good Tucker Day” at Millgrove is not about healthy eating, organiser Grant Thomas offers a pretty convincing argument.
“What we have here are all the ‘S’ food groups,” he jokes, “soup, sandwiches and sausages.”
River Valley Church and Salvation Army East Care put on the free community lunch twice a month in the heart of Millgrove. But it’s not just about the food.
Mr Thomas, a volunteer with RVC, said one of the biggest hurdles a lot of people faced in the Upper Yarra was isolation.
“Every opportunity to interact, share a meal, is good. If you give people a bit of food and a bit of safe company, they go away with more than just a full stomach.”
Mr Thomas said the lunch, which was run for a number of years at the Tarrango Caravan Park, was even more accessible since it moved into town this year.
“We have a lot of regulars from all along the Warburton Highway who we love to catch up with whenever they can come,” he said.
“But we also have riders and walkers drop in off the bike trail, local tradies and, on occasion, some of the guys from the mill over the road.”
Woori Yallock resident Tony said he went along to catch up with people he had come to know, and encouraged others to give it a try.
“It’s good to keep in touch … and the sausages are pretty good, too,” he said.
Good Tucker Day has all the elements of a win/win. Free, tasty food, fresh air, a friendly atmosphere and, as Mr Thomas points out: “After we’ve all packed up, even the maggies and cockies love it.”
Good Tucker Day is held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 12.30pm at Millgrove Park.
– Kath Gannaway
