Back row from left- Trevor Pether, Darcy Thompson, Colin Byrnes, Tony Dickeson.
Front from left- Patrece Maxwell, Tia Lawson, Kate Lonergan.
Cootamundra U3A were very pleased with the strong turn out of Members on Last Wednesday afternoon 2nd September, when guest speakers for the day came together representing the volunteers who work tirelessly for the Cootamundra Community Kitchen and the Community Kitchen Gardens.
Members were given a brief introduction by volunteer Tony Dickeson who then introduced each of the speakers in turn. The gathered audience was initially addressed by local retired businessman and jack of all trades, Trevor Pether, who provided some history, including photographs, on the building and operation of the Community Kitchen Garden and the facilities there, both before, during and after the Covid epidemic. Trevor also showed photographs of the fully equipped and commercial layout of the Cootamundra Community Kitchen.
The gardens project lost significant momentum during the COVID years and, despite the amazing set up, the garden was almost lost to the community as it became overgrown with weeds and lack of maintenance. Trevor, however, had kept it going in part, continuing to provide the Community kitchen with any produce he had grown, until he was joined last year by volunteer Col Byrnes, and subsequently by Tony Dickeson. Both men attend the gardens regularly to ensure crops and plantings are progressing well and maintain the garden beds and infrastructure.
During Trevor’s time with the Gardens the local Sacred Heart Catholic High School students and teachers also began to participate, and as part of their learning and giving back to the community programme, students attended at the gardens on a Tuesday Morning and this continues each week now, as a group of students come together representing the school to help out each week as part of their learning.
Tony introduced their teacher Ms Patrece Maxwell, and school captains, Darcy Thompson and Tia Lawson. Ms Maxwell spoke briefly about the programmes the school runs to encourage students to learn about and understand the needs and requirements of various groups that make up their local community, and to also learn the joy of giving through volunteering.
The students are keen and can get involved in the many aspects of maintaining the gardens, under the supervision of the volunteers and their teacher. Their work includes shovelling manure, weeding, digging in wire to secure the chook yard, learning about plants and planting some, testing produce they had not necessarily known about etc. – and it was wonderful to hear from both the school captains (Darcy and Tia), who were very entertaining as they described their experiences volunteering under the school programme, not only in the gardens, but throughout the town where they are split into groups each week and rotate through the Nursing home, spending quality time there with the elderly residents.
The Eloura School learnt how other students in the community are taught and mingled freely with them and learnt about cleaning and maintenance at the Catholic Church with Sister Cathy.
Both Darcy and Tia were so very positive about each of the experiences and look forward to their time under this programme, learning about the different sectors and differing needs of the local community. Both admitted that the rotations had taught them a lot about community needs that they had not been aware of before.
Tony then introduced the Community Kitchen representative Kate Lonergen, who has been a conveyor, coordinator and cook in the Community Kitchen for over sixteen years.
Kate spoke of the great need within the town for the Community Kitchen, and described the previous Soup kitchen (as it was then called ) and how delighted she and other volunteers were when the old Methodist Hall was converted into a fully functioning commercial kitchen with freezers, a cool room and commercial cooking appliances, hence becoming the Cootamundra Community Kitchen.
We were told that the various charities around town refer struggling clientele to the kitchen, and that the kitchen is open to all the community each Wednesday evening and anyone in the community is welcome to come in, sit down and enjoy a meal. All meals being free of charge to the people who come for them and the many who receive meal deliveries.
Frozen meals are also available to those who request them. Over 100 meals are prepared in the kitchen each Wednesday and there is a team of volunteer cooks who rotate from week to week, numbering around 45 members of our community.
The Community kitchen garden delivers fresh produce in season, Woolworths also donates large amounts of food and related goods, many people donate what they can, but the need keeps growing.
Kate spoke about her concern for getting older and said her hopes the much-needed service to help the less fortunate in our community will continue on, as the service is vital to the wellbeing of the community.
The speakers enlightened U3A members regarding the workings and collaboration between the Cootamundra Community Kitchen, the Cootamundra Community Kitchen Garden, local business and the growing needs of Cootamundra Community as a whole.
The volunteers were very well received and given a resounding round of applause. The feedback was instant; with many attendees saying they had been totally unaware of the great work being carried out by a few volunteers and how great the need for these services is in our own community.
U3A thank all who attended and each of the volunteers who provided such insight into the quiet achievements of a few in providing a much-needed service to the local community.
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