Food group helps elderly migrants through cooking and language

March 25, 2026 - 1:25pm

By Cassie Bereszkowski

Over the 2024-2025 financial year, 306,000 net migrants moved to Australia.

How is the Melbourne community coming together to welcome the variety of migrants finding solace in our beloved city?

The Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre (GEALC), a government-funded learning hub, aims to connect newcomers through English accredited courses and monthly cooking sessions.

Started in October 2025, the Community Food Group, largely piloted by Simon Buchner, aims to help develop the linguistic skills of elderly migrants through fun and inclusive cooking tutorials.

Social media platform, Instagram, promotes the Community Meal Program

Image 1. Screengrab of social media post of Community Meal Program. Credits: gleneiraadultlearning, Instagram

Buchner, the education and operations manager at GEALC, said that his experience in education for 16 years, as well as his work in hospitality, have led him to take on this recurring monthly project.

“Some students suffer from social isolation, or financial hardships, so it’s a free meal. The catch is, you come and cook with us.” said Buchner.

Gallery: Simon Buchner and GEALC students cooking meals

The not-for-profit community organisation has, in the last year, taken on 793 individual students in their English Language Program, and of those, 457 were migrants, coming from 53 different nations, according to the GEALC 2024-2025 annual report.

Additionally, residents in the Glen Eira municipality that cannot speak English make up 3.7% of the total population, taken from the City of Glen Eira community profile.

Figure 1. Proficiency in English reported in the Glen Eira council population, 2021. Visual: Cassie Bereszkowski

“Last month, when they had pasta, for some of them it was the first time they’ve ever had pasta.”

Jennie, an avid Community Food Program participant, migrated from Hong Kong and appreciates the wide array of food cooked every month.

“I do take these skills and cook at home. I'm Chinese so I want to learn about different cultures’ cooking.”

The centre manager, Philippa Caris, strives to transform the adult learning centre into an educational yet connecting place for family and newfound friendships.

“It’s about trying to connect people that feel a little bit isolated in the community, a little bit vulnerable… We take pride in that, we want everyone to feel welcome. There's no barriers here.”

Video 1. GEALC students cooking in the Adult Learning Centre kitchen. Credits: Cassie Bereszkowski

One daughter of parents who study at the learning centre said, “Thank you so much for everything you do for my parents this year, they’ve really enjoyed learning at your centre. It’s brought them such joy, fulfilment and friendship to a new life in Australia.”

Buchner reiterated that as an English language provider, there is inherently a responsibility to be a community provider as well.

At the Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre, where words fail; food speaks.