Vividly recalled my first baking for charity in August last year in Miri (previous blog Angry Bird Fever). In fact, I really miss those children in orphanage, really hope that I still able to bake these special stuffs for them but it's too far beyond. Anyway, I hope to continue this spirit in Brisbane here. In Australia, It's so hard to find orphanage or children home. Most of the families here will have this kind of foster relationship to adopt these orphans. With that, it's indeed a good thing that every orphans can receive the best care during their grown up process.
Over a lunch one day, just so happen to found out from one of my colleague on this charity event which will be only held once in a quarter for homeless families on 26th February 2012. At first, I have no idea how it's work or so on and she just asked me to bake more cupcakes for that actual day. Trying my best to bake the maximum for carrying over there purposes - decided to make 30 cupcakes.
Since I've been learning by myself on sugar flower, this is the best time to put into practice too. Spent half on my Saturday just to do around 30 flowers for the cupcakes decoration. For the cupcakes part, I've self-invented the fresh raspberries yogurt cupcakes to make the whole combination a little bit sweet & sour. Finishing them with mix chocolate cream, it really blends quite well. All my cupcakes finished within half an hour, there is one old man loves my cupcakes so much, he kept eating (at least 3 that I know off) whenever asking other people to enjoy it too.
Cut into half and you can see the texture & natural colour inside the cupcake.
Minimise the chocolate cream to put into my lower rack of the cupcake holder.
As part of the volunteer in this event, discovered that this kind of event is quite different from what I did last time. Firstly, my expectation was going to the homeless center to help out, but in fact they built up some tents to gather all these donated stuff in the park and let the homeless families to come and get from there instead.
The most unique experience out from this event is that I'm able to talk in person with these homeless families in person, realize the reason, difficulties of theirs to seek job in Australia with their own unique background. Experience speaks, most of them are regret what they had done previously, but it's too late to turn back time. What they can do is just getting the government limited monthly allowance, with staying at the park or government's hostel if they're lucky to get a slot there. Some due to the health reason and not able to work anymore. There is another divorce homeless family the kid apparently infected a kind of weird disease. They are helpless but they do need a helping hand especially encouragement from society.
The charity event for homeless families @ Southbank parkland
In this charity event, the guy who organized it are the homeless family previously. He been went through the tough life and now its time to help others out. I really admire his passionate to help out others. They are few of professional people as volunteer too which includes local council, lawyer, doctor and social workers over there. It's indeed the wonderful experience to know these volunteers, gain different exposure on how the charity can be done in different countries too. In the end of the event, we helped out to categorized those donated stuffs (clothes, blankets, toiletries, food & toy) into boxes in order to distributes to all the needs.
Hopefully I've the chance again to do this. Waiting for Tammie - another volunteer to call me up for next event.
I'm submitting for this month's Aspiring Bakers #16: Fun with Fondant! (February 2012) hosted by Yvonne of iceamericanos
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