Interfaith at Plumpton

June 25, 2025

Food, faith and friendship at Plumpton

At Southern Cross Care’s (NSW & ACT) Plumpton Village, compassion and community spirit are thriving, proving that when people of different backgrounds come together, remarkable things can happen. 

In a beautiful act of interfaith collaboration, residents joined forces with members of the House of Sakinah (Peace) - a local Muslim women’s group that provides food, care, and support to people experiencing homelessness in Western Sydney.  

The Food Drive, coordinated through the Western Sydney Women’s Interfaith Initiative, brought the women together in a shared mission of kindness. 

Donations of rice, pasta, lentils, eggs, fruit and vegetables along with cleaning and personal hygiene products were donated and delivered to the Good Shepherd Parish in Plumpton where not only the groceries were packed but just as importantly stories were shared, traditions explained, and laughter flowed.  

Village resident Margaret Tisch said the event was a powerful reminder that while food nourishes the body, it’s empathy and collaboration that truly feeds the soul. 

She said the generosity shown by the residents was “overwhelming” and even those too frail to shop or deliver groceries wouldn’t let that stop them from donating.  

“Some of the residents who were not able to physically help, called me and let me know they had donations, so I just walked around to each of their units and picked them up,” the 87-year-old said.  

“It really was a team effort, I gave the residents a list of what was needed and before I knew it items started appearing on my veranda.  

“I honestly couldn’t believe the generosity of so many of the people in the village. 

“And on top of giving to others, we had this marvellous opportunity to meet these wonderful Muslim women and hear a bit about their lives and their faith. It was an absolute delight to take part.” 

House of Sakinah Coordinator Najia Khalil agreed and said together they had the opportunity to experience the joy of both giving and receiving.  

“The residents were wonderful, our intention was to gather and pack the food but as they were already in bags, we spent quality time getting to know each other,” she said.  

“There is so much need out there that we don’t usually have time to do this, which is why it was so special.  

“We really appreciate the effort the residents took in sourcing the items. It was lovely coming together and learning about each other in our shared mission."