Kate Shelton established PeaceMeals in 2015 when she relocated from Canberra to Melbourne. She identified constant xenophobia in the media and recognised the universal nature of food, and sharing of meals as a vehicle to increase social cohesion. Kate created the name and concept to provide an opportunity for ‘established’ Australians to sit at a table and share a meal with ‘new’ Australians. Her motive is that fear of ‘the other’ is broken down through sharing of food, conversation, followed by appreciation, trust and respect. She embraced people from many communities and invited them to dinner with friends and family. The first dinners were held at The Social Studio in Collingwood. Artist/designer, Simon Swingler, created the logo pro bono. Through Facebook and a dedicated team of loyal members it slowly expanded. Mary Stephen and Lander and Roger’s Pro Bono department , were crucial to PeaceMeals development, as well as establishing the legal requirements of a charity, the constitution and governing Board. Popularity grew through the very generous support from cafes donating the use of their venues, in particular, South of Johnston Café in Collingwood and Grub Fitzroy. There are zero administration costs as all Board members give their time free of charge.