Food Van and Street Walk

The Food Van was set up by Father Chris Riley over 30 years ago to deliver meals to young people experiencing homelessness in the inner city and act as a soft entry point to accessing other support. 

Alongside Street Walk, our after-hours outreach service, the Food Van operated almost every night of the year, thanks to the ongoing dedication of our staff and volunteers.

After a review found that both programs were no longer meeting the needs of children and young people – and in the case of the Food Van, that several other food services were supporting the community – the programs were discontinued in 2025.

Where is Youth Off The Streets’ Food Van now?

While 2025 marked the end of an era for the Food Van, the van itself will be upgraded and redeployed for outreach activities in the Southwest and Western Sydney LGAs.

The provision of food is key to the success of these programs – it acts as a drawcard to engage children and young people with Youth Off The Streets activities while also addressing the growing food insecurity experienced by many in the community. In essence, it is a full circle moment for this critical outreach tool for the organisation.