By Callum Ludwig
Healesville Cafe My Little Kitchen owners are turning their heartbreak into action for the regions who’ve been destroyed by floods in Queensland and New South Wales.
Throughout March, $1 from every coffee sold at the cafe will be donated for flood victims, and a donation tin will also be available in store.
Co-owner Ben Arnold said it’s difficult for businesses to be prepared for extreme weather events, even for the June 2021 storms that left My Little Kitchen without power for a week and down tens of thousands of dollars in stock, let alone what Lismore is experiencing.
“The magnitude of the destruction that has happened to them is up there with Black Saturday,” he said.
“It’s impossible to be prepared for something like that.”
The business plans on working with the Healesville Rotary and Lion’s clubs to try and help organise getting the money to Lismore residents and business owners.
Mr Arnold said the floods will be extremely challenging to recover from, especially after the hospitality industry was hit hard by Covid-19 over the past two years,
“Looking at the destruction that has happened to many of these businesses, they’re probably looking at six months at least before they can reopen,” he said.
“I just don’t know whether many can sustain that and come back out of it.”
Colleagues of My Little Kitchen, Flock Espresso and Eats, were forced to evacuate their home and business in Lismore on Monday 28 February, as rising floodwaters have engulfed whole buildings.
My Little Kitchen is encouraging locals to get down and support the donation drive over the next month.
