|
Greetings to all Rotarians and Friends and special wishes to those who have been in and out of hospital recently. Now that the city is no longer overrun by 'Swifties", and the enormous Tay Tay show has moved up to Sydney, fans will be able to share their stories and spread the feeling of joy and goodwill that seemed to come with her performances. Takes me back to Festival Hall and a Beatles concert when I was 13! President’s Report
Last week we had Ben Smith, CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre as our guest speaker. Ben provided us with an update on just how much the centre helps support our community and the ever-increasing demand on its limited resources. The film on homelessness which Mornington Rotary helped to fund is in its final stages of editing and we’re looking forward to its launch in the next few months.
Just a reminder that the International Womens’ Day Breakfast is on 13 March 2024 at the
Mornington Racecourse. This function is presented by the Rotary Clubs of Mt Eliza,
Frankston and Frankston North. I will be booking the tickets shortly, so if you haven’t let
me know that you’re coming, please do so asap.
Pam Hall
Our club has a close association with Honorary Rotarian, Ben Smith, CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre, so he certainly spoke to a room full of supportive friends last week. Pam, Vivien, Jo and Ben Ben spoke about the increased demand for services and the approach that allows support workers to move from only providing food, to a deeper understanding of underlying issues and needs. Over the past 6-8 months, there has been a 56% increase in clients accessing services more than 5 times, and a 27% increase in homeless clients. Volunteer numbers have risen to over 150 and these people put in over 18000 hours to help others in our community. The Ranch Motel temporary accommodation is very well utilized and cannot meet the enormous demand from homeless people with short-term crisis accommodation needs. Over 160 clients have been through the program and there has been a 60% successful housing rate for these clients. Recently, brand new stovetops were installed in each of the 12 self-contained rooms, increasing the cooking options - and the need for pots and pans! As part of their fundraising, there is an area at the MCSC where cans and some other containers can be taken for the refund of the 10c deposit. The Centre earns a few cents per item for this service. Anzac Day Commemoration at Mornington Secondary College We have once again been invited to attend the school's Anzac commemoration on Wednesday, April 24th at 10am. This is always a special student-run event and the message of service to others is strongly advocated. Please contact me, or the school, if you are able to attend. “Service doesn’t have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference.” – Cheryl Esplin |
