MELBOURNE | What a joy it was to attend the launch of Free To Feed‘s beautiful new Clifton Hill home on Thursday. Its next door to the Art Deco McDonald’s and occupies the space that used to be home to Que Club (who, by the way, are still serving up fantastic BBQ in the old Hellenic Republic Brunswick East space).
Free To Feed is a social enterprise founded in late 2015 with the purpose of assisting refugees and people seeking asylum to (a) find meaningful employment opportunities using their existing skills and experiences and (b) facilitate community interconnectivity and break the stifling sense of social isolation often faced by these new arrivals.
They do this in a number of ways. Free To Fred’s cooks in residence blend an assortment of spices which you can purchase. They also run cooking classes, host food experiences and workshops, and run events and provide catering.
How’s this for stats. Since 2016, Free To Feed have provided over 21,800 hours paid training, run over 1200 life-changing events, and distributed over $545,700 in employment wages to people seeking asylum and refugees.
When you get involved, you don’t just end up with delicious food but you also get taken on a cultural journey, and make new connections. The delicious grazing table at the event transported me back to my trip to Iran a few years ago.
Congratulations on the new space to all involved. Here’s to helping enrich the lives of so many more.
Free To Feed
205-211 Queens Parade
Fitzroy North
Victoria 3068
Australia
Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Varies depending on courses