Building prosperity through adult education

Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre (GEALC) provides a facility for around 600 adults per year to further their knowledge and skills. They are a registered charity with approximately 50 volunteers contributing to the organisation’s activities. Many of its students are migrants who are potentially isolated. They come to the centre to improve their English in the hope of gaining a social network and employment in the longer term.

GEALC offers a "Hospitality Heroes" initiative to empower migrants and other adult learners to become hospitality volunteers at local events. This develops skill and community resilience. The initiative provides a Food Handling Certificate and prepares participants for hands-on roles at the Centre’s community engagements.

As trained volunteers, participants support monthly public meal events. They repurpose surplus food into frozen meals for those in need, promoting sustainability and addressing food insecurity in the Glen Eira community.

The Community Bank provided a grant to aid GEALC with new kitchen facilities. This allowed the centre to expand its volunteer base, improve its event sustainability and have greater community impact. This includes assisting struggling families with rising costs of living and food insecurity and helping to achieve a stronger sense of connection and purpose in the community.

Dennis Tarrant, Chair Murrumbeena Community Benefit Fund, said that the grant to GEALC provided many positive outcomes for the community.

“This partnership provides accessible education, work skills and support to vulnerable community members – all critical for better financial wellbeing,” he said.

Apply for community investment funding with Community Bank Murrumbeena.