By Callum Ludwig
There were seven Upper Yarra winners from Casey MP Aaron Violi’s Casey Volunteer and Community Awards on Saturday 9 December.
There were among 39 individuals and 14 community groups from across the electorate to share in the awards recognising their efforts throughout the year.
Mr Violi said volunteer and community groups are what make our community so strong.
“These volunteers and community groups are the backbone of our community. They are special people who go above and beyond to make the Yarra Ranges such a wonderful, tightknit place to call home,” he said.
“It was my pleasure to be able to reward and give back to our hardworking volunteers and community groups who do so much without ever asking for any recognition.”
Yarra Valley ECOSS received a Community Award and Executive Officer Chelsea McNab said they are very happy to receive an award that recognises their volunteers’ work.
“We hope this can help us attract more vitally needed funding to keep these programs going, we have achieved mountains this year at ECOSS,” she said.
“Next year we are building four new studios and inviting new Co-locators to the site. We will grow thousands of plants to go into the local environment, we will have more of our crops mature to increase our donations to food relief and we will continue all our above activities,”
“Volunteering and being part of community groups is vitally important for Not for Profit groups to thrive and survive. It’s very good for mental health, helps people gain skills and feel connected to their communities and it helps to give back and care for the planet as a whole.”
Some of ECOSS’ achievements include the expansion of the Community Garden, establishing a Co-farming area ‘Pollination Place’, expanding the Native Nursery, putting in deer fencing, holding four large festivals and an event every month and partnering with the BioChar project.
The Adcare Community Op Shop in Warburton also received a community award and team leader Kathy Kearns said the team were very surprised and honoured to be chosen for an award.
“Our Op Shop has been running for over 44 years serving the Warburton community and we were a little disappointed that none of our history was mentioned at the awards,” she said.
“We are very proud to provide goods at very reasonable prices to the community in this very stressful financial time,”
“We are very proud to be part of the larger volunteer groups operating in the Upper Yarra area.”
The Adcare Op Shop has been providing financial support to Woori Yallock Primary School, Millwarra Primary School, Warburton Primary School, Women’s Refuge, Friday Night Soup Kitchen, interstate to tornado, drought and fire-stricken areas including in Queensland and overseas to efforts in Thailand, Cambodia and the Bhutan twins.
Other Upper Yarra Community Award recipients were Ben’s Shed Yarra Junction for the School Woodwork Program, Koha Community Café and Quilts for Orphans in Hoddles Creek while Rachel Hughes, Alison O’Brien, Michael Del Pol from Koha all received individual Volunteer Awards too.
President of Quilts for Orphans Annette Stone said it was exciting to join the crowd at the Casey Volunteer and Community Awards to recognise the work of an army of volunteers in our community.
“Quilts for Orphans’ regroup after Covid confinement, has been slow but steady, and our Gathering days are seeing a growing number of volunteers, busy at the machines and cutting tables again, and enjoying the company of other stitchers in a joint endeavour to bring comfort and encouragement to those in need,” she said.
“Our fabric hugs have been delivered to babes and the elderly, the displaced and distressed. From premature baby units to nursing homes, and re-settlers to those in refuges, our work reaches generations and across borders. Our global work will continue in 2024 as connections and networks allow,”
“Stitching may not be your thing, but with a wide range of community groups locally, there is an opportunity to employ your skills and interests to help others, while enjoying the company of other volunteers in purposeful activity.”
The Millgrove Residents’ Action Group (MRAG) also received a Community Award, recognisng their efforts to support the township in disaster resilience, local amenities and community connection.
An MRAG spokesperson said they have had a very productive and rewarding year and along with their highly motivated and empowered group of volunteers, we look forward to achieving some of our larger projects in 2024.
“MRAG is looking forward to Millgrove’s first of four annual Light Trail events with the theme ‘History Exposed’ and we are progressing to establish a Community Emergency Hub and encouraging renewable power, with greater plans to assess the feasibility of a mini-Hydro on the Dee River which will help Millgrove to become more resilient,” they said.
“A plan for a community garden is developing and we have just been donated a miniature train which we hope can be located in the Millgrove Memorial Reserve Park.”
