9 Women Catering is an income generating program to help low-income Vietnamese families. Created by the women of the Vietnamese women’s support group, the group aims to create a safe and non-judgmental environment for women to express their feelings and their daily concerns. Within the group, Vietnamese women have the opportunity to gather every Monday at The Lighthouse for group discussion, development of life skills, and stress management skills. And on the last Monday of each month, the women gather to cook and share a meal together.
The women of the Vietnamese women’s support group began unofficially cooking 4 years ago for 30 students from Chatham High School, who visited The Lighthouse. It was a positive and successful experience which continues annually. Building upon their success, the women catered The Lighthouse’s Visioning Day, as well as Classis Toronto meetings.
Officially establishing 9 Women Catering in 2014, the group was chosen to cater The Lighthouse’s Annual Fundraising Dinner. In order to provide a safe and professional catering service, a professional chef, Steve, was invited to teach the women about safe food handling practices. Through this training, the participants are learning important life skills valuable for job search or self-employment, building an empowered group of women with positive leadership abilities for the Vietnamese community.
To find out more about The Lighthouse’s Vietnamese programs or about the 9 Women Catering group, please contact Thuy at 416-535-6262 or [email protected]
