Young people spending time at Werribee’s Youth Garage will be able to learn life skills such as food preparation and healthy cooking from next term, after a kitchen was installed at the centre.
Students from Werribee Secondary College’s hands-on learning program and Bunnings staff visited the Market Road youth hub last Wednesday to install the kitchen.
Youth Garage co-ordinator Sandra Inserra said the kitchen would provide young people with a chance to learn new skills and “take something positive away” from their time at the garage. “We will use the kitchen to teach them about first aid, food handling and training about healthy eating,” she said.
“We want to raise the positive profile of young people in Wyndham and show local people they can contribute.”
Ms Inserra said that by giving up their time to install the kitchen, Werribee Secondary College students had shown that young people wanted to be a part of the community.
“Quite often we hear a lot of negative stories of young people in our community. Some of the kids helping out didn’t want to stop for lunch. They knew they were part of something bigger than them that would help other people.”
Anglicare has been running The Garage in Werribee for 17 years, offering young people who are disengaged from school, the community or their families, a place to take part in activities and get support and advice from local services.
Ms Inserra said the hub provided young people with a safe space to be themselves.
