Comfort Food '09

PRINCIPLES

Good food is an important part of a good life.

The most vulnerable people need the best food.

Good food provision is an important part of our economy.

BACKGROUND

A Little History:

2006 I came up with the idea of local kitchen cafes providing affordable homestyle food to people with chronic illness and other reasons that make cooking for themselves difficult.

2007 I firmed up the idea with research on franchises, food industry, and balancing business and philanthropic issues.

2008 Was the year of getting professional expertise from the Hospitality Industry to see if my idea had legs. What I got was cautious support and a lot of reality checks! But certainly there was enough legs(!) to keep me going.

2009 is the year of grassroots feedback. Publicity and networking is go!

2010 is about developing and communicating the concept.

2011 Is about presenting the idea to local council and starting to find funding for a pilot cafe.

PROFILE

Hello! I am Joy Stevenson, a community development worker. I have been strruggling with a chronic illness and have been too ill for employment for this whole century.

Being out of the workforce, and with the burden of illness, has focussed my mind on difficulties around food, and YamDaisy is the result.

I live in Darebin just north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I am a sole parent of a teenager and I am in my fifties (how did that happen? A minute ago I was turning 30!).

I hope that being old, sick and struggling(!) won't stop me from doing something that could bring great changes in the lives of people who struggle with everyday food buying. storing, preparing and cleaning up afterwards.

Please note that I do not wish or expect to make any income from this idea. I just would love to see it happen.

Inspiration

I facilitated 'Link Up' a phone support group for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was run as a Conference call, with each person on the phone in their own home. Many of these people were virtually housebound by their illness. Some had never spoken to someone else with CFS , who could understand what they were going through.

I remember one time, when we were talking about how isolated you get because friends drop away and family have other priorities, one young woman said that she never saw anyone. If she got really lonely she would walk to the nearest shopping plaza and just sit and look at people.

When I asked her how she managed food for herself, she said her food was frozen packaged meals that she could heat up in the microwave.

I felt so strongly that no one should have to live like this.

Everyone I have talked to about Chronic Illness has influenced this project, but if that young woman happens to read this, I would like her to know she is my inspiration to make a big change in the way we eat.