Community Kitchens Grow Cook Share Presented by: Date:

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What will be covered today? Overview of Community Kitchens Small Group Activity Break Group Discussion Group Activity – Experience a Planning Session! Close

What is a Community Kitchen? Every Community Kitchen is different Groups of people (usually 6-8 people) who regularly meet to cook and share healthy and affordable meals. They are owned driven by all participants Pick recipes, budget, cook and eat together Supported by a 1-2 group leaders – employed worker or volunteer A typical session lasts around 2-3 hours Supported by a host organisation

Where are they held? Run in any community location that has a kitchen! For example: –Churches –Schools –neighbourhood houses –community health services –Workplaces –Men’s Sheds

Essential elements There is no ‘one way’ or ‘right way’ to run a Community Kitchen. However, there are a few key features that are essential allowing groups to bypass strict food safety legislation and ensure an empowerment and capacity building model (rather than a welfare model) is followed. Held on a regular basis (usually weekly or fortnightly) It is participant driven. All participants are actively involved in the growing, planning, preparation and cooking of food Food prepared is shared among participants and/or members of their household (meals are not given away or sold)

What a Community Kitchen is NOT Cooking classes – Community Kitchens participants learn from each other and through their own hands-on experiences rather than from one ‘expert’ person teaching the group Welfare-style soup kitchens – Community Kitchens participants contribute to the costs of the food and cook the food themselves: they have full ownership and there are no handouts Communal cooking spaces – Community Kitchens refers to the group of participants who use kitchen facilities to prepare food together, not a kitchen site itself.

Grow Some Community Kitchens like to incorporate ‘growing’. Benefits of ‘growing’ herbs, vegetables and fruit as part of a Community Kitchen: –appropriate activity for people of all ages –people learn how to grow, prepare and cook with fresh produce –can help Community Kitchens to save money and reduce waste –great for mental health and wellbeing, as they are generally relaxing and visually pleasing spaces –satisfaction in eating produce you have grown yourself –there are lots of roles available for participants including planting seeds, weeding, watering and harvesting Limited space? –container or wicking bed gardens may be an option –link in with an local Community Garden

Plan All participants are involved in the planning for a cooking session. Participants work together to: select recipes modify recipes (if required) develop a shopping list work out how the much it will cost to cook the recipes collect payment or donations (if required) work out who will harvest produce from the garden/shop for the ingredients.

Healthy Eating Community Kitchens aim to improve or maintain physical and mental health, therefore healthy eating is an important component of the Community Kitchen concept. It is recommended that: –most of the food prepared and cooked within a Community Kitchen is healthy –desserts / sweets should be limited –alcohol should not be brought to a Community Kitchen

Cook Ready, Steady, Cook! The group leader provides copies of the recipes agreed upon by the participants in the planning session Participants work together to decide who will do what (chop vegetables, set the table etc.). The group leader ensures all participants know what they are cooking, who they are cooking with, and where all the equipment is. The group leader is a participant in this cooking process, however are available to assist other participants when needed. Some groups will sit down to share the meal together, while others may prefer to take it home to share with families. Food must not be given away or sold (allows groups to bypass strict food safety legislation requirements).

What are the benefits? Healthy Eating & Food Access Skill Development Social ConnectionPartnerships enable people to connect improve access to healthy food development of knowledge and skills improve motivation to cook at home and reduce intake of takeaway and fast food build confidence and self-esteem develop and strengthen community partnerships increase access to employment and volunteering opportunities are owned and driven by the community, for the community – improving sustainability and outcomes.

Who benefits from Community Kitchens? Community Kitchens are for everyone! They can target the overall community or a specific community group (people with diabetes, people with special dietary needs, young mums, kids, seniors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, new migrants, people with disabilities, families, workplace staff….

Setting up a Community Kitchen:

Support Available Insert what support is available to help groups in your local area to set up and run Community Kitchens…

Small Group Activity – Part 1 Split into groups of about 6-10 people As a group pick a group of people in the community who would benefit from a Community Kitchen (young people, people living with a mental heath condition etc.) Discuss where and how a Community Kitchen could run for this target group. What kinds of resources would be needed? Are there any organisations or people who may be able to help? Pick one person from the group to share your groups ideas

Break!

Group Discussion – Part 2 Each small group share their ideas Large group discussion

Group Planning Activity (if time) Split into small groups of approx 6-8 people Imagine you are a Community Kitchen group As a group, review some recipes and agree on a couple to cook in the following week. Fill out the Meal Plan and Shopping List. Estimate how much it will cost to cook the recipes One person in each group pretend to collect everyone’s small financial contribution and record it in the Money Record. Determine who will do the shopping for ingredients.

Close Thank you so much for coming! We hope that after today you have a greater understanding of Community Kitchens. If you would like to be involved as a participant, group leader, host organisation, supporting agency or referrer... Please let us know! Finally… we would really appreciate it if you could fill in an evaluation form Thank you!