Tom Gannon
Latrobe Health Assembly’s Food For All Latrobe Valley and Gippsland Employment Skills Training Inc (GEST) have collaborated with Moe’s Multicultural Friendship group to create a Sustainable Living Library and cookbook.
The Sustainable Living Library consists of boxes made from recycled wood that house donated books related to living a more sustainable life including cooking, growing produce, food waste, and how to sustainably shop for food.
Food For All Latrobe Valley project implementation officer Gabrielle Francis said the project was in response to the region’s food insecurity.
“COVID has shown some of the cracks in the local food systems so this is about empowering individuals in our community to be more food secure,” she said.
“The data shows Victorian food insecurity is at 3.6 per cent, but it’s significantly higher in the Latrobe Valley with 6.6 per cent of people in the community experiencing food insecurity.”
GEST’s RRR design supervisor Darren Patrick was tasked with creating the library boxes and said following the theme of sustainability was an important aspect of the design process.
“I think that rustic old wood represents sustainability, all of these are made out of reclaimed pellets or boards so it tied in with the entire theme. The community is struggling so we need to present things that show we don’t have to throw out what we don’t need and we can reutilise it through other avenues,” he said.
The library boxes also include copies of the Multicultural Friendship Group’s new cookbook which features recipes and health tips from the group’s range of ethnically diverse members.
Lebanese member Amaline Tachdjian grows most of her own produce and said she was excited to contribute her falafel recipe.
“When they came and asked for recipes straight away I already had the food photos and wanted to put my recipe in,” she said.
The library boxes can be found at GEST Moe, Enjoy Church, Morwell, Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, Berry Street, Morwell and the Traralgon East Community Centre.
