A BEAUTIFUL evening, a table full of food and almost 150 people together in Port Stephens last Tuesday became something much bigger – a show of support stretching thousands of kilometres from our community to families devastated by flooding in Nepal.
Saltwater Restaurant joined forces with other cafés and restaurants around the Bay to host a buffet dinner for 148 guests, raising approximately $7120 for people affected by the disaster.
Guests travelled from Newcastle and Maitland, while locals came from Fingal Bay, Shoal Bay and across Port Stephens to support the fundraiser.
Behind the evening was a particularly personal connection.
A large number of Nepalese chefs and team members work across local restaurants, while many others from the Nepalese community have made Port Stephens home, working in aged care, childcare and other industries.
While none of Saltwater’s chefs had been directly affected by the floods, members of the wider Nepalese community have lost extended family members.
“When we heard what was happening, we felt we couldn’t just stand by,” Kiran Chavan said.
“We wanted to use our restaurants and our hospitality community to do something practical to help.
“For us, it was about bringing people together through food and turning that support into something meaningful for families back in Nepal.”
And perhaps there could be no more fitting way for the Nepalese community to do that than through feeding people.
That spirit of hospitality was evident on Tuesday evening, but this time the act of feeding people in Port Stephens was helping to feed, shelter and support people on the other side of the world.
The money raised will be donated to the Nepal Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to support relief efforts for people affected by the floods.
For families in Nepal, the situation remains devastating.
Some have lost loved ones, others are still searching for missing family members, while homes have been destroyed or damaged so badly they are no longer liveable.
But the effects of the disaster have not stopped at Nepal’s borders.
For Nepalese people living in Australia, there is the anguish of waiting for news from home, trying to support family from thousands of kilometres away and, for some, facing the difficult decision of whether they can return.
Some are attempting to travel home to grieve and support their families, while work, university and other commitments mean others simply cannot leave Australia.
Young Nepalese students who have only recently arrived here may be trying to continue their studies while simultaneously worrying about whether their families are safe and their homes are still standing.
“For many Nepalese people, every phone call from home brings anxiety because they don’t know whether their family members are safe or whether their homes are still standing,” Kiran said.
Against that backdrop, Tuesday night demonstrated the influence a small coastal community can have far beyond its own shores.
A meal bought in Port Stephens became money for relief in Nepal.
A local restaurant became a gathering place for two communities.
And an evening built around the Nepalese tradition of feeding and caring for guests became an opportunity for those guests to give something back.
“We are very grateful to everyone who came, donated and supported the evening,” Kiran said.
“The generosity of the Port Stephens community meant a lot to our team – especially to the Nepalese community.”
By Jacie WHITFIELD
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