Frederick Wihongi got into teaching others to cook because he wanted to improve his own health.

Now he’s won recognition from SociaLink’s Volunteering Services for his contribution for International Volunteer Day on December 5. He’s down at St John’s Church in Ōtumoetai on a Friday helping a group of seniors keen to learn new cooking skills.

“I had health issues, and I was looking for a better way for healthier living,” Frederick said. “I tried various places that do cooking, but it wasn't what I wanted. I saw an ad in the paper and got my work provider to phone and make an appointment.”

He gets up early each day and does exercises at asthma rehab, but he found it wasn’t enough to improve his health.

“I needed to look outside the box. I ended up here and did a couple of courses of Senior Chef. Then I asked if I could volunteer to come and help. I was learning something, and it also helps to interact with other people.”

He helps prepare the vegetables and helps older people cut up food to make their lives easier. He’s had a 95 year old do the course - who had a lot of war stories, he said.

Frederick says doing the courses has made him appreciate life a bit more. He used to be a fisherman and everything was done for him by a cook on the boat. Now he’s back on land he has to think for himself.

“When you're by yourself, your family moves on and your kids are gone and you’re just by yourself. And you forget, sometimes you're cooking too big a meal. It’s a hard lesson to learn.”

He hadn’t volunteered much before, and the cooking classes have made his world a bit bigger.

Senior Chef coordinator Merina Foster says the programme is designed for cooking for one or two people, for ages 60 and up, focusing on people living alone or who have just lost a spouse to create and cook good nutritious meals.

“There's a massive change. Most people come in and they don't really want to cook anymore because they've just lost their reason to do it. We start off pretty basic and then end up cooking a two-course meal.

“People's confidence grows. And the other major thing is social interaction. There's just so many people that are lonely. There's a lot of friendships and bonds created. One lady has made friends with a lady on the course a year ago and they’ve been meeting ever since.

“Food is such a great way of bringing people together. When we finish we eat together. We have lunch together because a lot don't have lunch with anyone.”

She says Frederick is a totally different person to when he started.

“We've been running courses back-to-back every eight weeks and he's just come every Friday. We start at 8 and he finishes at 12. He just does everything. He's just so good.

“He is totally my sous chef, but he's also our cleaner and he takes all our vege scraps home. He chops them all up and he adds them into his garden.”

Volunteering Services Manager Angela Wallace said Frederick’s story was a great example of how volunteering made the volunteer’s life better, as well as those they were helping.

“The social interaction and learning is good for everyone. If anyone would like to volunteer, they can check out the huge range of opportunities on the Volunteering Services website www.volunteeringservices.org.nz”

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