Much-needed upgrades to the Hervey Bay Community Centre's kitchen will help HBNC's social enterprise continue providing valuable hospitality training and cooking healthy, nutritious meals for the community's most vulnerable.

The Wandering Teapot, HBNC's social enterprise, has received $25,000 through the Queensland Government's Social Enterprise Growth Grant program. This funding will be used to upgrade the kitchen at the Hervey Bay Community Centre, allowing The Wandering Teapot to continue its vital work of providing healthy, nutritious meals to the local community.

Cate Akaveka, HBNC's Enterprise and Development Manager, expressed her gratitude for the funding.

"This grant will allow us to make much-needed upgrades to our kitchen, which will help us to continue serving our community with healthy and delicious food through Comfort Kitchen and our catering service," Cate said.

"It will also enrich the experience of our hospitality trainees, who learn life-changing job skills through The Wandering Teapot training program.

"We are so grateful for the support of the Queensland Government and Adrian Tantari, Hervey Bay State MP, for recognizing the important work that we do."

Cate said the funding would also help expand The Wandering Teapot's catering business, the profits from which go towards HBNC's community programs.

If you would like to support The Wandering Teapot's valuable work, please consider donating to Comfort Kitchen.

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Hervey Bay MP Adrian Tantari, HBNC Enterprise and Development Manager Cate Akaveka and some of the Comfort Kitchen crew.

The Wandering Teapot is a social enterprise of the HBNC, which aims to create sustainable social outcomes by using business practices to achieve community goals.

The Wandering Teapot runs a fully functioning cafe, catering business and hospitality training program to support local jobseekers.

All profits are reinvested into programs aimed at ending local poverty and creating job opportunities.

Planned upgrades include installing a commercial-grade dishwasher, improving the clean-up and prep area and purchasing an upgraded freezer.

"This will make things easier and more efficient for the volunteers and trainees who prepare deliver Comfort Kitchen, our free community meal, each week," Cate said.

"It will also help create training opportunities for our hospitality training program, funded by the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) program."

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christian Berechree

Operations Manager

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0484 383 055