Food Not Bombs Hobart

We achieved the 15th Pete Pack this week.

What began as a simple idea has become a regular part of our work, creating opportunities for practical support, connection, and visibility for people doing it tough in our community. Pete continues to demonstrate a growing understanding of the needs of people sleeping rough, and his project has developed its own identity within the broader Food Not Bombs Hobart family.

This week also saw Pete’s first community BBQ held on the Domain. Five people attended. While attendance was modest, the event achieved something important: it demonstrated that the infrastructure works. The equipment, setup, logistics, and volunteer coordination all came together successfully, showing that the concept can be repeated and developed further.

Promotion was slower to gain momentum than hoped. Future efforts will likely need to focus more deliberately on reaching rough sleepers living in bushland and less visible locations around Hobart, a task that presents its own challenges. Nevertheless, the event provided valuable learning and a foundation for future gatherings.

The Shared Table continues to evolve.

We are currently moving through a stage where new volunteers are joining almost every week. This is exciting, but it also means continually introducing people to the values and practices that make the Shared Table unique.

This week we successfully negotiated for the Shared Table to proceed in its usual format after there were attempts to move the meal into a larger hall arrangement with greater distance between participants. This tension is not new. Family-style dining can feel intense. Many systems and services assume that people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or social challenges require greater separation and personal space.

Our experience has often been different.

We believe that sharing a meal creates a unique social context where distance becomes less important than participation. The table creates opportunities for conversation, belonging, and relationship that are difficult to reproduce through more formal service models. While the approach requires skilled facilitation and is not without challenges, we continue to see value in creating spaces where people eat together rather than simply alongside one another.

Woodcraft Adventures Tasmania

It has been a relatively quiet season for Woodcraft Adventures Tasmania.

This week we sold a Woodland Wombat through Facebook. It is now preparing to travel from Tasmania to a new home in New South Wales, continuing its journey well beyond the workshop where it was carved.

The slower pace has not been unwelcome.

Much of our time has simply been spent carving wood, sharing ideas, and enjoying the process together. One of the gifts of Woodcraft Adventures is that it creates opportunities for Priscilla and me to spend meaningful time side-by-side, working with our hands and creating pieces that carry a little of our story with them.

Every purchase continues to support our wider community work, helping connect craftsmanship with community building.

Sing With Me

Festival of Voices is approaching rapidly.

The coming weeks will involve a great deal of singing throughout Hobart, with performances, rehearsals, and opportunities to bring people together through music.

This week I also had the unusual experience of singing as part of Dark Mofo in Concept. Standing beneath an inverted red cross on the wharf alongside evangelist Murray, we sang praise songs into a space filled with people from many different walks of life.

The contrast was striking. Sacred songs, a provocative artistic setting, curious onlookers, and a passionate evangelist determined to engage with whoever might be listening. Murray in particular was energised by the experience and embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly.

Moments like these remind me that music can cross boundaries that few other activities can. Whether in a church, on a street corner, around a Shared Table, or at a major arts festival, singing creates opportunities for people to encounter one another in unexpected ways.

Sing With Me continues to explore a simple idea: that music can create belonging. Whether someone is a confident performer, a casual participant, or simply someone who enjoys being present, singing creates opportunities for connection that often extend beyond the music itself.

We are looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people as the festival season unfolds.

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  Notes in the Field: Newsletter – Week Ending 21 June 2026.
  This week saw the 15th Pete Pack, Pete’s first Domain BBQ, another successful Shared Table, a hand-carved wombat begin its journey to NSW, and preparations for Festival of Voices gather pace. Along the way, I found myself singing praise songs beneath an inverted red cross at Dark Mofo. Community continues to grow through meals, music, conversation, and the simple act of showing up.
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  Notes in the Field: Week Ending Sunday 14 June 2026
  Food Not Bombs Hobart Winter has firmly arrived in Hobart, and with it comes a renewed reminder of why our work matters. Throughout the week, volunteers, donors, and community members continued to support Food Not Bombs Hobart’s mission of practical kindness. Meals were shared, supplies distributed, conversations held, and connections strengthened. While food remains at… Read more: Notes in the Field: Week Ending Sunday 14 June 2026
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  Notes from the Field #18: Week Ending Sunday 7th June 26’
  A week of experimentation, collaboration, and reconnection. From our first trial Street Feed on the Domain to renewed partnerships, website improvements, and unexpected reunions, Food Not Bombs Hobart continues to learn, adapt, and grow alongside the community we serve.
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  Notes from the Field #17: Week Ending Sunday 31st – From Pete’s Packs to New Volunteers.
  Food Not Bombs Hobart experienced another week of growth, welcoming new volunteers, expanding clothing redistribution efforts, and building on the momentum generated by the Broke Ass Brunch. While changes to food rescue arrangements present new challenges, the community continues to step forward with support, generosity, and fresh energy.
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  Notes in the Field: Newsletter No. 16 – Week Ending Sunday, 24th May, 2026
  This week carried a strange mix of encouragement and heaviness. There were genuine moments of growth and connection, but also a growing awareness that pressure is building for a lot of people — not just those already doing it tough, but increasingly families and everyday working people as well. One of the highlights of the… Read more: Notes in the Field: Newsletter No. 16 – Week Ending Sunday, 24th May, 2026