Donations Distrubuted by the Community & Neighbourhood Houses
Community and Neighbourhood Houses provide support to some of our most vulnerable citizens.
There are six (6) Houses in our local group:
Eaglehawk Community House
Kangaroo Flat Community House
Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre
Bendigo Neighbourhood Hub
Heathcote Community House
Marong Neighbourhood House
We all provide low cost, or no cost, activities allowing for connecting, participation, build and maintain new friendships, learn and/or teach new skills, support others, enriching lives and minimizing isolation and loneliness within our communities. We provide volunteering opportunities and classes/sessions for everyone such as Community lunches and dinners, administration, gardening, art, craft, meditation, yoga, self help and pre accredited courses/classes, learn cooking skills. Also providing a sense of community pride, achievement, satisfaction and ownership understanding that the work they do is essential to the functioning of their local Community House and supporting our citizens.
Although we work with the more vulnerable members of our communities although our support and services are inclusive, non judgemental and available to all citizens. Lately this includes assistance in placing vaccination certificates onto phones/tablets or providing in hard copy; assisting to receive the $250 Power Saving bonus offered by government; Safe Seats Safe Kids program providing free car seat restraint checks to ensure babies and children are safe in cars; professional financial counselling and support and the list goes on. Some, like Heathcote provide Centrelink/Medicare support, etc.
Just briefly, each Community/Neighbourhood House supports and responds to their citizens needs and demands differently.
For example – Eaglehawk, Kangaroo Flat, Long Gully work with vulnerable people within our Communities inc seniors and those disadvantaged including single parents/carers, disability or facing issues within their lives including abuses of different kinds and mental health issues. Eaglehawk has a very substantial food/personal product assistance and relief program for those that need a hand up. Eaglehawk also requires more than 10,000 volunteer hours yearly to function in a basic manner.
Bendigo Neighbourhood Hub in Strathdale works with many culturally diverse groups.
Marong support many semi and rural citizens also.
We also provide student placement opportunities allowing for connection, interaction and experiences with real life situations enriching education and assisting in preparing them for work life.