Creating belonging and purpose

PART of All Aboard’s mission is to create opportunities for their participants to feel a sense of belonging and purpose and to contribute to the community.

Recently, one of their participants took a step closer to one of his goals. Chris is a young man with an interest in the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and had expressed a great desire to be part of this organisation.

All Aboard approached the Torquay CFA on Chris’s behalf and proposed an arrangement whereby Chris could volunteer on a regular basis and contribute the wonderful work they do.

“It has been amazing to have Chris involved in Torquay Fire Brigade,” Torquay CFA Captain Murray Middleton said.

“We are super appreciative of the work Chris does around the station and that we can support him with his interest in the CFA”.

The All Aboard team have established a mutually beneficial collaboration with Freshwater Creek Cottages, a local farm stay.

The participants volunteer at the farm three days each week and have been given various responsibilities, such as sorting and delivering food to the animals, general garden maintenance, mulching, raking, tending the worm farm, gathering kindling and one of our favourite tasks, hand feeding baby lambs.

“This is single-handedly the best partnership we have entered!” Freshwater Creek Cottages owner Marissa Mahon said.

“We love our team All Aboard: Disability Support Services as much as they love the farm. These guys project nothing, but contagious joy and their help is invaluable”.

All Aboard participant, Savannah, said she “enjoys the calming company of the animals and the entire team”.

She says she “feels satisfied and victorious at the end of each day”.

Another participant has recently found paid employment with Harry Brown’s Bottle Shop and Liquor Store and is fully embracing this opportunity.

All Aboard chief executive Kate Marshall said All Aboard welcomes opportunity to promote inclusion.

“We are not surprised that the Surf Coast Community have been so supportive,” she said.

You can contact All Aboard at [email protected]

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