Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2010: 21 (2) 143 The role of a community kitchen for clients in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhood Susan Furber, Susan Quine, Janet Jackson, Rachel Laws and Deborah Kirkwood Abstract Issue addressed: To investigate the role of a community kitchen for clients living in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Methods: In 2005, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 clients attending a community kitchen located in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhood in New South Wales. Participants were asked their reasons for attending the kitchen. Qualitative content analysis was used to categorise verbatim responses to the open-ended questions. Results: The main reasons participants attended the community kitchen were to alleviate food insecurity and the opportunity to interact socially in a safe place, followed by obtaining advice on a broad range of services to address health and social problems. Conclusions: The community kitchen had a positive effect on the lives of socially isolated people who are usually hard to reach, by providing meals, and facilitating social interaction and access to a wide range of services. Key words: Community kitchen, disadvantaged area, food insecurity, social support. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2010; 21:143-5 So What While a community kitchen has a crucial role in alleviating food insecurity, it also has the potential to redress health and social problems associated with poverty and disadvantage. Introduction Food insecurity occurs in vulnerable groups of people, particularly those on low-incomes and those who are homeless. 1 One strategy to address food insecurity is the provision of community or soup kitchens, 2 however there is scant research on the role these types of kitchens play in reducing food insecurity and providing other benefts. In 2002, the Premier’s Department in NSW organised a forum with local residents at the Warrawong Community Centre to discuss the problems facing the community. The forum included homeless people, long-term residents, people from public housing estates and local service providers. Residents and service providers said that hunger was a widespread problem in the community. In 2003, the Warrawong Community Centre received funding from the Premier’s Department to set up a community kitchen within its Centre. The kitchen provides free lunches four days a week to around 60 to 80 clients per day (2009) and is based in the local Community Centre, which provides information about and referrals to early intervention, prevention and treatment services. The kitchen is located in one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of New South Wales, with high unemployment rates, 3 and is situated across the road from a large public housing estate. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of a community kitchen for clients living in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhood. Methods An announcement was made by the kitchen lunch coordinator inviting clients to participate in the study. Twenty-one clients agreed to participate, none of whom were cognitively impaired. A qualitative approach was selected as appropriate to investigate participants’ views and perceptions. 4 A semi- structured interview guide was developed by the researchers and interviews were conducted at the kitchen by two of the researchers. Participants were asked their reasons for attending the kitchen, as well as specifc questions about food insecurity. 5 Socio-demographic information was collected at the end of the interview. Each interview was conducted in a private room and audio recorded. Data saturation was reached by the 21st interview, as no new issues were raised. Qualitative content analysis 4,6 was used to categorise verbatim responses to the open-ended questions. Two researchers independently analysed the Brief reports