Two-year partnership supports vulnerable Australians
Engaging with diverse communities with high needs and delivering specialist skills while empowering students is a core mission at William Angliss Institute. Our partnership with St Mary's House of Welcome in Fitzroy, Melbourne exemplifies this commitment.
For over 60 years, St Mary's House of Welcome, a not-for-profit service, has been providing quality meals and social connection for the homeless, disadvantaged, refugees, survivors of abuse and those living with physical or mental health concerns. It's an open space where people can connect with the service to receive information that will allow them to access the support services they need. Many community members are sleeping rough, and this is a great way to enrich social connection.
With extensive community engagement experience, the Institute's Community Initiatives trainer Joanna Osborne, delivers an ongoing non-accredited cooking class to service users in the newly constructed training kitchen at SMHOW headquarters in Fitzroy. The training kitchen, donated by the Daughters of Charity and other corporate and philanthropic supporters, and was constructed during the pandemic.
This popular program has offered the participants the opportunity to connect with community members in a safe, culturally appropriate, supportive, inclusive and fun environment.
St Mary's House of Welcome CEO Robina Bradley said, "The wonderful partnership with the Institute has been running this program for two years, and it will be ongoing. We are working towards developing the participant's practical and social skills in the kitchen and to give them the confidence to be able to cook easy and nutritious meals that they can take home or make at home."
"The onsite training kitchen has all of our participants working in a place where they feel safe in a familiar space, and to see them smile and develop skills makes it all worthwhile and we're really thankful to Joanna and the team at Angliss for partnering with us because through their tireless efforts this program would never have eventuated," she added.
Joanna explained, "We have had a long association with St Mary's House of Welcome. In 2012, we delivered a Certificate II in Hospitality to clients from the service who were hoping to get work in the Hospitality industry."
Learn more about our inspiring Community Programs.
