This is the second article in our feature series exploring City Mission’s Community Development work and the many ways it is helping strengthen communities across Launceston.

In our first article, we looked at the broader impact of Project North and how City Mission is walking alongside local people and partners to build pride, connection and community leadership. In this edition, we take a closer look at SnagChat - one of the simplest, most practical and most human ways connection is being created across the community.

At first glance, SnagChat might look like a barbecue. A trailer, a hotplate, a few sausages, some drinks, and people gathering for a feed.

But the real purpose is much deeper than that.

SnagChat is City Mission’s mobile BBQ outreach trailer, bringing food, conversation and support to communities across Launceston and surrounding areas. Through regular BBQs, often happening almost daily across different locations, SnagChat creates relaxed and welcoming spaces where people can stop, talk, feel included and connect with others.

It is also a practical example of partnership in action. City Mission works alongside council, schools, community centres, churches, local groups, other not-for-profits and community partners to bring SnagChat into places where connection, welcome and support can make a real difference.

For Community Outreach Worker North, Nick Mckinnon, that simplicity is exactly what makes it work.

“SnagChat is about meeting people where they are,” Nick says.

“It might start with a sausage and a conversation, but often that small moment becomes the beginning of trust, connection and support.”

More Than A Meal

The power of SnagChat is that it removes barriers.

People do not need to make an appointment, fill out paperwork or walk into an office. They can simply come along, have something to eat and be around others in a space that feels relaxed, friendly and familiar.

For some, it might be the only real conversation they have that day. For others, it might be the first step towards asking for help, finding out about support, or reconnecting with their local community.

Over the past year, SnagChat has helped create more than 20,000 moments of connection through 231 BBQ outreach events across Launceston and surrounding areas. Alongside food and conversation, the team has also provided more than 1,000 practical supports, including food parcels, blankets, clothing, tents and swags.

These numbers tell part of the story. But the real impact is often seen in what happens around the barbecue - people returning week after week, familiar faces becoming trusted relationships, and community members feeling safe enough to ask for support, share what is happening in their lives, or simply be part of something.

“Food has a way of bringing people together,” Nick says.

“When people feel comfortable, they open up. They might talk about how they’re going, what’s happening for their family, or what they’d like to see in their community. Those conversations matter.”

SnagChat also provides a practical way for City Mission staff and volunteers to be present in the community. It allows the team to listen, build relationships and better understand what people are experiencing in their everyday lives.

Just as importantly, it helps strengthen the work already happening through local partners. By working with schools, churches, community centres, other services and community groups, SnagChat can become part of a broader network of care and connection.

A Place That Feels Like Family

One of the clearest ways to understand the impact of SnagChat is through the stories of people who continue to show up, not just for food, but for connection.

One regular client who had been attending SnagChat events at Civic Square recently moved to Bridport. The team thought they might no longer see him at their gatherings.

But he kept coming.

Since relocating, he has made the effort to organise transport into Launceston so he can continue connecting with the SnagChat team and the community that has formed around the regular gatherings.

For him, SnagChat has become much more than a meal.

You guys are my family. We come along each Thursday and Friday night, have a chat, a laugh, and have fun together.”

His story speaks to the heart of what SnagChat offers. It is not just a barbecue or a free meal. It is a safe and consistent place where people feel welcomed, known and connected.

Nick said stories like this show why consistency matters.

“You don’t always know the impact of a conversation straight away,” he said.

“But when someone keeps coming back, when they start to feel more comfortable, when they know they’ll be welcomed - that’s when you see how important this really is.”

From Receiving Support to Giving Back

The welcoming environment created through SnagChat has also encouraged some clients to become volunteers themselves.

For many, this is a powerful shift. It shows that SnagChat is not only about receiving support. It is also about belonging, purpose and having the opportunity to contribute.

At a recent Civic Square event, a member of the homeless community spoke about how meaningful it was to be served by volunteers with similar lived experience, saying simply, “they are one of us.”

That moment captures something important about the work. When people who have experienced hardship are welcomed not only as clients, but also as contributors, it helps build dignity, trust and a deeper sense of community.

Nick said this is one of the most meaningful parts of the program.

“When people feel they belong, they often want to give back,” he said.

“That says a lot about the kind of community being built through SnagChat. People are not just coming along to receive something - they are standing alongside us and helping create that same sense of welcome for others.”

Building Trust Through Partnership

SnagChat is part of City Mission’s broader Community Development work, including Project North, which focuses on strengthening connection, listening to local voices and supporting communities to grow from within.

The trailer helps create a consistent and visible presence in the community. Over time, familiar faces become relationships. Conversations become trust. And trust becomes the foundation for deeper connection and support.

This trust is strengthened when local organisations work together. City Mission is committed to collaborating with partners across Launceston, including the City of Launceston, schools, community centres, churches, other not-for-profits and community groups, because no single organisation can build strong communities on its own.

“Sometimes support starts very informally,” Nick says.

“It starts by showing up, being consistent and letting people know they are welcome. SnagChat does that well, especially when we are working alongside partners who already know and care about their community.”

Connection, Dignity and Hope

SnagChat reflects something at the heart of City Mission’s work: transformation often begins in simple, practical acts of care.

Through SnagChat, City Mission is helping create spaces where people can experience dignity, belonging and hope in a very practical way. A meal shared, a conversation started, a person feeling noticed, a family feeling welcome, or someone finding the confidence to give back - these are the moments where real change begins.

It may look like a barbecue.

But for many people, it is much more than that.

It is a place to connect, a place to be welcomed, and sometimes, the first step towards support, confidence and community.

And because it is delivered in partnership with local people and organisations, SnagChat also shows what can happen when a community works together to care for its own.

That is where real impact begins.