SALVOS Kids In The Kitchen, a hands-on cooking program run by The Salvation Army, is now up and running at the Bowraville Youth Hub.

Twelve kids across years 3 to 6 began the five-week course on Monday 29 May and will complete the program by each cooking a special dinner party for two of their own invited guests on Monday 26 June.

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The Salvos are running the program, with the support of the Bowra Youth Hub, Jaanymili Bawrrungga Inc and Galambila Aboriginal Health Services.

The Youth Hub nominates children they feel will get the most out of the program, and the Salvos make it possible for it to be free of charge running out of the Bowra Youth Hub.

Kids in the Kitchen is a hands-on cooking class for kids where they learn to cook five meals from scratch using fresh ingredients as well as learning how to budget out each meal so they can work out how much it would cost to feed a certain number of people in their family.

In the era of Master Chef and celebrity chefs, the course encourages kids to be confident in the kitchen.

“We are teaching them how to cook good basic meals using super fresh ingredients,” a program facilitators and Salvos volunteer told News Of The Area.

“Week by week the kids will learn how to cook five different meals: bacon eggs and toast, macaroni cheese, hamburgers, fried rice and spaghetti bolognaise.

“At the end of cooking the meal we all sit down together and eat, and if there’s any leftovers the kids get to package up the meal to take home.

“The kids then wash up, clean up and put everything away.”

For the budgeting component, the group works out the cost of the ingredients and energy costs to cook a meal for a family of four.

“Say bacon, eggs and toast works out to be $10 for the family, we then get the kids to think about the cost of getting takeaway, where you don’t know the quality of the ingredients and you pay maybe $6 or $7 per person,” said the Salvos volunteer.

This can be a great reality check for the children.

The program is funded by the Nambucca River Salvation Army and will also draw on funds from the Red Shield Appeal.

“We buy any equipment we need along with the fresh ingredients which allows the kids to attend for free,” said the Salvos volunteer.

The response has been positive from all involved.

From the first session, the kids loved it and the volunteers had a great time teaching, interacting and eating with the kids.

Parents have come back with great feedback, where kids have come home wanting to show off their newly learned skills and even helping with the washing up.

When the course is completed, on the afternoon of the special dinner party on 26 June, the Bowra Youth Hub, Jaanymili Bawrrungga Inc and Galambila Aboriginal Health Services will present the children with a cooking pack, apron and a certificate of completion from the Salvos.

The Salvation Army would like to also run Salvos Kids In The Kitchen in Macksville as well as Nambucca Heads in the near future.

Proud participants include: Lleyton Jarrett-Biles, Djaali Donovan, Shyliqua Chapman, Tayven King, Ariana Jarrett, Alexis Jarrett, Kobi Lawson, Troy Edwards, Mawaa Greenup, Mathew Taylor, Jahliriha Buchanan and Jhett Stadhams.

Salvos Volunteers: Grant Sandercock-Brown, Shannon Scott, Beppie Ginn, Eric Wise and Stefo Kay.

The Youth Hub and Jaanymili Bawrrungga Team: Olivia Rokodakunivosa, Thomas Stanbrook, Laura Graham and Penny Stadhams.

By Andrea FERRARI