When Daniel and Luke Mancuso lost their mother to an unthinkable act of domestic violence in 2013, their world fell apart. Essentially losing two parents in one brutal night, the brothers were left to struggle through a blinding fog of grief and trauma. 

The pair eventually moved into their late grandparents’ house – the very house where their mother had been murdered – and attempted to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives. 

“This transition was very hard for us,” Daniel says. But someone was watching over these broken boys, and something truly special was about to happen.

One day, when the brothers were playing basketball in the backyard, they heard a voice from over the fence: “Daniel, are you hungry? I’ve cooked something for you and Luke.” It was Nina, their next-door neighbour – a Greek grandmother (yiayia) who had known the Mancuso family for decades. 

“I still remember the day like it was yesterday,” Daniel says. “Of course, being a wog, it would have been rude to say no, so moments later, she returned to the fence with a plate full of chicken and rice, still steaming. This simple gesture and act of kindness meant so much to Luke and me.

“Our initial reaction was one of immense gratitude for being able to enjoy a beautiful home-cooked meal, particularly after our beautiful mum passed away. It just goes to show how the power of food can bring people together.”

Related story: Maggie Beer is on a mission to transform the food experience in aged-care homes

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Yiayia Next Door (@yiayianextdoor)

Yiayia Nina continued to send meals over the fence to the two brothers, and Daniel began documenting these acts of generosity on his Instagram account. The reaction from family and friends inspired the brothers to set up a separate Instagram account, to share these interactions and further spread the message of kindness and generosity. Soon, this caught the media’s attention. 

It was during one media interview with a major newspaper that Daniel and Luke had what they call their “aha moment”, realising there was more to this account than they had thought – there was a real opportunity to make a difference. 

In 2019, Yiayia Next Door was born – a social enterprise that works to promote kindness, raise funds to support organisations that provide services to women and children experiencing family violence, and spread the message to ‘love thy neighbour’ through community connection and understanding. As well as selling a range of Yiayia Next Door-branded kitchen products (with up 50 percent of profits going to the Australian Childhood Foundation), the brothers have also collaborated with a host of other organisations. They’re also ambassadors for state and national government organisations and programs, and even the Carlton Football Club Carlton Respects campaign. This has allowed them to share their story, and help advocate for building safer communities. 

“It’s never easy [to share our story],” Daniel says. “However, our courage comes from a desire to honour our mum’s legacy and channel our pain into something positive – transforming a negative into a positive. Sharing our story has been a healing process, and knowing it inspires others makes it all worthwhile. Living through this experience and starting the conversation as two young men, which is unfortunately uncommon, has been especially meaningful.”

Related story: 6 heartwarming recipes from Melbourne’s Free to Feed kitchen

Most recently, Daniel and Luke have become ambassadors for the federal government’s Stop it at the Start campaign, which aims to stop gender-based violence by influencing positive changes in young people, targeting negative behaviours and attitudes that condone disrespect and violence. 

“This campaign is deeply personal for us,” Daniel says. “It addresses issues that have touched our lives directly. As ambassadors, we want to use our platform to advocate for early intervention and education, fostering respect in relationships from the start.”

The brothers were also recently inspired to publish a cookbook, after receiving repeated requests for Yiayia Nina’s recipes. But as Daniel tells us, this wasn’t a simple process.

“It was a daunting experience at first, as Luke and I are not professional cooks, so you can imagine how challenging it was,” Daniel says. “Especially trying to get recipes from any yiayia or nonna, as they never had these written down – it was all memorised in their heads. There were no measuring cups, just plenty of free pouring of oil, garlic, salt and love. But once we found our groove, it became the most rewarding experience. Yiayia’s family was also very grateful, because now all of Yiayia’s recipes are preserved in one beautiful cookbook. We also wanted to honour our beloved mum and community, so we included family recipes from across Australia, sharing a little story about each iconic dish.”

Related story: 40 savoury and sweet Greek recipes to make you say ‘Opa!’

The response to the cookbook has, unsurprisingly, been hugely positive. The book was even shortlisted for Booktopia’s Favourite Australian Book Award in 2022 and the Australian Book Industry Awards Illustrated Book of the Year award in 2023. In the spirit of Yiayia, the brothers have shared with us one of the recipes from the book, a delectable sweet and tender coconut and lemon syrup cake. 

Daniel and Luke still live next door to Yiayia Nina, and yes, she still cooks for them, although Daniel admits that this doesn’t happen quite as often these days.

“But we’re always grateful when she does,” he says. “Our relationship has grown beyond simply being neighbours; she’s become like family to us. We share meals, drinks, stories and a bond that’s hard to put into words.

“Yiayia made us feel as though we were safe, with someone so close we could rely on, no matter the time or day, especially during one of the darkest times of our lives. We hope that our story encourages and inspires people to reconnect with those around them.”

You can find out more about Yiayia Next Door, and get your copy of the cookbook, at yiayianextdoor.com.au. You can find out more about Stop it at the Start at respect.gov.au

Related story: 6 classic Greek recipes that prove Yiayia knows best