Ricky's Place was well-established and headed by many local volunteers until the meal program closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The meal program held its relaunch by Sapphire Community Projects on Monday April 4 during a lunchtime service that served up tantalising options to the many who joined.

Head chef Sharon Cornthwaite came up with a menu including beef lasagne, grilled polenta with tomato and vegetable sauce, roast pumpkin feta and pine nut frittata with salad.

On the dessert menu was sponge cake and cream or stewed apples and custard.

Much of the food used to prepare the meal was rescued from Bega supermarkets, however many of the salad vegetables were grown and donated by the Bega Valley Seed Savers.

The tables were beautifully arranged with flowers brought in by volunteers and music was played by Geoff Johnson, creating a welcoming atmosphere for the many people who came to share lunch together.

There was also a ceremonial cake cutting event at the launch. Invited to partake in the cake cutting was Ross Williams who was one of the first people involved in Ricky's Place when it first began in 2009, Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick and Bega Valley locals Joseph Brown and Fred.

RECENT NEWS:

Ms Welsh said after many months of people asking her when Ricky's Place would be reopened, she and Sapphire Community Projects were very grateful to have been able to take over.

She thanked the many volunteers and the Anglican Parish that had given them a peppercorn lease to use the establishment and its commercial kitchen.

Mayor Fitzpatrick said that he and his wife started volunteering at Ricky's Place around 2010 and did so for a few years and said many of the volunteers were, "still the same".

"We have the highest volunteer rate of any shire in NSW, many people contribute to volunteering in different forms whether it's through a service club, or sporting club, or an organisation like the Community Pantry who do a really great job of helping out those in need," he said.

"I compliment everyone involved as volunteering is really rewarding and so is coming and serving other people who are less fortunate than yourselves."

Reverend Lex Macqueen from St John's Anglican Church thanked inaugural volunteer Ross Williams and acknowledged the other community food program establishments that spawned from Ricky's Place, including Pearl's Place at Pambula and Monty's Place in Narooma.

Australian Community Media also spoke to three local men Joseph Brown, Paul Gonski, and James Taylor after their meal at Ricky's Place.

Mr Brown shared his own story of having fallen into homelessness over four weeks ago and said he had been receiving assistance from Mission Australia to find accommodation at a Bega Valley caravan park.

He was extremely grateful to have received the meal and was thankful to the volunteers who had made it happen.

All three patrons said they were very appreciative that the weekly meal program at Ricky's Place had been reopened.

Ms Welsh said that before the end of the service, they had essentially run out of food, and so would finetune how much food was given out as takeaways before others had eaten as the weeks went on.

She said it had also been a great opportunity to allow the volunteers to learn new skills and work out which role they were most confident in.

The meal service is free, however donations were appreciated if people were able to give.

Their first lunchtime session managed to raise $350 in donations that Christine said would go towards any incidentals they had occurred or towards items unable to be rescued but needed for future services.

Our journalists work hard to bring you all the latest news and information. To support us please consider subscribing, which gives you unlimited access to ACM websites across the Far South Coast and The Canberra Times. To those who already subscribe, thank you. For anyone wishing to support the work we do, please subscribe by clicking here