 |
|
|
History
Including extracts from the booklet "Family Life, 30 Years, Community Caring, A History of Southern Family Life, 1970 - 2000"
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has" Margaret Mead.
"Community Caring for families, children and youth" has been the fundamental principle of Family Life, a unique community-based organization that thrived on its own special amalgam of professional and volunteer workers. Today, it provides a wide range of youth and family services supported by programs for community development and volunteer and professional training. Working from the centre at 197 Bluff Road, Sandringham, Victoria, and community venues across the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, the agency uses the skills and commitment of over 60 staff and 270 active volunteers. The agency responds to families, children and young people experiencing life changes, difficulties, stresses and crises. The assistance requested ranges from improving men's involvement with their families and children, to step-parenting, relationships conflict and breakdown, through to concerns around child abuse and neglect, family violence, suicide and youth homelessness.
Family Life developed from the creativity and determination of a small group of people wanting to help families in the southern bayside suburbs of Melbourne. They decided the centre would offer its services to the community without discrimination as to age, religion, finance or race. It would employ only professionally trained social workers for counselling but would use volunteers for all other tasks.
It was quickly realized that the volunteer component added greatly to the quality of the agency's work. Community volunteers had a wide variety of skills and life experiences to offer. The concept of paid staff and volunteers working together, each with clearly defined roles, proved an outstanding success. Many of the original volunteers are still associated with the agency. "And all the people we know who were volunteers at the times said it was the very best thing we'd ever done," recalls a founding volunteer, Shirley James.
In early days in particular, as money was scarce staff would come in on the weekends to 'do the charring' (cleaning). A major goal was achieved when the Federal Health Department agreed to fund Family Life in April 1975, under legislation providing for community health centres. By 1997, Southern Family Life's expertise in working with families had been recognized by the State government who awarded contracts for training mental health practioners, drug and alcohol counsellors and youth workers. Since its inception, Family Life has experienced a major expansion in programs and services. This has been in direct response to the growth in the needs of the community, assertive action by the agency to design, fund and develop effective programs and the successful securing of new State and Federal Government funding opportunities. The expanded support from philanthropic trusts, the community and all levels of government is an expression of confidence in Family Life's work and outcomes.
Building on all that has gone before, Family Life is firmly focused on the future. New technology has been embraced and new knowledge and research informs growing outreach services from community sites in high-need neighbourhoods across the southern suburbs. National and international advocacy and sharing is occurring through policy forums, advisory bodies and professional conferences.
"We are a better community because we care, get involved and share the challenges and triumphs", Jo Cavanagh, CEO
Many thanks to the following people for their vision, passion, drive and belief that "one person really can make a difference".
- Margaret McGregor - Founding Director
- Shirley James - Volunteer co-ordinator
- Rev Alan Crawford - Founding Committee Member
- Doris Cater - Founding Committee Member and Volunteer Co-ordinator
- David Allison - Founding Director, 1970 -1979
- Jean Satchell - Volunteer, Opportunity Shop, 1970
- Carol Kelly - Former Staff Member, Secretary, Opportunity Shop
- Judy Howarth - Volunteer, Opportunity Shop
- Betty Minogue - Volunteer, Opportunity Shop
- Gloria James - Volunteer, Opportunity Shop
- Suzanne Fermanis - Director, 1995
- Jo Cavanagh, Director, 1996
- Paul Gundry-White