FROM ONE MEAL TO MELBOURNE'S FOOD RELIEF MOVEMENT
In March 2020, a university student couldn't visit his immunocompromised family. Instead of sitting idle, Alex Dekker channeled his energy into cooking for his sister and her fellow healthcare workers battling COVID-19 on the frontlines.
One lasagna became ten. Ten became a hundred. Today, that student kitchen has evolved into Melbourne's most innovative food relief organization - delivering 3,000+ chef-prepared meals weekly to people in crisis.
But this isn't just another charity story. This is about how Melbourne came together to create a new model for addressing food insecurity - one that prioritises dignity through quality, not quantity through waste.
FROM CRISIS RESPONSE TO SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
2020 was a year of crisis. But while others saw problems, Alex Dekker saw an opportunity to reimagine how communities address food insecurity.
OUR PURPOSE, PROMISE, AND PRINCIPLES
We believe in transforming food relief through dignity, quality, and community connection.
OUR MISSION
To provide nutritious, chef-prepared meals to Melburnians in crisis while connecting them with essential support services, ensuring no one faces hunger alone.
OUR VISION
A Melbourne where every person facing hardship has access to nutritious meals and the dignity of quality food, powered by community compassion and local action.
OUR VALUES
Compassion, transparency, quality, and a community-first approach.
LEADERSHIP WITH PURPOSE AND EXPERIENCE
Dedicated professionals committed to solving food insecurity in Melbourne.
Alex is an impact-first entrepreneur with a dedication to creating sustainable place-based solutions. Alex has wide reaching networks throughout the social change and charity space and utilises these to create collaborative solutions.
Byron Ko is Chief Executive Officer at Alex Makes Meals. A former funds manager at Hermsley Capital where he worked on portfolios in excess of $1 billion, Byron moved into the social sector after two years volunteering in AMM’s kitchen and was appointed CEO on 14 July 2025.
Jen Shaw is Operations Director & Chef at Alex Makes Meals, specialising in operations leadership and culinary management. Before joining AMM in October 2025, Jen served as Head of Operations at Free to Feed and as Catering Manager at Whittlesea Community Connections, and worked across catering and group chef roles (including Two Good Co).
Heather Meredith is Head Chef at Alex Makes Meals and leads AMM’s recipe design, kitchen operations and food-safety practice. Heather joined the team as Chef Manager in 2022 and has since been responsible for building consistent, high-quality menus, training kitchen teams and improving production systems to meet the needs of diverse partner communities.
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Amanda is an Australian legal practitioner with a focus on commercial, media disputes, property and insolvency matters. Qualifications include Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts (Double Major in Criminology and Media Communications).
Anthony is a Chartered Accountant from an audit and compliance background with extensive experience in assisting new and growing entities with finance, risk and management requirements necessary to succeed.
FIVE YEARS OF GROWING IMPACT
Our mission has grown from a small kitchen to a city-wide movement.
2020
CRISIS RESPONSE
🏠 Started in Alex's home kitchen during COVID
🍲 150 meals/week to frontline healthcare workers
👥 Five volunteer friends
💰 $5,000 community donations
🏆 Local hero award from Moreland Council
2021
FOUNDATION YEAR
🏭 Moved to Darebin Arts Centre kitchen
🍲 500 meals/week to 12 partner charities
👥 20 regular volunteers
💰 $95,000 raised (first foundation grant)
📦 Established weekly delivery schedule
2022
SCALING IMPACT
🍲 1,000 meals/week milestone reached
🤝 25 partner organisations onboarded
🏢 Corporate volunteering program launched
💰 $180,000 annual revenue
🚚 Toyota fleet partnership secured
2023
SYSTEM BUILDING
🍲 2,000 meals/week across Melbourne
🤝 40+ partner charities connected
👥 60+ active volunteers
💰 $320,000 raised (first Feast to Feed gala)
📊 Professional impact measurement launched
2024
RECOGNITION & GROWTH
🍲 3,000+ meals/week sustained
🏆 Alex wins Young Melburnian of the Year
🎯 500,000th meal milestone celebration
💰 $480,000 projected annual revenue
🏭 CBD kitchen planning commenced
🤝 50+ verified partner organisations
2025
EXPANSION VISION
🏭 3 kitchen locations (Preston, CBD, Altona)
🍲 5,000 meals/week target
🤝 75+ partner charities projected
👥 150+ volunteer network
💰 $750,000 revenue goal
🎯 1 million meals cumulative target
What you get
A guided experience
A six-hour kitchen experience, led by a professional chef
Training
Education around food relief and the challenge Alex Makes Meals addresses, plus an crash course in kitchen safety and food hygeine
Experience
Hands-on kitchen experience, from prep to stovetop to packaging
Teambuilding
An opportunity for real team collaboration, with a tangible output
Impact
A team day out with direct impact for the local community; see the meals you've made go out the door
Lunch
A chance to sample the delicious meals you've made together
HOW WE CREATE 3,000 MEALS OF DIGNITY WEEKLY
MONDAY - PROCUREMENT
• Fresh ingredients ordered from local suppliers
• Menu planning based on nutritional balance
• Dietary requirements confirmed with partners
TUESDAY - PREPARATION
• 6:00 AM: Volunteer teams arrive
• Professional kitchen setup
• Ingredients prepped to commercial standards
WEDNESDAY - PRODUCTION DAY
• 8:00 AM: Cooking begins in Preston kitchen
• 80+ volunteers working in shifts
• Quality checks at every stage
• 1,500+ meals prepared by 2:00 PM
THURSDAY - DELIVERY
• Morning: Final packaging and labelling
• Afternoon: Distribution to 50+ partner locations
• Real-time tracking of deliveries
THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR MISSION: 80+ VOLUNTEERS STRONG
Every week, Melbourne's most passionate changemakers gather in our kitchens. Students, retirees, professionals on career breaks, corporate teams - all united by one belief: quality food is a human right.
What our participants say
“Volunteering at Alex Makes Meals was one of those feel-good, wholesome experiences that reminded me of the power of community and the importance of stepping outside the daily grind to do a small act of kindness that can make a huge difference in the lives of people less fortunate.” - Megan
“Nothing is more joyful than knowing that what you do is making a difference and I am so honoured to be a part of that process. No detail was left unturned. The beautiful menu, simple but gorgeous garnishes and also the team camaraderie at this organisation is very special.” - Yahna
TRUSTED BY MELBOURNE'S LEADING ORGANIsATIONS
Together, we create change
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"At Boutique Accounts, we are proud to support Alex Makes Meals and the incredible work they do within the community. From the moment we learned about their mission and the substantial impact they have on individuals and families across Melbourne, we knew we wanted to contribute in a meaningful way."
"When we learned about AMM's mission and the positive impact they create for communities across Melbourne, we knew we wanted to help in a meaningful way."
Alex Makes Meals transformed our team day into something meaningful. Seeing our meals reach local families in crisis connected us to our community in ways we never expected.
BOOK CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING
Harness your team's passion for community support
Teambuilding with outsized impact
Our corporate volunteering packages start at $135 per person.
That fee funds 135 meals distributed through our network, per participant.
📍Darebin Arts Centre
⏰ 9am-2pm
🦸🏻♂️8 to 12 people
🍝 Prepare 200+ meals
corporatevolunteering@alexmakesmeals.com