From learning essential life skills to building friendships and reaching personal goals, the Central Services Occupational Therapy (OT) Kitchen is part of the recovery of many clients at The Royal. Every week, up to 100 clients use this kitchen.
In celebration of their 20 years in the Ottawa community, Astro Design Centre made a commitment to support a project with one goal — to positively impact care. Astro Design Centre has transformed the Central Services OT Kitchen into a modern and well-appointed kitchen. “The cause of mental health is becoming increasingly important and effects everyone we know in one way or another. When the opportunity came to donate a new kitchen to The Royal, we couldn’t pass it up,” says David Dubrofsky, co-president at Astro Design Centre.
“We wanted to help in a way that we can see an immediate impact on the patients. This new kitchen will help these people prepare for when they are discharged from The Royal. We believe the impact and difference this new kitchen space will have on them is huge,” adds Jimmy Goergitsos, co-president, Astro Design Centre.
Sunshine Bakery is one of the unique programs at The Royal using this kitchen. This is a vocational program for clients from the Integrated Forensics Program. Patients prepare baked goods in the kitchen, which are then sold in the Winter Garden volunteer café. The skills these clients learn can be transferred to paid employment or volunteer opportunities. The redesigned Central Services OT Kitchen will help Sunshine Bakery ramp up its efforts with a new double oven and a workspace with a functional and efficient layout. Another unique program is the OT Transition Cooking Group. This group of eight clients forms when clients graduate from their weekly cooking group. In the transition group, clients meet once a month to plan, budget, and prepare a meal together to take home and freeze. After the work is done, the group shares a social lunch together. Other programs that run in the Central Services OT Kitchen include a schizophrenia program baking group, breakfast club, and centralized dinner clubs. The demand of this kitchen space will certainly continue to increase with the redesign as clients and staff will look forward to working in this new space.
Astro Design Centre, thank you for enhancing lives.
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