Feeding Benalla’s most vulnerable, learning valuable life-lessons and forging a path to future employment. The Rose City’s latest collaboration ticks all the boxes for one local school.
In recent weeks, students from Benalla’s Flexible Learning Centre have been preparing and cooking meals for the Benalla Homelessness Response Group’s Welcome Kitchen under the guidance of Craig Robinson from the Melbourne City Institute of Education.
Benalla Flexible Learning Centre leading teacher Celine Forster said Year 11 and 12 students are currently completing their VCE Vocational Major.
“This (class) is linked to work-related skills and their personal development skills subjects,” she said.
“We also have one of our Victorian Pathway Certificate students involved as well.”
Ms Forster said as part of the collaboration, the Vocational Major students were doing their Unit 2 and Unit 4 studies.
“There are two different classes,” she said.
“In those, they're able to develop their cooking skills and knife skills.
“Craig Robinson comes in to help with that. He's a VET trainer for commercial cookery.
“We’re working here today (at the Flexible Learning Centre), but they’ve met and worked with Craig before, down at Ella Goose, where they’ve learned how a commercial kitchen operates.
“They’ve helped package up meals he’s already cooked.
“Now we're at a point where we wanted to take it to the next level.
“And we've been generously asked if we can help prepare meals for BHRG each week, which has been brilliant because our students are developing their skills in the kitchen while making food for people who they have a genuine concern for.
“For them, that’s really important, because a lot of our kids are vulnerable from all different backgrounds.
“They're very invested in what's happening in their community and helping other people.”
Ms Forster said students were working in different teams, bringing the cooking skills they’ve learnt together for a great cause.
“Which is really lovely to see,” she said.
“Some of the kids had never peeled (food) before, and were very short on culinary skills.
“But by the end of a lesson, they're peeling like professionals,
“Sometimes they have to pivot when there’s a challenge, like being short on time.
“They’ve got to look at things like how they’re going to package the meals and make sure everything's cooked properly in less time than they expected.”
Ms Forster said the VCP student involved is Max Wolf.
“He does the posters BHRG put up on the Facebook page asking for different food items and for any mittens and scarves and things like that,” Ms Forster said.
“Kate (Holmes) from the homelessness response group lets us know what they're needing in that space.
“Max is very passionate about it, and it's very exciting for him to be able to participate.”
BHRG president Kate Holmes said she was honoured to have help from local students.
“I think it's a critical part of community building that young people are excited to have opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community,” she said.
“It becomes part of that holistic response.
“It's really terrific in terms of the food and the support, to supply food to a project like the Welcome Kitchen is just amazing.
“We have this dedicated team on board who really understand and value what they do, and the importance of being able to help out when there are others around who are doing it tough.”
Ms Holmes also wanted to let the community know that the Welcome Kitchen would be moving from its current location under Benalla Library.
“So on Sundays, for the rest of winter, the Welcome Kitchen community meals will be at the Anglican Church, 67 Arundel St,” she said.
“So people coming down for a meal, are welcome to stay on at the night shelter, if they need to.”