Fadwa has been volunteering at Nourish Hub and has proved she is dedicated, hardworking and driven to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a professional cook. From an adult cookery course through to receiving paid work at a local community kitchen, she has gone from strength to strength, challenging herself to aim higher than she ever felt she could.
Fadwa tells how her journey began. “When I started at Nourish Hub, it was simply to attend a NourishED cooking session. However, attending the Hub inspired me to volunteer because I enjoyed the lessons so much. I have learnt a lot about teamwork and sharpened my kitchen skills. Volunteering here {Nourish Hub} has given me many opportunities to grow, for example, I was given the chance to take a barista course and I learnt how to make coffee professionally. This is definitely a great place to volunteer for everyone, and I would recommend to all.”
Following on from Fadwa’s engagement with the Nourish Hub, she decided to take professional cookery courses. She was really excited about starting this new journey. “Thanks to volunteering at Nourish Hub, I finally have the confidence to take charge of my life!”
Following her professional cookery course, Fadwa immediately showed interest in volunteering at Nourish Hub and became one of our regular kitchen assistant volunteers. She has grown in confidence which has been incredible to see. As an experienced home cook, Fadwa has shared so many recipes with the kitchen team, to the delight of our customers. Fadwa’s dream was to become a professional cook. This is something that Andreea Rizea, Nourish Hub’s Volunteer Coordinator not only encouraged, but also explored to help support and facilitate Fadwa’s goal. Andreea shared that “Fadwa is a great asset to our team, and here at Nourish Hub we appreciate her commitment to our goals and vision.”
In October 2022 Nourish Hub received a phone call from Cecilia Seres, Project Manager at UR4 Meals at The Upper Room to enquire about a cover chef. The team at the hub automatically thought of Fadwa. There was no hesitation in recommending her as they knew that she was the perfect fit for the role. The feedback that they received from Cecilia after Fadwa’s time with UR4 Meals was amazing. Cecilia said “We found ourselves in a difficult situation. Our Chef had to take 2 weeks medical leave and we needed someone capable, professional and experienced to cover his role, providing around 100 meals every day for our guests (homeless, vulnerable and destitute people in our community). We have a fantastic network of collaborators who we hoped would help us find a suitable candidate. We reached out to Nourish Hub who were our saviours. Through Nourish Hub we met Fadwa, one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
Fadwa fitted perfectly into the role, as if she had always worked with us at UR4 Meals at The Upper Room. She immediately found her way around and began designing and cooking absolutely delicious food. We were left speechless at her level of skill and creativity with the ingredients we gave her. With Fadwa leading our team, the kitchen environment was always safe, calm and collected, which was reflected in the organised way in which she worked. Fadwa was able to produce some incredible meals for our guests that were loved and appreciated by all, staff and volunteers included. We absolutely love Fadwa, and we cannot wait to have her back working with us soon!”
Oli, Nourish Hub’s Head Chef holds Fadwa in high regard too. “What I love about Fadwa is how much she has grown; she is more outgoing now and more creative when it comes to food. We look forward to her coming to the hub to continue her culinary journey“
Our volunteers are our most valued asset. Having had the opportunity to empower Fadwa to become more confident, to take charge of dishes she has been cooking, explore her creative side and work her magic on producing delicious dishes using (at times very few rescued ingredients), Nourish Hub feel honoured to have Fadwa as part of the team. She is a lifelong advocate for our organisation.
Andreea (Volunteer Coordinator) has worked closely with Fadwa and has seen how her story has unfolded through her dedicated commitment to her volunteering role. Andreea shared that “Fadwa’s journey has been extremely rewarding. It has been a pleasure to have Fadwa’s support in the kitchen as we continue to provide meals to all who visit us.
From independent study, through to volunteer activities whilst caring for her family, Fadwa has shown us all that it is possible to reach your goals and succeed. Nourish Hub is proud to be part of Fadwa’s journey.”
