Hi everyone,

Last week I was excited to attend a meeting with the Minister Grigorovitch, who is the new Minister for Carers and Volunteers, as part of my role on the North East Neighbourhood House Network committee. It is always super to talk at a higher level about both the great things that neighbourhood houses do, and the challenges we face as a sector … and the meeting was particularly timely obviously, as we continue our push for restoration of funding from the State Government.

Closer to home, we are in workshop season at the moment … And we have another coming up this Saturday. Clothes Mending from 10am-1pm. We ran this workshop around this time last year and had a lot of fun. It is a fabulous opportunity to learn how to take up a hem, stitch on a button, repair a tear … and more! You are encouraged to bring your pile of project(s) along to work on. Book into this workshop online for $10. Here at this link.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) our Preserves Group will be running from 1-3pm where we will be making chutney out of chokos that were kindly donated to us last week. We like nothing better than homegrown produce at ACC. Its open to all, so if you have some time free, please come along - no need to book in.

Then on Thursday we will have Garden to Plate in the morning from 11.30am-1pm where we will be cooking with produce from our very own Community Garden. Clare tells me we have spinach, onions and lettuce ready to harvest at the moment ... I wonder what we will make …. It costs $10 to attend this fun and friendly and informative and yummy program and you can book in online here.

And later that evening from 7.30-9.30pm we will have our monthly Alphington Arts session. Book in online here for $15.

This week is National Volunteer Week across Australia and we would like to give a big shout out to everyone that donates their time at ACC every year. Volunteers are integral to neighbourhood houses and we couldn’t do what we do without all the amazing people who help out each week and/or each month and of course at our big events.

Cheers Leanne

Hi everyone,

We hope you all had a nice Mother’s Day despite the weather. Brrrrrr. It’s been a very chilly few days but we still had a lovely turnout to Garden to Plate last Thursday. We made cauliflower steaks and they were delicious…….. read on for the recipe. And we made creative cards at our Community Morning on Friday, before enjoying tacos for Community Lunch on Friday.

We have the first of our two sustainability workshops happening this Saturday from 10am-12pm! Book in online here to come along and learn about soils and their health benefits.

And book in here to join us for Crunch on Thursday from 12.30-2pm.

See you soon!

Cheers Leanne

To the avid readers out there looking for a daytime book club, we are hoping to start one in July this year.

We do need a minimum of at least 5 people that are free to come along on the second Tuesday of each month at 11am.

If you love to read and then enjoy a good discussion then this could be for you.

Join via this link.

Hi everyone

If you have been past ACC in the last few months you will have noticed the bright pink signs in our windows … and you might remember signing a postcard for us - as all neighbourhood houses across Victoria have been campaigning for the State Labor Government to restore funding in real terms to the Neighbourhood House sector, after years of funding erosion.

Unfortunately this request was declined in the latest budget. And we’re really disappointed.

Neighbourhood houses help people at the most vulnerable times of their lives in every community across Victoria. With increasing global uncertainty and rising household costs, more and more people are feeling under pressure in a variety of ways Our hyper-local service - that is founded on kindness and community - creates a unique place for people who need support, whether that support takes the form of learning, material relief, friendship or community building … we listen, connect and empower people all day every day, in a very unique way. We make a real and positive difference in people’s lives, from young families. to retirees and everyone in between.

As a sector we cannot give up on our funding request. It is fundamental to the survival of many houses. So, we will now focus on seeking election commitments from our politicians to restore our funding. We will take the opportunity over the next six months to step up the pressure to seek commitments for support by the next government.

We’d appreciate anyone in our community who has the opportunity to add their voice to our campaign for funding restoration to speak up. If you love sending an email you can write to Kat Theophanous MP our local member, or if you have the chance to talk to her or other candidates as the election gets closer, please also don’t hesitate to reiterate the value of neighbourhood houses and what they mean to you - if you get the opportunity.

Many houses are feeling the financial pinch in real terms and our sector is in desperate need of restoration of the funding support that it initially had, to stay viable into the future.

Thanks, Leanne

Here is the recipe for the cauliflower steaks we made at Garden to Plate last Thursday. They were so simple for something so delicious and a great option for a vegetarian meal … or just to add some extra veggies into your everyday!

When we made ours we used a mix of cheeses (because that’s what we had), but parmesan would probably make for a neater look at the end.

Baked Cauliflower Steaks 

Ingredients 

• 1 cauliflower head cut down the middle top to bottom then sliced across-ways. Try and keep the ‘steaks’ together in clumps if the come apart at the edges ( don’t despair - the cheese will help stick them together if needed when cooked).

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ½ cup grated parmesan 

• 2 cloves garlic, grated 

• 1 tsp smoked paprika 

• 1 tsp onion powder 

• 1 tsp salt 

• ½ tsp  chili pepper flakes

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

Mix olive oil, garlic, salt, spices and 2 teaspoons of parmesan.

Sprinkle the rest parmesan cheese on a lined oven tray in clumps that will roughly match the cauliflower steaks.

Place the cauliflower steaks on top of the parmesan cheese.

Baste the top side with the oil and herbs.

Cook on high for 10 minutes then lower heat and cook on 180 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked through.

Serve crispy side up.  YUM! We ours with mushrooms, hummus, bread, green beans and tzatziki.