Report – (in person) Breakfast Meeting (special Christmas meeting) Tuesday 12 December 2023
Reporter: Tom Callander
The Chair, Rob Hines, called the meeting to order and proposed a toast to Rotary International.
President Michelle Crawford conveyed the “Acknowledgment of Country” and welcomed everyone including our special guests, Anne Mitchell from STEPS, Amy from Lentara, Keely from Bunnings and Matthew from TAL. She especially welcomed the three Salvation Army band members, Richard Parker, Barry Giddons and Warren Elliott (tuba, trombone and trumpet) who provided the Christmas music this morning. We immediately launched into our first carol, The First Noel.
Announcements
Roger Thornton promoted the family barbecue to be held on Sunday 4 February 2024 at Lorraine Meehan’s house at Mt Martha and asked that all the older members contact our newer members to bring them along.
Rebecca John (Chair Community Services Committee) thanked the members for the 100 Christmas hampers, all lined up in red bags ready to be given to STEPS and Lentara, and also Matthew from TAL, TAL having provided through their Tree of Joy 57 gifts for STEPS and Lentara. She thanked all members for contributing to the Christmas hampers.
STEPS
Anne Mitchell then spoke to us, now her 21st time, to emphasise how important the support of the Club particularly through Christmas hampers has been. STEPS outreach service is part of Concern Australia and supports young people, helping them to get a home and supporting them in many other ways. The hampers will be distributed to singles and families at Thomastown, Doveton and Collingwood high rise flats. She also mentioned the support from the Bernie Gerlinger future scholarship program.
Lentara
Amy then addressed us about the importance of the hampers to Lentara and all the refugee and asylum seeker families they support. She outlined the support they give to asylum seekers through social justice and human rights actions and endeavouring to provide hope to the sector and seeking changes to Government policy particularly with respect to protection visas. She emphasised how important food relief was, with many people with protection visas not being permitted to work.
President Acknowledgments
President Michelle acknowledged the important work that STEPS and Lentara do and thanked Anne and Amy and Rebecca John and all the members for their support. She thanked Bunnings and Matthew from TAL and also thanked our Salvation Army band members, indicating the Club would be making a donation to the Salvation Army at 69 Bourke Street. She also mentioned that two of our members, Daniel and Sonia, had recently had additions to their respective families. She then led us in singing several more Christmas carols, ending up with Jingle Bells.
President Michelle closed the meeting with the emphasis on hope, the Rotary theme being “Create Hope in the World”.
