20 families supported in Roma Anglicare stationery drive
News
Anglicare Southern Queensland and Roma parishioners and community groups have worked together to provide 20 local families with back-to-school essentials in an annual stationery drive
Every year Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Roma Mental Health & Family Wellbeing service facilitates a back-to-school stationery drive aimed at helping struggling families afford the necessities, so their children are ready for school.
This year with the new Omicron variant, the beginning of the school year was postponed by a couple of weeks with thousands of school students now commencing their first day of school for 2022 this week.
The Anglicare Roma Mental Health & Family Wellbeing team received donations from Parish of Roma community members, the Lions Club, Woolworths Roma, McDonald’s Roma, and numerous residents in town, which was greatly appreciated.
Due to the outpouring of community support, Anglicare Roma were able to support around 20 families to assist them to send their children back to school with school bags, pencils, books and pens.
Anglicare Roma Mental Health and Family Wellbeing Service Coordinator Annette Cavanough thanked the community and local businesses for their generous donations.
“Without the support from both our local businesses and the general community, none of this would’ve been made possible,” Ms Cavanough said.
“I would also like to make a special mention to the Roma Lions Club who used funds from their community fundraising ventures to show their support in our stationery drive.
“These school items will decrease the burden for local families who often struggle with providing their children the stationery they need to start the school year.”
This year’s stationery drive was contactless as a result of the new Omicron variant.
“The team prepared the books and bags and included written information about its Mental Health & Family Wellbeing services within the Roma community,” she Ms Cavanough said.
Families started receiving their stationery last week.
Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Roma Mental Health & Family Wellbeing Service consists of a small team of Counsellors and Family Support Workers. They provide emergency relief, an alcohol and other drug Youth Counsellor and Family Support Workers.
Anglicare’s Family Support Worker provides one-on-one parent and family support, and facilitate youth and parenting groups. The Mental Health & Family Wellbeing team conducts regular community events as a way of bringing the community together and highlighting the diverse services on offer.
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