New food truck offers hope
WALKING past the 2nd Shot food truck in Toowoomba, one might think it was just a place to buy coffee and soup.
But it’s actually giving people dignity they’ve never been afforded before.
The latest project from the BASE Services, launched outside the Toowoomba Library yesterday, will employ more than a dozen workers who are homeless at hospitality industry wages.
Project manager Susy Wenitong said while the surface aim was to offer a new food and coffee van for businesses, the real benefit was giving people sleeping rough a second chance.
“We do weekly contracts through three companies (and) we park on-site, because it’s a big truck,” she said.
“This project really is about bringing dignity to people – I never wanted to stand in front of the truck and say, ‘there are people in here that are homeless’.
“It’s a person who’s a barista and is amazing at it, and they just happen to be homeless.
“We’ve hired and trained 13 people, which is actually quite high – it’s hard to get people through training when they’re experiencing homelessness.”
The launch of the service coincided with the start of Homelessness Week, which is recognised across Australia.
The 2nd Shot was the brainchild of BASE Services social worker Tiff Spary, who worked with Ms Wenitong to successfully apply for $230,000 through the Queensland Government’s Dignity First Fund.
“For the past few years I’ve been working in the Basement Soup Kitchen and seeing the same people every day come in, and I thought it was time for a strategy to help people exit homelessness,” she said.
“From there, we set up 2nd Shot thanks to the Queensland Government’s Dignity First Fund – it was our opportunity to get funding to make our dream a reality.
“We started training people in February and it’s fantastic to see the sense of hope and purpose it’s bringing to people who have been experiencing it.”
The BASE Services will also offer case management for participants to help them find accommodation and exit the vicious cycle of homelessness.