A group of Koorie students from Crusoe College recently took part in our Cooking for Change program, combining hands-on cooking with cultural learning and giving back to their community.
The three part program began with a visit to our warehouse, where students learned about food insecurity, explored how food relief supports local people and families and discovered how rescued food can make a real difference across Central Victoria.
Back at school students rolled up their sleeves for two practical cooking sessions, preparing more than 300 nutritious meals for our food relief program. Working together, they built new cooking skills while creating meals that would go on to support individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
The impact of their efforts became even more meaningful when they heard directly from people who had received their meals.
“Your meals are a very important part of my daily life as I’m unable to make my favourite meals anymore. So grateful for your meals.”
“It was so delicious! We appreciate the hard work you put into such a yummy meal. My family had a nice full belly and was very happy.”
For many students, these messages reinforced that something as simple as cooking a meal can have a lasting impact on someone else’s day.
The program concluded with a special NAIDOC Week celebration alongside Ben and Chase from Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation’s Youth Team. Together, students explored the connection between food, culture and community while learning about bush tucker and cooking with native ingredients.
On the menu were kangaroo sausage rolls with pepperberry and native thyme, wattleseed protein balls and lemon myrtle slice, which the students proudly shared with fellow students and staff as part of the school’s NAIDOC Week celebrations.
Cooking for Change is about more than learning to cook. It helps young people build practical life skills, confidence and a deeper understanding of their community, while showing them that they can make a genuine difference.
Through generosity, teamwork and a willingness to learn, the Crusoe College Koorie students demonstrated how food can connect people, celebrate culture and create positive change, one meal at a time.
