By Shanelle Schick
The Yeppoon Community Centre has been providing support and a place for our community to connect and come together for 35 years now. November will see celebrations to commemorate this milestone. The Community Centre continues to grow and expand in the way that it is supporting our local community, as a meeting place for community groups and in the support that it provides to those who are vulnerable within our community.
The Community Centre is largely powered by volunteers who are passionate about giving back to our community. There are plenty of tasks to be completed around the Community Centre, so if you have been looking for a way to give back, then perhaps it’s worth considering volunteering some time to help out here.
Monthly Community Connections lunches provide an opportunity for members of the community from all walks of life to come together in connection, with the monthly catch ups growing in numbers. The free lunch is provided by a team of Community Centre volunteers who come together to prepare the meal, alongside local businesses Creative Cater and Stir and Stitch who are provided with ingredients to bake and make meal items for the occasion. The lunches aim to address social isolation and provide a space for community connections.
ICARE a local community project which is fully funded by the generosity of the local community providing support for locals who may be experiencing financial stress. Providing emergency assistance including food hampers, vouchers, blankets and bringing the Dignity First Project Washroom Facility to the Community Centre are some of the key projects that are currently being undertaken by the group of volunteers.
CARE also have the services of a social worker on hand to help during emergency situations, providing an initial point of contact with the aim of offering referral pathways and immediate assistance where possible. There are some criteria that needs to be met in order to access this assistance. Please contact the Community Centre directly for eligibility.
With Christmas just around the corner, the ICARE project are seeking donations to make up gift bags and hampers for those who are in need. Donations are being called for to assist in the creation of these hampers including:
· Non-perishable food items
· Toiletries
· Christmas items including bon bons, decorations
If you would like to donate items for the Christmas project, please drop them off to the Reception Counter at the Community Centre in John Street by Friday 15th November to allow sufficient time to pack the hampers and gift bags ready for the festive season.
Community Cuts is another relatively new initiative happening at the Centre, with free haircuts being provided bimonthly to those less fortunate in the community. Local hairdressers volunteer their time to provide this service. More volunteers are always welcome, please get in touch with the Community Centre for more details.
The Community Centre is home to several visiting outreach organisations including Women’s Health, Headspace, Act for Kids, Anglicare, Catholic Care, Lives Lived Well, Multicultural Australia. Online and Digital Navigation services are also provided from the centre by volunteer Tanya, who has a background in banking. Tanya is able to assist members of the community with completing digital forms online such as setting up MyGov accounts, digital banking and much more. For assistance with this, please get in touch with the Community Centre.
Keep an eye on future editions of The Hub Capricorn Coast as we will be adding in regularly updates from the Community Centre. You can find the Yeppoon Community Centre on Facebook to follow along with their latest updates.