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A very valuable volunteer - Grandma Barb

Volunteers are central to the success of the Kitchen Garden Program, because they make it easier for the children to learn hands-on in small groups. Even if you can't volunteer in a kitchen or garden class, there are other ways to contribute some time and energy.

Our ACT Demonstration School, Majura PS, has some really dedicated volunteers including Barbara Stanilewicz, otherwise known as ‘Grandma Barb'.  

Barb lives on the other side of Canberra, but had been dropping two of her grandchildren at school one day a week as their parents do shift work. She now comes to the school every Tuesday and helps Kitchen Specialist Fran Stevens prepare for classes - chopping up veggies, folding aprons and tea towels or whatever needs doing. She then volunteers in class with two groups of students. 

We asked her about how she got involved in the Program ...

I come from a family of gardeners. My father always kept beautiful fruit trees, and my mother made jams and chutneys and preserved all the fruit with a Fowler's Vacola. I had a Polish husband, and he was from a farming family and we always had a lovely garden, we even kept bees.

When I heard about the Program starting up at Majura I got quite excited and thought it would be lovely if I could do something. I came to talk to Fran to find out what she needed.

I grew up during the war and my own mother couldn't come when we had things like tuck shop on at school. I always got involved when it was my own children, and I'm absolutely loving doing it with my grandchildren.

I just love it. The children are learning about the quality of food, about the value of picking their own vegetables and being able to cook lovely food. I love sitting down to the meal at the end of the class, and the children literally eat everything. They were a little bit cautious at the beginning; they've been taking more interest and getting more adventurous. Some of the boys are just fantastic. You see them lined up outside the door waiting to come in and they can't wait to get their aprons on.

As you get older it's good to feel that you can do something useful. When I get home in the afternoon I'm quite tired - I'm 82 - but I have a siesta in my chair and I'm so happy at what I've done. If anyone was thinking about getting involved I'd tell them to go for it.

Kitchen Specialist Fran Stevens says that Grandma Barb is ‘so helpful, so energetic. It's great that she knows her way around - she can just get in and do it. The two hours she spends in the kitchen before our first class on Tuesday mornings are invaluable - she doesn't stop. If I didn't have Barb, I'd have to find those two hours somewhere else in the week. And I really enjoy her company. The time goes quickly because we're chatting as we're working.'

Congratulations from the Foundation on a fantastic effort Barb.

Learn more about volunteering at a Kitchen Garden School.