Have you been looking for ways to give back to the community? Keen to give volunteering a try? We have just the thing to help you do that: OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause workshops.
OzHarvest began in 2004 after founder Ronni Kahn realised just how much food was going to waste from her events business. Starting with only one van that she would use to donate food to local charities across Sydney, it has grown into Australia’s leading food rescue organisation with community food banks, food trucks, youth education programs and team-building cooking classes.
Volunteers are fondly known as the ‘yellow army’ and help with everything from loading and unloading the delivery van to fundraising, assisting in the kitchen and running market stalls. OzHarvest’s mission is to stop food waste, feed people in need and protect the planet by championing the value of food. The team is also committed to halving food waste by 2030 and inspiring and encouraging other people to do the same.
One of the key ways you can help this cause is by taking part in one of the Cooking for a Cause classes. Perfect for a team-building outing with your colleagues or a wholesome friend catch-up, the three-hour sessions run from Monday to Friday at OzHarvest’s headquarters in Port Melbourne.
During them, you’ll chip in to make a nourishing meal that will be picked up by a team of food rescue drivers and delivered to charities that support those in need. You’ll also learn zero-waste cooking tips and tricks, plus a few mind-blowing facts that are guaranteed to make you reconsider your own habits (did you know Aussies waste 7.6 million tonnes of food each year, 70 per cent of which is perfectly edible? Woah).
Time Out Melbourne was lucky enough to join a recent workshop, making a delicious curry with couscous and dahl, plus a chocolate cake. And while the fuzzy feeling you get from knowing the meal you cooked is going to make a huge difference in someone’s life is undeniably the high point, another perk is getting to taste the dish you’ve created. And ours tasted pretty darn good, if we do say so ourselves.
OzHarvest has now served more than 250 million meals to vulnerable people right across Australia – so go on, you know you want to be part of this special movement. Cooking for a Cause classes are $205 per person (this cost is tax deductible), with group sizes varying from eight to 30 people.
For more information on the sessions, and to find out how you can join the yellow army, head to the website.
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