WITH The Family Centre now managing the Murwillumbah Community Centre (MCC) following the 1 July transition, the outgoing management committee has thanked the volunteers, staff and community supporters who helped shape the service over the years.<\/p>\n
Management committee member Carmen Stewart said she was “heartened” when reviewing the list of regular contributors who had supported the centre.<\/p>\n
“To know that a group of students regularly walk down to the MCC to deliver hampers that they have self-funded, is community in action,” she said.<\/p>\n
The committee acknowledged the many volunteers who prepared and shared meals through Nullum House, as well as the community groups, businesses and individuals who contributed food, resources and support.<\/p>\n
Those recognised included Sathya Sai College for providing hampers for distribution, Murwillumbah Services Club for weekly meal deliveries, Hare Krishna Govinda Farm, Coriander Restaurant and Heart of Love Foundation for preparing and delivering meals, and Sacred Heart Church for its contributions of fresh food and dried goods.<\/p>\n
The committee also thanked Share the Dignity for providing feminine hygiene products, Lend A Paw\/Head Over Hooves for supplying pet food and accessories, and Foodshare\/SecondBite for redirecting surplus food to the Murwillumbah community.<\/p>\n
Stewart said the transition would allow the centre to expand its services while maintaining its existing support programs.<\/p>\n
“I feel so positive about the future of the MCC, knowing that The Family Centre will bring an increased diversity of programs and offerings to all age groups and demographics of our community,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It will be more than we have offered on a limited budget and with less staff.”<\/p>\n
Jo Blanchard, senior manager of communications and executive coordination at The Family Centre, said the organisation is focused on building on the centre’s foundations while expanding activities and services available to the community.<\/p>\n
She said The Family Centre is introducing a range of activities, including chair yoga, playgroup and youth group, alongside its child and family, youth and family, disability and youth homelessness services.<\/p>\n
“We’re bringing all our services into the centre, so child and family, youth and family, disability services and our youth homelessness services,” Blanchard said.<\/p>\n
She said the transition had also retained almost all of the centre’s core volunteers, helping preserve valuable community knowledge and connections.<\/p>\n
“Obviously they know the community really well and it’s really great to keep that internal knowledge and how things are in the community within our organisation still,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said The Family Centre is also working to restore services previously available through the MCC, including regular outreach services and financial counselling.<\/p>\n
“We have recently met with Centrelink and Service NSW, both of which have committed to providing regular outreach services from the centre,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We are also re-establishing financial counselling, ensuring people have access to practical support to help manage financial hardship and improve their financial wellbeing.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WITH The Family Centre now managing the Murwillumbah Community Centre (MCC) following the 1 July transition, the outgoing management committee has thanked the volunteers, staff and community supporters who helped shape the service over the years. Management committee member Carmen Stewart said she was “heartened” when reviewing the list of regular contributors who had supported […]<\/p>\n