Merry Christmas, Melbourne: Alex Makes Meals and Nando’s put on a feast
This summer, Alex Makes Meals and Nando’s brought Christmas cheer and signature grilled chicken to some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable people, dishing out lunches to those who might otherwise go without.
The four Christmas lunch events, over two days, were hosted in partnership with different organisations supporting the local community: The Youth Project in Melbourne CBD’s famous Hosier Lane; St Mary’s House of Welcome in Fitzroy; Box Hill Bakehouse; and The Salvation Army in Dandenong.
Each event served about 150 people. Cold drinks flowed. Halls and laneways were alive with chatter and Christmas tunes. Plates were full of chicken, rice, garlic bread and salad; and feasts were topped off with delicious Nando’s Portuguese tarts.
[Caption: Feeling festive in the shade on Melbourne’s Hosier Lane.]
Alex Makes Meals exists to ease food insecurity and hunger in Melbourne.
But a sit-down Christmas lunch brings connection, conversation and care — things many of us tend to take for granted. It also fosters joy, community, and just the right amount of chaos, bringing closeness at a time that can feel especially isolating.
At the last census in 2021, more than 30,000 Victorians said they were experiencing homelessness. In the City of Melbourne, 47% of people reported food insecurity in 2025, and 20% said they had run out of food.
These are growing challenges, interconnected with other social issues such as loneliness, disability and health challenges, domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse.
Alex Makes Meals works with partner organisations to distribute food to the people who need it the most, often alongside other crucial services.
[Caption: Christmas lunch and connection at (where is this?).]
In 2025, our chef, volunteers and partners cooked, packaged and distributed about 3,500 meals per week, using fresh and seasonal produce. In 2026, we’re expanding.
Every dollar donated equals one meal distributed. And every meal is nourishing and nutritious, supporting a balanced and healthy diet; food relief with dignity and respect.
When healthy meals are dished up around a table, with a sprinkling of Christmas spirit on top, they become a catalyst for true social connection and support.
As cheesy and cliched as it may be, Christmas is about connection, generosity and showing that we care. Gathering around a table and sharing a meal might just be the greatest way to do it.
Merry Christmas to all, and ~cheers~ from all of us at Alex Makes Meals.
Help us eliminate hunger in Melbourne:
Enquire about volunteering opportunities here.
Learn about corporate partnership opportunities here.
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