Community café serving up opportunity
A café which enables people with a disability and youth at risk of prolonged unemployment and homelessness to work in a real eatery is celebrating a milestone.
Community Café 11, which is run out of the Carinity Fassifern Community Centre in Boonah, turns one this month.
“The purpose and vision of the café is to provide a community-run café whereby local young people and people with disability can learn all aspects of hospitality,” Samantha Caves from Carinity Fassifern Community Centre says.
Staff and volunteers, who have expert and current industry knowledge, mentor the Community Café 11 personnel.
“Their mentorship provides students with an opportunity to obtain work experience and skill development in food preparation, cake decoration, barista training, customer service, money handling skills, and safe work and hygiene practices,” Samantha says.
“The café initiative strengthens social engagement and ties within the local community, enriching the lives of others through the provision of affordable, tasty and healthy low-cost dishes.”
The café is open to the public every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm and also caters for functions.
“We have found over the past 12 months the café has provided a vital resource that strengthens the local community and enriches the lives of local people, through the provision of services, and activities, which meet local needs,” Samantha says.
The Community Café 11 first birthday celebration will be held at Carinity Fassifern Community Centre, 4 Little High Street, Boonah on Friday July 20 from 10am.
