Each Wednesday, after eating dinner while his clothes wash and dry, Rory Seedsman is ready for karaoke.
He's among the guests of Foothills Community Care, whose volunteers start meal prepping early in the afternoon at the Ferntree Gully Girl Guide Hall. While they're cooking, volunteers from Orange Sky are outside with a mobile laundry van offering free washing and drying for two hours.
"I've eventually come to some of these meals places and I come for the socialising as well, not just having a meal," Rory says.
"When I found out that they had other things like washing and showers, I thought I'd check it out. I can say they definitely do washing much better than I can any day."
Foothills has received Council funding to operate its services, which are expanding to offer free dental and medical checks through a partnership with EACH community health service.
"Not too long ago, I got into NDIS - it took me three years to get it," Rory says. "So, after this, I've been with a case worker and been able to make errands. I'm not too afraid to try something new.
"I've started bringing my washing here every Wednesday. Also, I do karaoke later on in the night. I go out to a bar in these nice clean clothes, ready to go and do some karaoke.
"I do Rock you like a Hurricane, Sweet's Ballroom Blitz, Mambo No. 5 from Lou Bega, Rebel Yell by Billy Idol - so there's quite a few songs I do at the karaoke."
Along with the Ferntree Gully Community Meals Nights, Foothills' Community Casseroles program delivers about 700 meals to residents each week.
Operations manager Drew Nicholls says it's all about dignity.
"Our mission statement is 'Everyone is welcome at our table'," he says.
"The essence of 'table' and 'finding a place' is providing spaces where people can participate in bringing dignity to them.
"A big part of what we do and how we have operated for 20 years is about community partnerships.
"We have all these little components tied to what is on the face of it just a community meal night. It's actually more than that. For a lot of our folks it's community and it's a place of inclusion that for a lot of them they don't have."
Find out more: f oothillscare.org.au
