Good food has always been about more than what’s on the table. In Marrickville, it’s also about looking after the people who make the neighbourhood what it is. That’s why, since August last year, we’ve been working alongside Addison Road Community Organisation (Addi Road), a long-standing Inner West organisation that supports people through food, care and connection.
Each week, fresh fruit is collected from our Marrickville store and shared through Addi Road’s food relief programs, helping ensure people across the Inner West have access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food, offered with dignity and respect.
Addi Road has been part of the local community since 1976, when the 9-acre Crown Land site was reclaimed from military use through a grassroots community campaign. Today, the space is a hive of activity, housing more than 20 community organisations alongside art studios, a theatre, Radio Skid Row, a community garden and a Living Museum that reflects the many stories tied to the land, from Indigenous custodianship to Marrickville’s rich multicultural life.
At the heart of Addi Road’s work is a simple but powerful belief: access to good food is a human right. Their food-pantry grocery stores in Marrickville and Camperdown offer low-cost, rescued food with no means testing or identity checks, creating a welcoming, stigma-free space for everyone who walks through the door.
The scale of their impact is significant. In 2024, Addi Road rescued nearly 475 tonnes of food, supported more than 425,000 people, and served around 8,500 people every week. Sustainability sits alongside community care, with solar-powered operations saving an estimated 70,000 kWh of energy and preventing 55 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
Food is just one part of the support Addi Road provides. Programs like Wednesday Night Lights bring people together each week with warm meals, alongside practical services including legal advice, medical care, haircuts and laundry facilities, helping people feel supported in ways that go far beyond food alone.
Through Neighbourhood Goodness, Harris Farm Markets continues to support this work in practical ways. Alongside our ongoing weekly produce donations, Addi Road was also a GoGenerosity partner, giving shoppers the opportunity to pay it forward at checkout. Every contribution was converted into Harris Farm Markets vouchers, allowing Addi Road to purchase groceries based on real, immediate community needs.
This partnership reflects what Neighbourhood Goodness is all about, backing local organisations that care deeply for their communities and helping good food go where it’s needed most. Marrickville is known for its diversity, creativity and strong sense of community, and Addi Road plays a vital role in nurturing all three.
By working together, we’re sharing more than fresh food, we’re supporting dignity, inclusion and everyday acts of care. It’s a partnership we’re proud of, and one that continues to grow.
