Empowerment, Communication and Leadership Program
Free to Feed is a social enterprise creating empowering employment opportunities for people seeking asylum and refugees through the creation of shared food experiences. Free to Feed’s Cooking Instructor program is centred in the power of the wisdom and talent that refugees and people seeking asylum bring with them to Melbourne.
Who’s it for?
People of asylum seeker or refugee background who are passionate cooks and want to have a leadership opportunity to explore the expressive and connective power of their food and stories in Australia.
What’s involved?
The 9-month program combines paid employment opportunities (hospitality award rate) with hands on training, mentoring and professional development in leadership, business, events and communications. Self-care, wellbeing and deep community support is provided along the way.
Why is it needed?
This stream nurtures and supports participants’ exploration of the connective, expressive and advocacy power in the Australian community. We think of this as the ‘deep arrival’ stream, empowering participants to discover and master the tools and opportunities to authentically represent themselves and their culture here in their new home country.
Our program draws from best practice, research and our own experience working with people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds who have passion and skills in food. In its design, we have been guided by trauma-informed practice, and theories of acculturation, psychosocial rehabilitation and empowerment in the context of the resettlement experience.
Take part
To learn more and submit a program participant referral, visit Our Program — Free to Feed or speak to the Our Place team.
Marie - Community Facilitator
Phone: 0416596562
marie@ourplace.org.au