Town Dinner @ the Rock Community Church started a number of years ago as a response to caring for and welcoming the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers living nearby church. One of our Church Values is “A place to Belong” and this was one way we got to live this out over the last 5 or 6 summers. We often had 50-60 workers coming from as far away as Devonport for the simple home cooked meal and the joy of community together. To our delight they would often sing for us before they left for the evening.
In 2023 many of the community groups of Penguin got together to work out how we could each help support our community more. Each group was asked what they could contribute most effectively. Knowing we had the capacity to cook community meals, the group asked us to offer this gift to the people of Penguin more generally. We were excited to live a life pattern just like Jesus did enjoying eating meals with people. So during the school terms, we cook meals for 30-40 people including families with big and small kids, people who would normally eat alone and even people who had the power out at home. The food is healthy and hearty, meeting diverse dietary needs and people can hang around and talk over dinner. The team faithfully shops, cooks and cleans up after dinner. One of our absolute highlights is having a chat with the lovely members of our community over the meal.
Everyone is welcome: whether you’re new to the area, looking to connect, or just hungry for some warmth and conversation. Dinner is at 2 Dooley Street Penguin on Tuesdays starting at 5.30pm. The nights are full of great food, good company, and plenty of joy. No RSVP needed—just bring yourself (and a friend or two)! Let’s share a meal and make some memories together.