Giving back to our community – Mary Mac’s Place

Today, MatchWorks is proud to launch a new community program to assist in the economic and social recovery of the communities we work within.

2020 was an incredibly challenging year for Australians – it was a year we faced bushfires, floods and of course, a global pandemic that changed the way we lived our lives.   

Our MatchWorks in the Community program is all about giving back to make a positive difference. It’s at the heart of what we do here at MatchWorks, and we’re proud to support other community organisations who help people lead happier, healthier lives.

One of our first grant recipients from the program is Mary Mac’s Place, who do incredible work in their local community.  The charity organisation is part of social care and support agency, CatholicCare and provides nutritious meals and crisis support services to individuals and families in need.


Today, MatchWorks delivered food to the Mary Macs team, who will distribute it to local people in need.

Sally Liedberg, Program Worker at Mary Mac’s Place said the number of people needing support had increased in recent times.

“We have seen a rise in drug and alcohol abuse and an increase in the number of women and children escaping domestic violence and sleeping in their cars because it’s not safe at home,” Sally said.   

“We’re supporting families whose incomes have been impacted by health issues, the pandemic, increasing rents or other factors out of their control. We also assist many pensioners who have lost a partner and now struggle to afford rent, food and bills on a single pension.”  

Mary Mac’s is currently providing up to 500 meals per week to local people in the community. But it’s more than just a place to get a meal. Mary Mac’s Place also offers:

  • Rescue food to take home to the pantry.
  • Links to crisis intervention services including Legal Aid, Homelessness Services, Health Assistance and Emergency Relief.
  • A place to shower and wash clothes.
  • A safe and welcoming space for non-judgemental support.

Sally’s role is vital in managing the volunteer team who cook and distribute the food to locals in need. She is also a key link to crisis intervention services who provide additional support.  

“It’s a warm and safe place to come to when people don’t have anywhere else to go,” Sally said.

“There’s no fear of judgement and we can help people access services and find companionship to ease feelings of isolation.

“We’re also fortunate to have beautiful volunteers – they are amazing and help me focus my time on the people who need crisis support.”

Mary Mac’s Place relies solely on the generosity of the community to fund its crisis support services.

“We couldn’t run this service without funding from organisations like MatchWorks,” Sally said.

“We are 100% funded through donations and grants and this grant means we can feed many more people in the community.”

Visit Mary Macs Place website to find out how you can support their community work.