In Lismore’s cultural heart, the fire is still burning. 

At the back of the Quad, library and art gallery, the Trees Not Bombs Community Recovery Café has become Lismore’s unofficial cultural centre.  

It not only serves free food and drinks at a sit down café and library, but this Sunday will spice up Lismore culture with a feast of entertainment. 

Café volunteer coordinator Annie O’Shannessey invites the community to come along from 3 to 5pm and join some of the stand-up poets crew for a Spoken Word open-microphone event. 

Any donations raised at the event will go towards Lismore Library buying a new audio book collection.

“People can read out stories, poems and creative musings on the theme of ‘recovery’,” Annie said. “After this at 5pm will be a fireside jam, supper, nightcap and singalong.”

At the same location at 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, choir master Peter Lehner will also hold a choir workshop by donation – and all are invited.

Sit down meals

The café has been serving between 200 to 400 meals a day since Susie Russell and Greg Hall set up the tent on March 8. 

“It’s not just about food - it’s a safe calm place to relax, breathe and chat with other people,” Annie said. 

“There’s nowhere else for people to a sit down for a meal in Lismore – it’s an important service.

“As other food outlets reopen, we will pare down the food and by keep going as a safe space offering drinks and maybe simple soups.

Donations

Annie said the café has been operating on public donations since Susie’s initial gofundme fundraising kicked off the café venture.

“Now we need to buy a new marquee, as the old one Suzie brought up from Elands is falling apart.

“The circus-style marquee is leaking at the moment – there’s a bucket tied to the top of the poles to catch leaking water – and an umbrella above the poles on top.

Farewell

“This weekend we farewell and thank Susie and Greg who are finally returning home to Elands after months of generous service to our community. 

“We’d love to see people come along and bring instruments or singing voices and make music to send off Susie and company after months of incredible work helping our community.

“They knew setting up a café here in Lismore after the floods was an effective way they could help Lismore.

“Elands is near Taree – and they were affected by the big bushfires. At that time they found that having a community kitchen really helped their community and people could go there and eat and talk.

“So they pulled out the old Liberation Café tent from the 1990s, rallies a grew and came to Lismore.”

Volunteers needed

As Susie, Greg and some other long standing café volunteers leave Lismore, Annie has taken up the reins as volunteer café coordinator – and now she needs more volunteers to help out.

“Now it’s up to Lismore locals to keep the café running,” Annie said. 

“We have a roster system and lots of jobs if anyone can help out in any way.

“They can chop vegetables, make tea and coffee, serve people, stir pots and keep the cooking running smoothly.

“The sexiest job the dish pig role

“We always need help washing dishes.”

To find out more about the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/361427429284054/?ti=ls