For the month of May, wants you to don an apron and get baking all in the name of charity. is a national baking campaign set to inspire and raise awareness and funding for youth mental health.
In 1998, ReachOut Australia took their initiative digital and simply changing the way people accessed help gave the organisation their legs - ReachOut.com was born. Providing the world’s first free online mental health service for young people is no mean feat and their tools and services have been accessed by over 130,000 Australians every month. That’s more than 1.5 million each year and counting.
ReachOut's vision is simple
For all young people in Australia to be happy and well, with the right help easily available whenever they need it.
“One in four young Australians goes through a mental health difficulty every year, so we want to encourage activities that support wellbeing,” explains ReachOut CEO Jono Nicholas. And what is also alarming is that who need the support don’t get it, and suicide still remains the leading cause of death for young Australians aged 14–25 years. Meaning, more young people each year in Australia than by road accident, cancer or acts of violence.
Access, understanding and breaking down misconceptions around mental health are the building blocks of ReachOut.com and it’s not only about creating a safe haven for young people, it’s also about fostering a supportive network for parents, carers and professionals.
So, what does this mental health service have in common with baking?
It’s about a conversation. They say baking soothes the soul and one thing’s for sure, do not underestimate the powers that a bowl and handful of ingredients can yield.
Raising money to support ReachOut’s services is crucial and their greater vision of fostering wellbeing goes hand-in-hand with finding ways to bring people together. And there is no better way to do that than through food - and baking is a great way to spark that conversation.
Cooking is about reflection, meditation for some and for many others about generosity. Being able to create things you can share with each other hits the spot for what #RaiseDough is about.
Baking is physical. It’s therapeutic. It’s methodical. It requires patience and focus. And the end result is a celebration of each of the steps you have taken to get to there. There is something so reassuring about the ritual of baking a cake – weighing out your ingredients, beating, mixing, folding and sifting.
“We may not be experts in the kitchen, but we are experts when it comes to mental health and wellbeing,” Nicholas says. “My Maltese grandmother always said no meal should ever run under 3 hours. Food gives you time to connect, to be with family and to support each other.”
A simple baking task could help lift your mood. Source: Getty Images / Ami Wakisaka / EyeEm
It’s as easy as selling 5 x $2 cupcakes that can ensure 10 young people will have support from ReachOut.com for an entire year.
Who’s in the kitchen with ReachOut?
Supporting this year’s #RaiseDough 2018 campaign is sticky-fingered and proud home baker , burger and pizza all-star Jake Smyth of Sydney’s , cake decorator and entrepreneur , holistic nutritionist and wholefoods chef , alongside sponsors , , and .
Sabbath launched the baking initiative this week with her cupcake decorating session. “I find baking for others and myself extremely relaxing and satisfying!” she says. “Huge respect goes out to ReachOut for what they’re doing and also what they’re achieving and I am so lucky to be a part of this initiative.”
“When I was in high-school I had my own mental health issues and anxieties, like most. I am a recovering stutterer and that came with a lot of psychological baggage. Not feeling comfortable or able to talk to people and I wish I had the tools to tackle it then. I guess it may not have manifested itself in other ways when I continued to study further,” Sabbath tells SBS. “If there’s something that’s going on, talk about it.”
And while chocolate brownies make bake-aholic Sabbath swoon, it’s all pepperoni and loads of cheese for cult-burger groover and shaker Smyth. Along with his partner-in-crime Kenny Graham, they manage Sydney’s , and , which is playing its baking part this month. Get your hands on hot pizza dough at The Lansdowne Hotel, with $4 from every pizza sold donated to the campaign and they’ve created a few bespoke combos for the cause - roast pumpkin, silverbeet and fresh ricotta or their vegan-friendly Margherita.
“It [food] is all about escapism and I love the fact that something as simple as a slice of pizza or a burger can change someone’s day,” Smyth tells SBS. Having worked with many young people in and around his kitchens over the years, Smyth shares the stories and struggles that he has come across and the importance of this campaign for him. “#RaiseDough is a cause that speaks to the need to give time to yourself, that you are important and deserving of your own time and love. It is highlighted time and time again the role that we must play in supporting and encouraging them [young people] to not take their mental health for granted,” he tells SBS.
Baking may not be everyone’s forte, but it certainly appeals to everyone’s senses.
“I encourage everyone to give baking a go and allow it to enrich your creativity, feed your mind and your soul,” says Sabbath. So whether you’re baking to share with many or whether you are supporting someone who is creating something simply delicious, a slice of cake or a piece of pie can mean more than you know.
If this article has raised issues for you or someone you know, you can find support options for at or contact for emergency support in a personal crisis, 13 11 14.
Do you want to get involved and #RaiseDough this May? Simply register online at , get baking and host a bake sale and you too can raise awareness and support for youth mental health. You can find out more information about ReachOut and their services .
