Awards for Altona’s kitchen angels

Sue King at the Altona Senior Citizens Centre where job seekers cook lunch for older residents. Photo: Damjan Janevski

The Altona Senior Citizens Club has been recognised for its role in a work-for-the-dole program helping job seekers and older residents.

Club president Sue King worked with Djerriwarrh work-for-the-dole co-ordinators to develop a program in which job seekers cook three-course lunches to serve at the Altona Senior Citizens Centre.

Seniors are invited to attend lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays for either a gold-coin donation or free of charge.

The program was last week recognised in Djerriwarrh’s awards in the categories of most outstanding individual placement activity and most outstanding work-like experience activity.

The club was also recognised for publishing

The Nutritious Cook Book, which was awarded for providing the most outstanding community benefit.

Seniors voted for their favourite meals cooked by job seekers and the winning dishes went into the cookbook.

Ms King refers to the job seekers as her “kitchen angels”.

“Honestly, we’ve had just such a great relationship with each project with our kitchen angels,” she said.

“They’re really grouse. Some of them are volunteering time specifically on their own.”