The ability of food to bring people together is celebrated at Cloverdale Community Centre, where Lotus Kitchen and Lotus Catering continue to grow.
Lotus Kitchen was formed when the COVID pandemic struck and Issara Saeyim was in the early days of student placement as part of her Diploma of Community Services. At the time, Issara was challenged to find a creative way to connect to people who were in lockdown and isolated.
“I’m from Thailand and I love cooking, so I use food to connect people,” Issara said. The program not only brought people together to cook but gave them purpose and connected them with others in similar situations.
Each Thursday, a team of volunteers prepares and serves up to 600 boxes of affordable takeaway Thai meals. The meals are advertised and ordered through Cloverdale Community Centre’s Facebook page, or by phoning the centre before noon on Wednesday.
The dishes vary each week and might be an authentic red, green or massaman curry, chicken satay or stir fry. They are collected from the pick-up window of the centre’s kitchen.
Among the volunteers are women who have experienced family violence and have been helped by Issara, herself a survivor of domestic violence. They volunteer in the kitchen as a way of giving back to their community and connecting with others in a safe space.
Issara, who is now Cloverdale Community Centre’s multicultural and wellbeing co-ordinator, has also launched Lotus Catering. The catering business employs some of the volunteers and has provided food for events for the City of Greater Geelong, Cultural, Leisure Networks and other business and community organisations.
Issara won a City of Greater Geelong Women in Community Life Award for Education in 2023 and is currently studying a Bachelor of Social Work. She continues to inspire others with her simple philosophy: “You can create a good thing and change lives with your passion. I really love what I’m doing.”
For information about Lotus Catering, phone 5275-4415.
Weekly Lotus Kitchen menu and ordering information is available on the Cloverdale Community Centre Facebook page.