As the saying goes, the true meaning of Christmas is about giving. Which is easy to forget with all the busyness going on at work, especially in the Food Industry, but also the added pressure at home to get everything ready.
So, I just wanted to share a little inspiration here. I took a half a day off to volunteer for OzHarvest, baking gingerbread cookies and here are 3 things that I’ve learnt.
- If you are stuck for presents and running low on time and ideas, why not get your loved ones an OzHarvest cookbook? This is a gift that gives twice – awesome recipes from top Australian chefs and also the proceeds from the book feed up to 120 people in need! And if you are the recipient of those yummy meals cooked by your family it actually gives three times.
- It is extremely rewarding to volunteer time for a good cause. There are and always will be people that are worse off than you. Becoming a volunteer for OzHarvest means that you get to combine your foodie passion with charity work, whip up meals for the less fortunate (obviously under supervision of an experienced chef).
- Great team building exercise! If you are looking for a fun event to bring your team together this is the one I would wholeheartedly recommend. There have been studies done on staff engagement when the employees were given an opportunity to volunteer their time to help others. Not surprisingly, the staff engagement had increased.
Kindness and generosity are strongly linked to greater life satisfaction, better relationships, and better mental and physical health — apparently i’ve even heard generous people even live longer.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and let’s just make 2016 a little better than this year!
Jana, Helen, Debbie and the PATH4 Group team.
Jana Cameron
0432 308 218
jcameron@path4food.com
