The Big Umbrella

The Big Umbrella Rescuing food to create meals for vulnerable Australians experiencing food insecurity & homelessness

UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS. BUILDING SAFER, STRONGER COMMUNITIES TOGETHER ❤️On Wednesday we had the privilege of welcomi...
02/09/2026

UNDERSTANDING HOMELESSNESS. BUILDING SAFER, STRONGER COMMUNITIES TOGETHER ❤️

On Wednesday we had the privilege of welcoming a group of City Of Melbourne Community Safety Officers (CSOs) to The Big Umbrella Foundation for a very special training experience.

This wasn’t just about preparing meals.

It was about understanding homelessness, food insecurity and the complex circumstances that can lead someone into crisis — and, importantly, how we choose to respond.

Community Safety Officers are on the frontline of our city. The conversations they have, the relationships they build and the way they engage with people experiencing homelessness can have a very real impact.

Together we talked, challenged perceptions, shared experiences and then rolled up our sleeves to prepare nutritious meals for people doing it tough across Melbourne. ❤️

And there were some simple but powerful messages we wanted everyone to leave with:

❤️ Homelessness is complex.
❤️ Every person has a story.
❤️ Food builds trust.
❤️ Kindness costs nothing.
❤️ Small interactions can change someone’s life.
❤️ Community safety isn’t only about enforcement — it’s also about compassion, dignity and connection.

A huge thank you to the City of Melbourne for recognising the importance of this kind of training and investing in a compassionate, informed approach to community safety.

Because nobody dreams of becoming homeless.

Every person we meet is someone’s son, daughter, mum, dad or friend.

Our job isn’t to judge how they got there.

Our job is to decide how we respond when we meet them. ❤️

We’re incredibly proud to play a small part in preparing this new team for the important work they’ll be doing on the streets of Melbourne.

Oh, and it was also our 17th birthday celebration, more on that later 🎸❤️

FeedMelbourne Melbourne Compassion Dignity CommunityImpact

01/09/2026

👀 ANOTHER SNEAK PEEK…

Something very special is coming to EAT.ATM. 🎸🔥

Another music legend.
Another family recipe.
Another meal with a whole lot of meaning behind it. ❤️

VANCE JOY × EAT.ATM
SIGNATURE SERIES.

Coming soon to Melbourne.

A massive thank you to Vance Joy and Mushroom Group for helping us turn music, food and generosity into real impact.

And trust us… there’s plenty more where this came from. 👀

More rockstars. More meals. More impact.

COMING SOON. 🎸💥

🎥 Mushroom Creative House

Melbourne ComingSoon

🌱❤️ THIS WEEK WE CELEBRATED THE RETIREMENT OF A TBU LEGEND! ❤️🌱Wednesday was a bittersweet day at The Big Umbrella Found...
28/08/2026

🌱❤️ THIS WEEK WE CELEBRATED THE RETIREMENT OF A TBU LEGEND! ❤️🌱

Wednesday was a bittersweet day at The Big Umbrella Foundation as our beautiful Peggy officially hung up her gardening gloves at 94 years young! 🌻🧤

And there was only one way to send our Peggy into retirement — with a very special guard of honour from her TBU family. 🥹❤️

Peggy, our much-loved Senior Horticulturist, has quite simply been one of the most incredible volunteers we have ever had.

Named our Volunteer of the Year last year, Peggy also broke just about every volunteering record at TBU — showing up day after day, week after week, sometimes even in the pouring rain ☔️, ready to get her hands dirty and care for our Urban Farm.

At 94, her energy, determination and enthusiasm put most of us to shame! 😂💚

But it wasn’t just what Peggy did that made her so special. It was who she is — her charm, cheekiness, wisdom, stories and the warmth she brought through our doors every single week.

Peggy, our garden simply won’t be the same without you.

Thank you for every seed planted, every garden bed tended, every rainy-day appearance, every laugh and every beautiful moment you’ve shared with us.

We are going to miss seeing you each week, but after everything you’ve given us, we think you’ve definitely earned the chance to put your feet up! ❤️

94 years young. Volunteer of the Year. Senior Horticulturist. Absolute TBU legend. 🌱🌻

Enjoy your retirement, Peggy — you’ll always have a home, a garden and a family here at TBU. ❤️

🇳🇵Our hearts are with Nepal🇳🇵For those wanting to help the people of Nepal following the devastating floods, we encourag...
28/08/2026

🇳🇵Our hearts are with Nepal🇳🇵
For those wanting to help the people of Nepal following the devastating floods, we encourage you to donate through trusted humanitarian organisations and verified official fundraising channels, including the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund.

Official PM Disaster Relief Fund:
https://pmdrf.nchl.com.np/

Every contribution can help provide urgent assistance to families and communities affected by this disaster.

For The Big Umbrella Foundation, Nepal is deeply personal. ❤️ TBU was born on the streets and Kathmandu, and over the years the people of Nepal have welcomed us with extraordinary kindness, generosity and love. We have shared meals, worked alongside communities, built lifelong friendships and created memories that will always be part of who we are.

To our much-loved Nepal family — we are thinking of you. ❤️

Seeing homes destroyed, families displaced and communities facing such devastating loss is heartbreaking. We send our deepest love and strength to everyone affected, and our thoughts are especially with those who have lost loved ones.

Nepal has given The Big Umbrella so much.

Today, we stand with the country and the people who helped give our organisation its beginning. 🇳🇵❤️☂️

From our TBU family in Melbourne to our family in Nepal — we are with you.

Together we stand. Together we rebuild.

TheBigUmbrellaFoundation TBU

Feed Melbourne- Every Wednesday, we create more than a meal. We create connection, dignity, friendship, safety and a lit...
26/08/2026

Feed Melbourne- Every Wednesday, we create more than a meal. We create connection, dignity, friendship, safety and a little bit of joy. ❤️

A huge shout-out to our extraordinary volunteers who turn up with open hearts, big smiles and absolutely no expectation of anything in return — except perhaps a smile from our friends on the street.

They cook. They chop. They clean. They serve. They wash mountains of dishes. They crank the music, share laughs, make friends and create a space where everyone is welcome, everyone is seen and everyone matters.

And then there’s the food! Plates piled high with delicious, restaurant-quality meals lovingly created from rescued produce. No shortcuts. No judgement. And importantly — no one leaves hungry.

To every volunteer who gives their time, energy and heart selflessly and generously — THANK YOU. You are the reason this works.

Together, we’re proudly delivering Melbourne’s gold-standard free food service, week after week.

Big love. Big food. Big community.

FoodWithDignity RescuedFood FederationSquare NoOneLeftHungry KindnessInAction

26/08/2026

SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO DROP. 🎸💥
The Big Umbrella Foundation & The Mushroom Group are turning up the volume.

EAT.ATM SIGNATURE SERIES.
Coming soon to Melbourne.

Music. Food. Impact.
And some very familiar names. 👀

A massive thank you to Ed Sheeran and Mushroom for helping us bring this crazy idea to life. ❤️🤘

And Ed is just the beginning…

More rockstars. More meals. More impact.

Melbourne, watch this space.
We’re only getting started. 🎸🔥

🎥 Mushroom Creative House

24/08/2026

THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT 🔥
Cards flying. Music pumping. Meals rolling out. People everywhere.

And right in the middle of it all — a bunch of people having a bloody good time while doing some serious good.

That was Rip & Sip with Cardcore. ❤️

For us, the weekend was also a chance to take EAT.ATM out into the wild for the first time — serving up meals created with some absolute rockstars and giving Melbourne a taste of what’s coming.

This is where EAT.ATM belongs.

Out there. In unexpected places. Bringing people together through good food and purpose.

Cardcore — you legends.
Welcome to Brunswick — thank you for having us.

Melbourne, we’re only getting started. 👀🔥

Eat.ATM 🎸💥

A MASSIVE shoutout to the absolute legends at CARDCORE ❤️🔥What an incredible day — so much love, so much energy and an u...
23/08/2026

A MASSIVE shoutout to the absolute legends at CARDCORE ❤️🔥
What an incredible day — so much love, so much energy and an unbelievable amount of support for The Big Umbrella Foundation.

Together with the incredibly generous Cardcore community, we raised a MASSIVE $4,742! 🙌

And to make the day even more special, we gave everyone an exclusive sneak peek of EAT.ATM — serving up some of our Signature Series meals created with rockstars Ed Sheeran, Metallica and Vance Joy! 🎸🍽️🔥

It was pretty special seeing EAT.ATM out there in action, sharing great food and giving everyone a taste of what’s coming next.

Next stop for EAT.ATM — we’ll be hitting the streets of Melbourne! 🚀❤️

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned… Melbourne, we’re coming! 👀🎸🍽️

Every dollar raised helps us put more meals into the hands of people who need them most — and we couldn’t do it without communities like this getting behind us.

To everyone who came down, donated, supported, shared, ate and made the day what it was — THANK YOU!

And to the Cardcore crew — thank you for putting this together, backing our cause and bringing your amazing community along for the ride. ❤️

A huge thank you also to the amazing team at Welcome To Brunswick | Brewery & Beer Garden for opening your doors, hosting us and getting behind the day. Your generosity, hospitality and support helped make it all possible. 🙌❤️

$4,742 raised. EAT.ATM unleashed. One incredible community. A whole lotta LOVE. ❤️🎸

FoodRelief Community GivingBack

23/08/2026

‘Little by little, day by day, what is meant for you, will find a way’ - unknown

Address

TBU Emergency Food Relief Centre
Brunswick, VIC
3056

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 9pm
Wednesday 10am - 9pm
Thursday 10am - 9pm

Telephone

+61499012150

Website

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