News

We love school volunteers!

Our Kitchen Garden School volunteers are always an intrinsic and much-valued part of the Kitchen Garden Program. Dedicated volunteers help small of groups of students in kitchen and garden classes, guiding them through skills such as knifework and peeling and safe use of garden equipment, through to washing aprons, delivering compost and sharing skills such as botanical drawing and trellising. We'd like to say a big thank you to the following kitchen gardeners - your schools have nominated you as volunteer stars over Term 3 and we'd like to share your dedication with the rest of the kitchen garden community.

• Rebecca has been a kitchen stalwart at Aldinga Beach R-7 from day one. She helps out admirably during the kitchen sessions and is always willing to do that little bit extra when necessary. Thanks Bec!
• Geoff at Barooga PS has done a great job of mowing, pruning and weed control and many other odd jobs around the place. On reaching retirement age last term, Geoff decided that he enjoyed working at the school so much that he continues to do so on a voluntary basis. Barooga PS could not keep the garden looking so good without his help.
• Many parents have volunteered their time in the kitchen at Batlow PS.
• Black Hill PS cannot name one star volunteer, as all their volunteers are stars!
• Di is very committed to the Program at Bohlevale SS and always attends willingly to support students and Chef Kelly.
• Marg at Briagolong PS is always relaxed, comes each week, has a laugh or two with the students and has made a wonderful addition to the kitchen team.
• The enthusiasm and initiative of Andrew and Vesna (Andrew's carer) at Bridgewater PS is amazing. They always arrive with a smile and stories to tell. Andrew has had a huge impact on the children, demonstrating anything is possible no matter what your situation. Andrew is blind and has severe and multiple disabilities but is far more capable, life-living and life-giving than many able bodied people! Amy volunteers to work with the children from the Inverbrackie Detention Centre every Friday, and the kids love her!
• At Bulimba SS, Anna has been a huge part of the two pizza fundraisers they have conducted during Term 3, and is always calm and positive under pressure.
• Burrumbuttock PS has Judith (mother of one of the students), who comes whenever her regular work permits to help the students particularly with cutting up the main course ingredients.
• Ray is an absolute legend in the Christie Downs PS kitchen - he is really cool, calm and very patient with all the students - they love him!
• Steve and he is a star at Clarendon PS because he has offered to volunteer each week in kitchen classes and doesn't even have children attending the school. He is a trained chef who is having time off while he cares for his young family. He heard about the Program and is very interested in finding out more while he helps out. Thanks Steve.
• At Collingullie PS, NooNoo ( a grandmother to a number of the students) and Mrs McClure (an ex-teacher from the school who has been battling cancer) came and helped groups to make apple tea cakes on their first alfresco kitchen day and were delighted with the results. NooNoo has been a regular helper.
• At Coober Pedy PS Chevhan Hoad volunteers in the garden - thanks Chevhan!
• Jeanette and Tash at Drake PS have both worked tirelessly on the school's fundraising committee, organising raffles and the upcoming ball, stuffing envelopes with requests for help and generally keeping the project alive and interesting in people's minds.
• Sharron at Driver PS consistently takes a vital role in leading the children in a variety of areas, often caring for multiple groups at a time. She is much loved and appreciated by all the children and is in charge of weekend harvesting so the local palm rats don't eat too much! In the Driver PS kitchen, Kerry comes in every Tuesday and helps set things up for the rest of the week.
• At East Maddington PS, Melissa dressed up in the ‘Bud the Spud' costume to help promote potatoes!
• At Elizabeth Downs PS, Tony is ever-reliable and eager to learn (and is about to replace s the Garden Specialist!), while Leanne volunteers at two schools, often three or four days a week, despite a busy life and family of her own.
• Leana is from El Salvador and shares her culture and recipes with the students at Elizabeth Park PS. She has children at the school and is a very committed and capable volunteer.
• At Flinders Island DHS, Betty is a wonderful, community-spirited person and a pleasure to have as a volunteer. The children enjoy her sense of humour and enthusiasm for the Kitchen Garden Program.
• Kim and Jodie at Forbes North PS help regularly in the school's kitchen and garden classes.
• At Gunnedah South PS, Annette simultaneously takes two groups of four children each Wednesday for cooking and can be regularly seen in and around the garden keeping things ship-shape. She is a keen gardener, keen cook and one of our town's busiest and most respected volunteers.
• David is a long-time volunteer and supporter of Hampstead PS and offers his expertise in garden classes, including a pruning session of the school's fruit trees.
• Alan is a generous spirit and grandparent of children at Happy Valley PS who gives so much of his time to support kitchen classes.
• James turns up every week at Hay PS and is always helpful.
• At Inglewood SS, Kellie is a tireless volunteer who turns up every week to help with the cooking classes. Also, the school was recently able to provide lunch for the 2011 Variety Bash that came through Inglewood for lunch. Lasagne, salad, bread and slices were the tasty treats offered for lunch at $15 a head. There were approximately 460 people to feed - a huge effort by many volunteers.
• Kilkenny PS is lucky to have April, who has volunteered since the beginning of kitchen classes a year ago. She is incredibly proud of the school and impressed with how students have progressed. She is a loyal and dedicated person, a real pleasure to have in the kitchen.
• Tania contacted Littlehampton PS to volunteer her time to make a mosaic potting table for the garden. The project involved working with all students from Year 2 to 7 who work in the kitchen and garden classes. All the students made circles representing foods made from produce in the garden - a fabulous school project!
• Carol is one of the wonderful volunteers at Macclesfield PS, and has been encouraging more volunteers by writing articles on the joy of kitchen classes for the school newsletter - great idea Carol!
• At Meadows PS Sonia works in the garden, the kids just love her and she is up for anything. Her passion and enthusiasm for the Program knows no bounds. She also has a lot of gardening knowledge, which is a great help.
• At Montello PS, Lesley turns up week after week and never complains regardless of what she is asked to do! Dylan is also a star volunteer in the garden - he started coming every Wednesday but was such a help that he now also comes in from 10 am each Tuesday.
• Harry is a regular volunteer in the garden at O'Sullivan Beach PS - great work Harry!
• Donna and Benny have been helping in the Port Dalrymple PS kitchen on Tuesdays. They have been a wonderful support working with groups of students during kitchen classes and their work is very much valued and appreciated.
• Pete volunteers in the Rostrata PS garden every two weeks. He comes to the garden with his son every Friday morning for half a day to help maintain and develop the garden infrastructure. He helped build the chicken dust bath area, dig holes in the blink of an eye and raised the levels of garden beds with great precision. He has used some expert fencing techniques for wiring up the trellising for the grape vines and also tells great Scottish stories that keep everyone entertained!
• All the volunteers at Snug PS are stars!
• At Ungarra PS, Clare helps in kitchen classes when staff members are absent and even offers to do extra cleaning and washing to help.
• At Vaucluse PS, Deb has volunteered for several kitchen classes and is always on hand at garden working bees. Deb also holds a weekly stall on a Monday afternoon, selling any excess produce the school garden produces as well as tickets for a hamper raffle and yummy home-baked cupcakes. The proceeds from this stall are currently funding the pantry for the kitchen and seed money for the garden. Her cheerful disposition and lovely manner with the children is always welcome.
• Robyn has become part of the team at Wellington Point SS, rising at four in the morning to bake muffins as a fundraiser for the Program, then coming to the school first thing to help set up kitchen classes. She then stays all day for all the classes and is the last to leave after cleaning up. Ian has also helped the school put in storm drains to stop so much water soaking into the garden shed.
• Anne and Di at Wentworth PS have been wonderful help in kitchen classes. Anne has been with the school since the Program started and is always patient and guides the children with care. Di began volunteering this year and has been helpful with finding all sorts of things they can use in the kitchen.
• Steve at Whalan PS always works willingly and hard, even in the rain, and is always available at short notice.
• Jo has attended most weeks since formal kitchen classes began at Whitton PS, while Andrew has grafted six fruit trees for the school to plant in the orchard, supplied the school with organic fruit fly controls and given them advice on caring for the garden to avoid a fruit fly problem.
• Wirrabara PS has two volunteers who regularly help out: Denise comes every week alternating between the garden and the kitchen, and Vicky is always ready to help in either the garden or the kitchen.
• Star volunteers at Zig Zag PS are two fathers who erected the chook yard, Andrew and Rod.

We know there are many more people not mentioned above who are supporting Kitchen Garden Schools in many ways - watch this space!

If you'd like to become a Kitchen Garden School volunteer, just contact a school near you.