New café, food relief centre and community garden to supercharge St Merkorious Charity’s mission

Strathfield is set to become a hub for food relief and community support as St Merkorious Charity brings a café, food distribution centre and community garden into the suburb.

St Merkorious Charity Founder Paula Nicolas (centre) with attendees at a community event.

The not for profit currently provides over 4,000 meals per week across Greater Sydney. The three new community-focused facilities in the Inner West mark its biggest expansion in 13 years.

Olive Tree Café in Hudson Park Strathfield opened in March 2026, marking the first of the new community-focused facilities. The social enterprise will provide training in barista work, food handling and café service for people experiencing hardship, designed to build practical skills and create pathways into employment.

A large food distribution centre and community garden are set to open on Cosgrove Rd Strathfield South in June 2026, forming the next stage of the charity’s expanded operations.

St Merkorious Charity Founder Paula Nicolas said the new facility will enable the preparation and distribution of up to 15,000 meals per week for people experiencing food insecurity across Greater Sydney.

It will also function as the charity’s central hub for emergency relief and referral services.

“We started with a simple goal of feeding people, and that need has only grown,” Mrs Nicolas said. “This expansion means we can continue that work at a much larger scale, while also creating a hub for support and connection.”

The site will include a commercial-grade kitchen designed for up to 20 staff, a community garden, cold storage and warehouse, counselling and interview rooms, multiple offices, a boardroom, training facilities and dedicated areas for volunteers and visitors. It will also include solar energy capability and integrated truck and van access for distribution.

The expansion is supported by the PAYCE Foundation, a long-standing philanthropic partner of St Merkorious.

PAYCE Foundation Director Dominic Sullivan said the initiatives build on the charity’s long-term work in the community.

“Paula and the team at St Merkorious have done a remarkable job supporting people who are struggling to access the basics they need to survive,” Mr Sullivan said.

“These new facilities represent the next stage of that work, and we are proud to continue supporting a charity that is making a real difference on the ground.”