05/05/2026
MORE THAN JUST FOOD THIS IS FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE
A lot of people see the meals, the BBQs, the outreach runs.
What they don’t always see is the healthcare happening right there on the ground.
In April alone, our Outreach Nursing Program supported 63 individuals across 15 attended runs, delivering real clinical care directly to people who would otherwise go without.
This included
Wound care and burns management
Mental health assessments and referrals
Pregnancy and antenatal support
Drug and alcohol harm reduction conversations
Post hospital care and follow ups
Emergency escalation including ambulance call outs
These are complex, high acuity health presentations happening in parks, carparks and tents across our community.
Mental health was the single largest need identified.
Wound care, infections, injuries and untreated conditions were common.
We are seeing people discharged from hospital with nowhere to go, trying to manage serious health conditions on the street.
This is exactly why harm reduction matters.
When you bring qualified nurses and nurse practitioners into outreach, you don’t just hand out supplies.
You prevent infections from getting worse
You reduce pressure on emergency departments
You connect people into the health system
You create trust where there was none
You meet people where they are, not where the system expects them to be.
And this does not happen without people stepping up.
A huge thank you to our incredible volunteer clinicians
Vivian Tapiolas, Andrea Keating, and Dione White
And a special thank you to Sylvia and the HHOT team for their ongoing mental health support on the ground.
This side of the work is critical, and your presence makes a real difference in moments that matter most.
These professionals are giving their time, their skills, and in many cases their own resources, to deliver frontline healthcare in environments most would never step into.
This is not easy work.
It is skilled, it is demanding, and it is critical.
There were also clear gaps identified.
On multiple nights there was no nurse available, and those are missed opportunities for care.
That tells us one thing clearly
The demand is there, and it is growing
So when people ask what Nourish Street Inc does, the answer is simple
Yes, we feed people
But we also provide care, connection, and critical health support where it is needed most
This is harm reduction
And it should never be ignored
Nourish Street Inc
family led, community fed
