Ignite café, Jesuit Social Services’ new hospitality training space, officially opened on November 19 with a full house gathered for this and the formal launch of the Mount Druitt Hub community space. The guests included Tony Burke, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Water, Population and Communities; the Member of Parliament for Chifley, Ed Husic; and Blacktown Mayor Alan Pendleton.
The generously donated Vittoria coffee machine was in overdrive as the first coffees were poured by the 13 new casual staff whose employment is part of a hospitality training programme leading to a Certificate II in Hospitality Operations.
According to Michael Maxwell, Social Services Manager at Jesuit Social Services Western Sydney, this project resulted from a winning tender granted by Blacktown City Council for a cafe to run as a social enterprise that delivers job training and social inclusion outcomes. Its win was based on the demonstrated success of The Store at Emerton, which currently houses a food store, café, op–shop, monthly community markets and training programmes in partnership with TAFE.
However there was something more significant than sales of coffee at this event. “We don’t employ people to make coffee, but we make coffee to train and employ people. So for Jesuit Social Services, it’s continuing that training and employment pathway that we do through Jesuit Community College, The Store and what we do here,” emphasized Mr Maxwell.
“It’s creating pathways or opportunities, turning stumbling blocks of disadvantage into stepping stones of opportunities.”
The launch of the cafe signals the involvement of Jesuit Social Services in the broader sphere of civic life in the Western Sydney region. The Mount Druitt Hub was envisioned to provide a space for community service groups to deliver increased access to programmes and projects for disengaged and unemployed young people. It is in this context that the role of Ignite Cafe becomes significant.
To read the full Province Express story, click here.
To learn more about Jesuit Social Services, go to www.jss.org.au
