TOM HAYES
By TOM HAYES
NEIGHBOURHOOD House Week started in style last week, when the Morwell Neighbourhood House reopened their Kinder Cup café. A portion of the Kinder Cup program proceeds go directly to charity at the Morwell Neighbourhood House, allowing staff and volunteers to continue to support the community. Neighbourhood House Week ran from May 8 to 14, and Latrobe City Councillor Tracie Lund thought it would be fitting to reopen the café during the celebratory week. “We did have to close the social enterprise last year off the back of the impacts of COVID,” Cr Lund said. “We’re now open Monday through to Thursday as a café, and on Friday’s we have our People’s Kitchen program operate out of here.” The People’s Kitchen program aims to provide access to healthy, home-cooked meals and it allows participants to share skills and knowledge about healthy meals. At the same time it increases food security and community involvement for the participants. “So the space is being activated five days a week, sometimes on the weekends when we have some other community activities going as well,” Cr Lund said. Cr Lund spoke on the importance of Morwell Neighbourhood House being able to spread out, so they can invest more into the community. “It’s really important for the Morwell Neighbourhood House to have a space up in the (Morwell) CBD … it is an offshoot of the Morwell Neighbourhood House,” Cr Lund said. “Our aim is to generate an income that helps to diversify our financial options so that we can keep investing in our community. “The work that we’re doing here is supported by a number of local businesses as well.” One of those businesses was there to help with the reopening of the Kinder Cup café, in Fat Cat Coffee Roasters. Daniel Chessells from Fat Cat Coffee Roasters appeared to be more than happy to be helping the Morwell Neighbourhood House. “Obviously just getting behind a good cause because they donate proceeds from this café back into the Morwell Neighbourhood House,” Mr Chessells said. “We sponsor about 16 sporting clubs, we have two personal athlete sponsors, we do a lot in the community with charities, Breast Cancer awareness, and we are about to open our own charity ourselves.” Entering the Kinder Cup café on Tuesday, May 9, the place was abuzz. Tables were filled and staff and volunteers were continually helping and serving people. “I think that’s the big thing … I think when more people know about the location it will be even better,” Mr Chessells said. A Kinder Cup café is located at 65 Church Street, and is open from Monday to Thursday. To enquire or get in contact with Morwell Neighbourhood House, call 5134 5488, or visit them at 48-50 Beattie Crescent, Morwell.
