On October 5, 2014, another domestic event of our „Pizza Effect” contest program took place.

Since the project aims to widely promote a healthy vegetarian diet and intercultural ties, it seemed like a great opportunity to set up our own booth at the Indian Gastronomy Day held at the Palace of the Soul.

The event’s theme was closely aligned with the objectives of the „Pizza Effect” program in many ways: During Indian Gastronomy Day, visitors could gain insight into India’s traditional culinary arts—one of the world’s most diverse and delicious culinary traditions— and through interactive cooking demonstrations, they were introduced to the unique spices used in Celtic cuisine, basic culinary techniques, and the cultural and religious traditions associated with each dish. In addition to preparing traditional dishes, participants received advice on the healing properties of the prepared foods, healthy eating, diets for various illnesses, and the beneficial effects of spices, as well as lectures on these topics. On top of all this—but not least—they were able to sample special, delicious treats during a cheerful, communal gathering. While the event was primarily intended to showcase Indian cuisine, it also featured other vegetarian traditions, the emergence of Eastern cuisine in Europe, and European vegetarian customs.
It was primarily in connection with the latter that the team from the Food for Life Foundation joined the event, during which—in line with the objectives of the Pizza Effect grant program — we held discussions at our own booth about vegetarian diets and, through the distribution of flyers and brochures as well as personal consultations, informed visitors about the domestic and international activities carried out as part of the Pizza Effect program.

In addition, we organized two small-group activities—a focus group and a workshop—throughout the day.
The participants in the focus group discussion were educators, culinary professionals, and communications specialists who have been involved in some capacity for years in the Foundation’s priority food distribution programs or its day-to-day operations, and who support our work as volunteers. In a targeted discussion with them, we presented the project and discussed their experiences to date with the use of informal educational methods. An important aspect of the meeting was involving our qualified volunteers in the development and practical implementation of training materials and future innovative programs—the use of which will enable us to effectively improve our volunteers’ collaboration skills, and social competencies, and in which not only our volunteers but also the people we serve can participate.

During the day, we also held a hands-on workshop, to which we invited participants from among our volunteers and the recipients of our food distributions. After playing some brief icebreaker games, we worked together under the guidance of our Foundation’s staff to prepare a simple yet very tasty and filling Indian vegetarian dessert (halava), which we then distributed together to the guests attending Gastronomy Day.
Both group programs were successfully concluded, as the participants gained new experiences, insights, and knowledge, and their attitudes toward one another shifted in a positive direction, and we, the Foundation’s staff, also received numerous constructive comments, new project ideas, and professional advice that will help us operate more effectively in the future. Based on the feedback, it’s clear that both the volunteers and our beneficiaries thoroughly enjoyed working together and the welcoming, inspiring atmosphere, and the guests at the Gastronomy Day—having tasted the „fruits” of the program — were able to savor the mouthwatering sweets we prepared together!