Life changing impact on the local community

2023 Women in Business and Regional Development & Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Awards honour ac.care for generating positive change

The team at ac.care is celebrating the organisation’s win of the Community Conscience award at the 2023 Women in Business and Regional Development and Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Awards.

The award, presented at the gala ceremony at The Barn Palais on August 18, recognises a not-for-profit or social enterprise that tackles social problems to generate positive change in the community.

“This award celebrates the lifechanging impact the organisation has on individuals’ lives,” event emcee and Women in Business and Regional Development deputy chair Toni Vorenas said.

Like the businesses celebrated at the awards, ac.care was founded in Mount Gambier.

From humble beginnings in a spare room of the Mount Gambier Anglican Church in 1986 with one social worker employed to support homeless youth, ac.care has grown to become a diverse organisation with around 250 staff who offer direct care for children, as well as working with foster carers, delivering homelessness support, along with emergency relief and other diverse services, extending its country-specialist approach across eastern regional South Australia.

“ac.care has certainly grown to be a significant social services provider and trusted charity,” Ms Vorenas said.

“It is with gratitude that we congratulate the incredible individuals who make up the ac.care team for the lifechanging work they do.”

ac.care representative Jason Wallace said the organisation’s role had become more challenging as the rising cost of living put more pressure on families and vulnerable people.

“Our team works to support the most vulnerable people in the Mount Gambier community and across eastern county South Australia to ensure they have safe homes, enough money to live on and strong, positive relationships,” he said while accepting the award on behalf of ac.care.

“Everyone at ac.care welcomes this valued recognition of the work we do every day, often in challenging circumstances, as we recognise we cannot generate change in our communities alone – it takes a whole of community approach and we could not achieve all we do without the support and trust of the business community, foster carers and so many other contributors to our vital work.”

For more information visit accare.org.au or call 1300 ACCARE (1300 222 273). TEAMWORK: (Above) Staff at ac.care’s Mount Gambier Community Centre celebrate the agency being presented with the Community Conscience award at the 2023 Women in Business and Regional Development and Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Awards and (left) ac.care marketing & communicationa manager Jason Wallace (centre) accepting the award from Brittany Shelton & Michael Kosch