WHALES TALES
January 2022
Whalers Peninsula Community Association Inc. Newsletter
Local People Helping Local People
Message from Mary McInnes – Manager – 04092800085
On behalf of everyone here at Whalers Peninsula Community Association Inc. I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy new year full of wondrous and beautiful moments. Thank you for your continued support which we are so grateful for.
For the month of December WPCA has assisted 130 people seeking assistance in a variety of areas. In addition to Christmas Hampers for families and individuals and Christmas Presents for children who otherwise would not have received a present were distributed. There were beautiful smiles on these faces as we were able to bring joy at this otherwise difficult time . Thank you to everyone who donated and contributed to this.
Whalers Peninsula Community Association Inc. would like to most sincerely thank the incredible local business owners who have supported us and enabled us to provide much needed assistance to so many in the Fleurieu during this time.
HUGE THANK YOU TO:
GOOLWA HOTEL SOCIAL CLUB EYES DOWN BINGO, NANKIVELL CONVEYONCING VICTOR HARBOR
OCEAN STREET BAKERY VICTOR HARBOR, KIES HOME HARDWARE GOOLWA
GOOLWA HOTEL SOCIAL CLUB, MIDDLETON CHILATES GROUP, GOOLWA FRIENDSHIP GROUP
KIDS LANE VICTOR HARBOR, MITRE 10 HAYBOROUGH, RAY WHITE GOOLWA
STRATCO GOOLWA, SANDRA PAWLING, ROTARY GOOLWA, PETER SULLIVAN
GOOLWA BAKERY, GOOLWA LIONS, GOOLWA HOTEL, JAN FLINTOFF
RSL GOOLWA, OZ HARVEST, BP GOOLWA
From all the children who received Christmas presents and families who received Hampers thank you so much.
Just a reminder if you haven’t bought your tickets yet – WPCA is participating in the People’s Choice Community Lottery. You can support us by visiting their website and choosing Whalers Peninsular Community Ass Inc and purchasing your tickets. All proceeds of ticket purchases come to WPCA.
Whalers Hope Bus will be travelling through the Fleurieu to offer assistance to those in need . Please feel free to approach the bus if you are in need or simply just would like a chat. We have developed a QR code to support our fundraising for EMOHRUO. You can donate by scanning the QR code which will be displayed on the Hope Bus.
As a registered Charity we rely heavily on donations and support from our community. We strongly support the moto ‘Local People Helping Local People’ and gratefully appreciate the support we receive from our local community groups. A huge THANK YOU to our dedicated volunteers who keep the ‘wheels turning’. If you would like further details of how you could support or become a sponsor please do not hesitate to contact us.
People will often ask me what we do at Whalers. Whilst we do not discuss our clients or disclose their details I thought that I would give three examples of assistance we have given lately.
We were approached by a young man who had received a life changing opportunity to start his career as a chef. He was very excited to have been given this opportunity but this quickly turned around when he realised that he had to buy his uniform before he could start. He did not have the money to purchase his uniform. He was to start the next day. So I authorised payment for these essential items and he was able to purchase them and start his dream career the next day. You can only imagine how this simple gesture turned his anxiety into elation.
In another example of how we assist those in need. I had a young man who was the victim of domestic violence who had ‘escaped’ with nothing. His three children were being cared for by a family member while he tried to find accommodation and start to rebuild to enable him to be re-united with his children. He found accommodation and we were able to assist with furniture, bedding, crockery, cutlery, curtains and other items that he needed. It was a very happy time for this man and his family. He brought them into the office to say a heartfelt thank you.
We were approached by a mother who had ‘escaped’ a domestic violence situation with her 6 children. When these victims ‘escape’ they literally ‘make a run for it’ with very little in the way of possessions. This family were living in a shed whilst they sought emergency housing assistance. We were able to initially provide, sleeping bags, clothing, personal hygiene products and food. Once housing was available we were able to assist with furnishing her new home and provide other essential items for her and her family.
These are just a small handful of the families and individuals that we have been able to help in the last part of 2021.