HADDON Community Learning Centre is putting the call out for volunteers to help out with their regular community lunches.<\/p>\n
Each meal is held on the third Thursday of most months, and with a fixed kitchen staff of four people, manager Joan Coker said the centre is \u201cdesperate\u201d for new recruits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve struggled with being on and off with COVID, and the cost of running it. We\u2019re down from six people to now three or four,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone pitches in around here. We talked our secretary, Gwen Pyke, into being our chef. Others are helping with kitchen work, and I help out too when I can.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just need anyone willing to help. It could be from washing dishes to setting tables to taking reservations. There\u2019s all sorts of things they can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Coker said she\u2019d like to see two or three new volunteers offer their time and service, and on-the-job training will be provided in place of prior qualifications.<\/p>\n
Each lunch starts at 12.30pm, and volunteers will be required from 10am to 2pm to help primarily with preparation and clean-up.<\/p>\n
With an average intake of about 30 people each month, Ms Coker said the lunch is an important part of some of the attendee\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the same people have been coming for years and years so we don\u2019t want to stop this. And we\u2019d like to go beyond our normal numbers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful thing. You\u2019re helping out the community and they\u2019re very grateful for it. For some of them it\u2019s their only regular outing.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2019It\u2019s important that we can keep it going.\u201d<\/p>\n
If no regular volunteers are enlisted, the centre will consider applying for support grants or hiring a social enterprise in order to meet their regular demand.<\/p>\n
The lunches are self-funded by the centre and cost $12 for a two-course meal, to volunteer call 5342 7050.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HADDON Community Learning Centre is putting the call out for volunteers to help out with their regular community lunches. Each meal is held on the third Thursday of most months, and with a fixed kitchen staff of four people, manager Joan Coker said the centre is \u201cdesperate\u201d for new recruits. \u201cWe\u2019ve struggled with being on […]<\/p>\n