When I launched The Good Kitchen last year I thought that the main focus would be to provide food for the vulnerable people here in Mussomeli. Fast forward 8 months to today and I am so happy to announce that we are also providing a safe space for the young people of the town to come and volunteer and learn very valuable cooking skills along the way.
Last year, when it was Covid safe, we ran cooking classes for some of the children from the town and as a result of those classes we have 3 star students who asked me if they could come and help cook on a Sunday. Davide (10) and twins Nicholas and Frank (12) are now volunteering here in The Good Kitchen. This is the day where we cook for the elderly people of the town and also for Casa Vanessa, the house where the children live who parents have sadly abandoned them.
One of the great joys for me is when the lads accompany me on the journey to deliver all of the lunches. This is such a profound reference point for the children as they are helping other people who are facing some real challenges in life. Yesterday I set out with Nicholas to deliver lunch to an elderly man who is unable to cook for himself and we ended up getting lost (easy to do in the old town in Mussomeli). It was pouring with rain and very cold and as we turned another corner we spotted Davide and Frank who were looking for us. They were worried that we were taking a long time so they set out to find us and to guide us to the man's house.
Last night as I closed the door to the kitchen I thought to myself that that the episode from the earlier in the day represents everything the essence and the soul of this beautiful town. Looking forward to sharing more joy with you all from Mussomeli....