It gives me great pleasure to let you all know that last Friday we launched The Good Kitchen here in Mussomeli. It seems like such a long time ago when I first arrived here and thought of the idea of launching a Community Kitchen. In reality it is just over 6 months and I feel very proud of what I have achieved in that time.
Last Friday the local supermarket Sisa delivered some surplus food that we cooked with and we also had a load of tomatoes that we collected from a local farm. I invited all of the brilliant people in the town who have helped me launch the kitchen as well as all of my neighbours. I was so moved to see all of my neighbours arriving with their children, such kind souls. I ordered some calzone from Enzo the brilliant baker and he was so kind as he also donated 20 loaves of bread for the event.
The students from Aci Strauss helped me cook and run the event and I am so grateful for their help. The students are from all over Europe and I loved having the chance to get to know them whilst we were cooking together. I gave a speech in Italian and I said "Thank you to everyone for attending. I love Mussomeli. Everyone has made me a part of their family. The Good Kitchen belongs to you all."
There are four projects that I am working on now that the kitchen has launched:
A sit down meal every Friday at 1pm using surplus food. This is for people who are marginalised and who would enjoy sitting down to a meal cooked by me and the volunteers. I am working with the various charities in the town to invite the guests for this lunch.
A sit down meal for elderly people who do not have family here in Mussomeli.
Cooked food and food parcels for elderly people who cannot leave their homes.
On Sunday's a team of volunteers will collect 2 meals from the kitchen and they will deliver the meal to an elderly person who does not have a family here. The volunteer will sit with that elderly person and share a meal together.
I have a booking already for the lunch this Friday and I am sure that in time we will have many more bookings as more people find out about the kitchen and the services that we offer. The most important thing for me is that we have started the kitchen and that is good news indeed!
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