Community Welfare - 2003/2004
The Community Welfare Committee had another busy and successful year. Apart from the usual short-term demands overseen by the Committee, the following highlights commanded most of our efforts:
· David Mann was selected as the recipient of the Club's Community Service Award. He proved to be a most worthy candidate and was loudly applauded on receiving his award. Apart from being General Manager of Radio 3AW, his contribution and commitment to helping the Emergency Services is enormous, especially the Fire Service.
· Christ Church Mission - a further $11,000 was raised to complete the fit-out of this drug drop-in and counselling centre. Committee members attended the opening representing the Rotary Club of Melbourne. A room of development was named in honour of Lawton Cooke's efforts in raising money for the project.
· The second Town/Country Exchange was planned, organised and held during the last week in March 2004. This very successful project benefits Years 9 and 10 students from Bairnsdale and MacRobertson Girls High schools. The program for the country students contains both educational and social events typical of city life and is well received by the participants. Further expansion of this idea can be undertaken with greater involvement of our Club's members.
· Efforts were made in trying to arrange for the provision of jobs to newly arrived migrants, both directly and via the enlistment of other Rotary Clubs.
· Consultation began in identifying a project with the indigenous Koori community and the newly formed Heritage Trust. It was decided to equip a recording studio to help in collecting the oral history of the local peoples so that a record of the past can be kept.
· Help in running the ABC Christmas Giving Tree Appeal was supplied to our Cluster Clubs.
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