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Fantastic Kitchen Garden School Volunteers – May 2012

It’s National Volunteer Week and we’re thanking some star volunteers who give their time and energy to Kitchen Garden Schools around Australia. Regular and dedicated volunteers are essential for schools to run the Kitchen Garden Program successfully. Here are some fabulous volunteers from the beginning of 2012.

• Peter, a Majura PS grandfather, has resumed his two and a half days a week of invaluable, reliable help in the garden. Majura is also very grateful to have Ian and Edwina, who are local retirees with no family links to the school. Ian has built several tables and small structures, and installed a pump that now pressurises the schools tank water, making it practical to use rainwater in the garden. Edwina helps with both kitchen and garden classes, the Lunch Garden Lunch Club, holiday garden management (essential to have this well organised!) and more.
• Noni, who is a parent at Rostrata PS, has been involved in the Program from the very beginning and continues to play a pivotal role in fundraising. Noni is a valuable member of the Rostrata PS Kitchen Garden Program committee.
• Wyangala Dam PS have recently completed work on their brand new kitchen. Local electrician Michael very generously donated his services in full to the school.
• ‘All my volunteers have been stars!’ (Program Coordinator at Black Hill PS)
• Bondi PS want to thank two amazing volunteers, Mick and Elizabeth. Neither Mick nor Elizabeth have children in the class they volunteer in but the students they work with absolutely adore them. They are both exceptional in their commitment to the Program.
• Mandy is a mum at Bungwhal PS and loves to help out in the garden. Mandy has surprised everyone with her gardening knowledge and expert fruit-tree pruning skills!
• Fay is always available in the garden at Numeralla PS. The school is also grateful to have Peter volunteering in both kitchen and garden classes. Peter is a community member, with no children or grandchildren of his own. He is fantastic with the students and volunteers every week in the garden and kitchen, rain, hail, snow or shine. And they have had a lot of rain recently!
• Gregg worked tirelessly to complete the concrete slab for the outdoor classroom at Wentworth PS. Gregg is the President of the Wentworth Rotary Club and is passionate about supporting the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at the school. He normally helps in our kitchen classes but this term his amazing efforts went into the concreting. The school feel truly blessed to have his help.
• Shelly is a capable, helpful and flexible volunteer at Wombat PS who will happily work in either the kitchen or garden. Every week Shelly arrives with a big smile!
• The Kitchen Garden Program at Gunnedah South PS has a wonderful volunteer, Noeline, who is committed and positive and sees good in everything and everyone. Noeline is transitioning to become a paid Kitchen Specialist at another NSW Kitchen Garden School. We wish her well.
• Local community gardener Graeme assists greatly with the garden at Whalan PS and also donated vegetable and herb seedlings.
• Julie is a fantastic kitchen helper at Zig Zag PS.
• Deb is a parent helper at Seaforth PS and is always willing to assist with every task.
• Ngaira has voluntarily spent many hours working with the Kitchen Specialist at Apollo bay P-12, helping to get kitchen classes off to a flying start. Her constructive contributions are invaluable! Her dedication has meant the Program Coordinator at the school can put more time towards working in the garden.
• Auburn South PS has wonderful volunteer Liz who is very enthusiastic about the Program.
• Pa Cassidy happily turns up every Wednesday and donates seed to the garden at Barham PS. He also sources lots of useful products for the Kitchen Garden Program at the school.
• Sam has volunteered every week since the beginning of the Kitchen Garden Program at Brunswick South PS. She has encouraged other people to volunteer and has also started volunteering in other areas of the school.
• Community member Norma is involved in kitchen and garden classes at Daylesford PS and is an absolute star. In addition to giving her time so willingly to volunteer in classes, Norma has also typed and collated all the recipes cooked to date in the Program at the school. These recipes will be used in a school recipe book that will be produced later in 2012.
• Delacombe PS has lots of parents who have worked hard in the garden and kitchen. Stacey stands out as she volunteers regularly in garden and kitchen classes.
• Michelle has a fantastic attitude to the kitchen classes at Kingswood PS, helping out in more than one class.
• Barry came all the way from Gippsland to help plant leeks and carrots in his grandson’s garden class at Montmorency South PS!
• Vivian is a regular in not only her own child’s class, but also helps often in other classes in the kitchen and garden at Mt Eliza PS. She is always willing to go that extra mile and is a competent cook and helper.
• Wooragee PS have been very lucky to have some wonderful volunteers. One particular star is Sarah – the children love working with Sarah and also love her ability to make the environment fun! Owen is the resident ‘garden gnome’ at the school and has ensured their mosaic herb planters are worked on each week. Owen and his wife Robin have propagated herbs and ginger plants for the school to sell at their annual Easter Market and also assisted in teaching the children potting up and propagating plants and bulbs.
• ‘Nonna’ volunteers twice a week and is a valuable contributor to the success of the Program at Point Cook P-12. She has grandchildren in Year 3.
• Erryn is a parent at Tambo Upper PS and is a valuable kitchen garden volunteer.
• Tanya generously shares her kitchen and garden knowledge with the students at Terang PS.
• Murray has helped Birdwood PS save thousands of dollars through his hard work and dedication in setting up their kitchen and garden.
• Coomandook Area School has lots of star volunteers. Two of them are Denise who has helped the school with sponsorship, and Susie who made a splashback.
• Krys – a new volunteer at Elizabeth Park PS this year, works really well with the kids and gets along well with all our other kitchen volunteers.
• Volunteers learn from their time helping with the Kitchen Garden Program. Kylie is a mum of students at Kilkenny PS, is a loyal, hardworking volunteer in kitchen classes and is wonderful at guiding the students. Since she started volunteering Kylie has gained confidence in the kitchen and is cooking at lot more at home now too.
• Plants need watering on the weekend too! Susanna is a grandmother of two students at Loxton PS and is not only a devoted volunteer during classes, but she also waters seedlings on the weekend.
• Kylie works in the kitchen and garden with the students at Macclesfield PS and also makes time to work on bigger jobs. In Term 1 she was a great help working on the propagation shed.
• It takes a lot of dedicated people to run the Kitchen Garden Program successfully. Karen at McDonald Park PS is certainly contributing to their Program. She regularly volunteers in the kitchen, has volunteered to be a founding member of the committee focused on running the Program, attends working bees and has been a stallholder at a fundraising event. Keep up the great work Karen!
• Students really enjoy when their parents or grandparents (or uncles, aunts, cousins etc.) volunteer. Tamryn at O’Sullivan Beach PS loves it when her grandfather volunteers.
• Tracey comes in for each cooking and gardening class with her granddaughter at Stirling North PS. She is regularly reliable, enjoys eating with the children and is a fantastic kitchen workstation cleaner!
• Nicole is a new member of the Wirrabara PS community and is making a positive impact on their Kitchen Garden Program. She volunteered for most garden lessons and helped out in the kitchen a number of times. She is enthusiastic and works very well with the kids.

• Volunteer Lyn has no ties with Goroke PS so her help is greatly appreciated and unexpected. Lyn has a sensational rapport with the students and has also assisted by donating significant produce for the kitchen and seedlings for the garden. Unfortunately Lyn cannot continue to volunteer at the school and her presence will be greatly missed.

• Vanessa devotes an entire day to helping with three cooking classes at The Heights PS. She brings her own cooking creativity and enthusiasm, which is so important in keeping the kids inspired and engaged.

You don’t need special skills or qualifications to be a kitchen garden volunteer, just a passion for cooking or gardening (or both!) and a willingness to engage children in learning about food in a pleasurable way. Volunteering in schools is a very rewarding experience and contributes greatly to the success of the Kitchen Garden Program.

If you would like to volunteer with a Kitchen Garden School please look for a school near you and contact them directly regarding any current opportunities. They will be very pleased to welcome you to the kitchen garden community!