By REBECCA BILLS
THEY are passionate about cooking up a storm and creating job opportunities for every member in the community.
And the Mount Evelyn locals working at The Able Bake House will soon be able to update their kitchen equipment and uniforms, thanks to a $4000 grant from the Endeavour Foundation Endowment Challenge Fund.
Melba Support Services was one of three recipients of the 2014 Non-Profit Organisation Awards from the foundation.
Melba Support Services CEO Glenn Foard said social enterprises were aimed at providing real employment opportunities for people of all abilities and their model was based around the principle of people first, profit second.
Endeavour Foundation Endowment Challenge Fund Chairperson Grant Murdoch said the organisation was proud to grant Melba Support Services the award.
“Like The Able Bake House, Endeavour Foundation strongly believes in the benefits of supported employment,” Mr Murdoch said.
“We know that having a job is a vital source of financial independence, self-esteem and a sense of purpose for all people including those with a disability.
“In addition to individual benefits, we know there is strong economic value to employing people with a disability.”
Thrilled by the awards, The Able Bake House manager Kerry Kift said the funding would go towards updating some essential kitchen equipment so they could keep up with the current demand of their products as well as a uniform for each worker.
She said the grant would assist in the organisation’s vision, to have a society that valued the individuality and rights of all people and the mission to have individuals with disabilities leading everyday lives.
“The Able Bake House is for anyone in the community and it really is great for community networking for people that are isolated for various reasons or find it hard to get involved,” she said.
“It is inclusive of all, nobody is excluded with each person’s strengths and abilities used in various roles throughout the organisation, from baking to spending time on the local farms picking and sourcing the produce.
The Endeavour Foundation Endowment Challenge Fund is a public benevolent institution that seeks to benefit the wider Australian disability sector as a whole, with an emphasis on people with an intellectual disability.
