By Callum Ludwig
The ADRA Redwood Community Centre stands big and proud towards the tail-end of Warburton, providing support and care for the local community.
In 2023, nothing will change, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg and a new fitness program already available at the centre for those who need it.
Administrative Assistant Keren Wakefield said spaces like the centre will continue to be extremely necessary throughout 2023.
“We have had such an increasing need for food parcels, particularly because people are struggling financially at the moment and just having a space available that people can pop in and chat to someone or be referred on to other services is crucial,” she said.
“There’s just such a high need for everything, food, mental health support, kids and teens are struggling, drugs and alcohol, the lot of it. We’re open, the phone line is open and we are here.”
A new free Functional Fitness and Fun program is also starting up this year, offering an all-ages and abilities group exercise class run by a qualified personal trainer on Mondays and Thursdays.
Ms Wakefield said anyone is always welcome to pop into the Redwood centre during opening hours.
“Our lounge room is always open, anyone can pop in and hang out, have a cup of tea and a snack. They can watch the telly and we’ve got computers that they can use so they can log into the internet, check emails and things like that and the staff are always happy to have a chat,” she said.
“We’re always applying for different grants, to see where we can get funding to start up new programs or to help people however we can.”
The Chewsday Bite program is up and running again, with 2023 seeing strong supplies of fresh food available so far. Pop into the Redwood centre on a Monday to request a food parcel and they can be collected on Tuesday morning, and everyone is welcome to stay and enjoy a nice morning tea.
