Despite a very slow start, locals did connect with various Inverell services at their February 4 family fun day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Delayed due to the previous week’s rain, and no longer during school holidays, many simply didn’t know the event was on.
“The crowd started to show up as we were starting to pack up!” organiser Sandi O’Donnel from counselling service Centacare said.
If we can’t assist them, then we find someone that can. We don’t let them walk out the door unless they can get that assistance.
- Jacinta Marsh, IFYSS
“Once a few people came along, they started ringing people up and letting their family know.”
Around 50 people came along for the barbecue. Children bonded with Community Health staff over craft, creating keyrings, badges and paper plate masks.
Child protection and assault counsellors Michelle Williams and Catherine McCormack joined in along with speech pathology student Felicity Pankhurst and Peter Kam, who provides care for Aboriginal people with chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes.
“I welcome anyone to come along, make an appointment at the Community Health centre to see me. It’s free,” Peter said.
Senior Constable Chris Jordan, crime prevention officer for New England, joined policing volunteer Natasha Brown. He said they were not there to “set up shop”, but hoped to support local services and make themselves known to the community.
Jacinta Marsh from IFYSS, which runs parenting workshops, domestic violence education and outreach programs, said she felt Inverell’s services work well together.
“If we can’t assist them, then we find someone that can. We don’t let them walk out the door unless they can get that assistance,” she said.
Leanne Johnston agreed, and said she thought knowing someone was willing to help could make a big difference in a person’s life. Leanne works for the Rural Outreach and Support Service, which runs life skill workshops, school programs on healthy relationships and supports female victims of domestic violence in court. She said it could be difficult for locals to ask for help.
“Even if they’re going without food and they need food assistance, it still takes a big effort to walk in the door,” she said.
“They think if they ask for help, we see that as a weakness. But we don’t. We actually see that as a strength, for them to ask,” added Jacinta.
Prett Pischke, from disability assistance service Ability Links, agreed.
“It takes a lot of guts.”
