General News
25 May, 2023
Cooking capacity increased
CAMPERDOWN’S Uniting Church will have a better capacity at its community meals thanks to a new oven, purchased with a grant from Bendigo Bank.
CAMPERDOWN’S Uniting Church will have a better capacity at its community meals thanks to a new oven, purchased with a grant from Bendigo Bank.
The new Turbo oven doubles capacity, enabling more meals to be cooked and served at the community meals.
Camperdown Uniting Church coordinator Jennine Harrison said she approached Colin Hayman at the church, who then approached Bendigo Bank for a grant.
“Sometimes there’s not enough room, so it’s going to make a really big difference to the community meal,” she said.
“Besides the community meals, it has given an extra oven to make things much easier.
“It will also be good for the Uniting Church when they have funerals and functions there as well.”
Ms Harrison said she wanted to thank the church for approaching Bendigo Bank on behalf of the volunteers that operate the community meals every Wednesday
“I’d also like to thank Bendigo Bank for giving us the grant to go towards the oven,” she said.
“Without them, we probably wouldn’t have been able to get it.
“They are amazing; they’re always there to help organisations such as community meals and the community, so it’s really great of them to donate it.
“I think everybody will just appreciate it; everybody who uses the kitchen at the Uniting Church will appreciate it.”
Bendigo Bank board member Bill Duncanson said the community meal was a welcoming program, with everyone who wishes to go invited to come along.
“Most people are lonely; for the elderly people who live alone, it’s their opportunity each week to meet and enjoy social activities as well as having a meal together,” he said.
“We had supported the community meal before, together with Lions, in providing some refrigerated storage and frozen storage so they can keep frozen food.
“This time, the situation is, particularly at Christmas time and on some other meal days, the capacity of the ovens wasn’t enough.”
Mr Duncanson said many volunteers have had to cook or partially cook meals at home and bring them to the church due to a lack of space in the ovens.
“It’s not a matter of supporting the church, it’s a matter of supporting people who want to meet socially and enjoy a meal as they do it,” he said.
“For many of these people, it’s the best meal they have for the week.”