Tom Foster Community Care

Tom Foster Community Care provides services to older people, people with a disability and carers who live in their own homes in the Marrickville Local Government Area.  These services assist people to continue to live independently in the community.

What services are available?

• Food services
• Information, assessment and referral
• Marrickville social support service, includes home visiting and escorting to appointments
• Social groups including Tom Foster Seniors, Chinese Seniors and Sydenham Tempe and St Peters Seniors
• Activity programs and bus outings
• Centre hire
• Community Bus Hire (with or without a driver)

Tom Foster Community Care is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments, under the Home and Community Care Program, and Marrickville Council.

What can the Tom Foster food service provide?

• Individual home delivered meal packs, Meals on wheels, these are also provided to people living in the Leichhardt Local Government Area
• Centre based meals service
• Multicultural meals service
• Bulk meals service, sale of meals to community organisations
• Meal packs specifically for clients who have dementia in finger food style.

Meals are prepared in the commercial kitchen at Tom Foster by fully qualified staff.

Click the links to download the Meals On Wheels Referral Form (99KB, PDF) and the Menu and Order Form (152KB, PDF).

Are you interested in volunteering at Tom Foster?

Volunteers perform a vital community role in helping individuals maintain an independent lifestyle.  If you can give a few hours on a regular basis and want to make a difference in someone's life you could help by:

• driving or taking meals into a client with the Meals on Wheels program which operates Monday to Friday mornings
• providing social interaction through activities such as home visiting, going out for a coffee or accompanying clients to an appointment; working hours are flexible.

As a volunteer you will receive ongoing training and support, social opportunities and be reimbursed for incurred expenses.

Contact details

The staff of Tom Foster Community Care would be pleased to provide you with further information about any of the above services. Please call (02) 9335 2153 or e-mail Tom Foster Administration.

The Centre has an activities room, dining room, commercial kitchen, kitchenette, bathrooms and a shaded outdoor area.  The offices for staff are also located at the Centre.

Tom Foster Community Care is located at 11-13 Darley Street, Newtown.
 

History of the Tom Foster Community Centre

The Tom Foster Centre (then called the Tom Foster Welfare Centre) was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Sydney. Alderman Harry Jensen on 11 March 1964. At that time Newtown was fully part of the City of Sydney.

It was named in honour of Tom Foster, who was an alderman of the City of Sydney Council and who had campaigned for a centre in Newtown. The name was chosen after direct representation from citizens of Newtown. The name was resolved by resolution of the Council in October 1963.

At the opening of the Centre Foster was quoted as saying that he had experienced loneliness and could well appreciate the loneliness suffered by many older people living alone.

Foster had worked for 18 years as an employee of the City of Sydney Council, resigning in 1956 to stand as an alderman for Newtown. He served until the City wards were split up in 1966. Part of Newtown was then incorporated into the Marrickville Municipality in 1968. Foster then stood as an alderman for the Enmore Ward of Marrickville Council. He was elected in 1968 and served until 1974. Tom Foster was Mayor of Marrickville from 1969 to 1971.