Harley Hann and Caleb Grosser prepare meals as part of Echuca Regional Health’s Cooking for Change program.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
No-one should have to go to bed hungry.
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But the growing demand for food relief tells a sobering story — some in Echuca are still going without.
So the community is cooking up a response.
A classroom full of eager students, a kitchen stocked with fresh ingredients, and 60 nourishing meals ready to go.
That is the recipe behind Echuca Regional Health’s Cooking for Change program, which is teaching students how to cook, while helping put nutritious meals on the tables of people experiencing food insecurity.
The program arrives at a critical time — demand for food relief has surged dramatically, with Echuca Neighbourhood House jumping from around 20 hampers a week to roughly 40 a day.
Echuca College students cook the meals using donated ingredients, including supplies from Echuca Neighbourhood House — before returning the meals to the organisation for distribution.
Students have produced around 60 meals during the cooking sessions, including chow mein, Mexican bake, and spaghetti bolognese.
The September 16 session took a sweeter turn, with students making apple and rhubarb crumble after feedback showed the older age group particularly enjoyed desserts.
Zyrhelle Opena and Xyrel Alea get to work in the kitchen during a Cooking for Change session at Echuca College.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Organiser Kristy Pauls, a Senior Prevention and Health Promotion Officer at ERH, said the program was helping students appreciate the importance of nutritious food and the challenges faced by people experiencing food insecurity.
“We make sure we bulk up the food meal with a lot of vegetables,” Kristy said.
“So more people have access to nutritious meals.”
The program is also tackling one of the less visible barriers to food relief — the stigma that can stop people from asking for help in the first place.
By teaching students what food relief looks like and where to find it locally, Kristy hopes the more people who understand the system, the easier it becomes for everyone to ask for support without shame.
With demand for food relief continuing to rise across the region, every contribution — whether time, ingredients, or simply spreading the word — can make a real difference to a neighbour in need.
“Food relief has become quite significant locally. So the more we can help out the better,” Kristy said.
Kean Glodoviza and Samantha Sale help prepare nutritious meals for the community through the Cooking for Change program.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
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