A team from Sanitarium Health Food Company recently spent a morning volunteering at Soul Hub, a Newcastle-based community organisation providing meals, care and connection to people doing it tough.
The visit—by nine Sanitarium team members recognised for values-led service—reflects the company’s commitment to whole-person health and its ongoing efforts to live out the purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in practical, community-focused ways.
Located in the heart of Newcastle (north of Sydney), Soul Hub is a grassroots community organisation that offers food, services and support to people experiencing homelessness or hardship. In 2024 alone, Soul Hub served an average of 1907 meals per week, facilitated 756 loads of laundry and welcomed over 1600 people into care-based service sessions.
Sanitarium CEO Kevin Jackson rolled up his sleeves to help with food prep and spent time chatting with guests—setting the tone for a morning of warmth, humility and purpose.
“Our secret sauce at Sanitarium is all about community, family and culture—it’s something we take seriously,” said Mr Jackson, reflecting on the morning. “It was a privilege to volunteer alongside this group and witness firsthand the compassion and connection Soul Hub creates each day.”
Sanitarium also made a $5000 donation to Soul Hub in support of their ongoing work.
Soul Hub general manager Matthew Ortiger expressed his thanks: “There’s no big funder behind Soul Hub, so donations like this make everything possible. Thank you so much—we really appreciate it.”
For the Sanitarium volunteers involved, the experience offered both perspective and purpose.
“I was surprised to learn that for some guests, visiting Soul Hub might be their only chance to have a genuine conversation with someone who isn’t being paid to be there,” said Roxy Davis, from Sanitarium’s Vitality Works. “It made me realise how easy it is to take my own connections for granted—a humbling reminder of the importance of human connection.”
“I’d expected a kind of soup kitchen setup, but what we saw was so much more,” added Anna Meale, another Sanitarium volunteer. “Soul Hub offers well-rounded support—they build trust with guests and then connect them with services that can genuinely help change their lives.”
Soul Hub’s Community and Volunteer Engagement manager Ella Playfair echoed that sentiment: “Our guests love talking to people and you might be the only person they speak to in a day. Even just talking to them about anything will help make their day. They are people at heart, and love relating to others who recognise that.”
Sanitarium’s visit to Soul Hub forms part of its broader Community Care Program, which supports food security and wellbeing for individuals and families facing hardship.
Through initiatives like school breakfast programs, food pantries and emergency relief efforts, Sanitarium partners with local and national charities to help communities access the nutritious food they need.
In September, this group of Sanitarium award recipients will join an ADRA-led community service project in the Solomon Islands—continuing their commitment to service and supporting whole person health beyond Australia’s borders.
