VIEW (Voice, Interests and Education of Women) is a leading women’s organisation with close to 300 clubs across Australia, all dedicated to supporting children in need with their education through The Smith Family. Members do this through community fundraising, spreading awareness, and volunteering.
May meeting
Seventeen members and guests met at The Friendly Inn (the pub) for an enjoyable meeting and lunch. It was good to see our members returning now that we are learning to live with COVID-19. We also were now able to invite a guest speaker.
Janis Gordon from the Shoalhaven Council was our speaker. Janis was appointed in a new role as a Recovery Outreach Officer after the Currowan fires devastated the Shoalhaven (including Kangaroo Valley) in 2019/2020. Her role was extended after the second devastating event of the heavy rains in February/March 2022, which destroyed many roads in the Shoalhaven Council area. Janice was based in Ulladulla.
Kangaroo Valley was fortunate that a group of people came together in the Valley very quickly after the fires to set up a hub called ‘The Hive’. Janice and The Hive learned on the job what affected people needed and what was available to help them, and provided a central place for information and help and distribution of donations, grants, charity and volunteer helpers. People who suddenly found themselves in dire situations were grateful for the fact that there was someone to talk to and somewhere to go.
Janice said that her role after the fires has only just now finished. Her most surprising job was helping people who found the land they were living on needed to be reclassified. The fires brought to light many anomalies. After the next devastating event, when heavy rain fell and the destroyed roads left people stranded in the Shoalhaven, Janice continued to help people now with completely different obstacles to overcome.
Janice also recognised the need to bring communities back together. She arranged activities for the communities where there was a need. These have proven to be successful as they offered more than just fixing things. They were important for mental health and lifting morale.
Janice gave us an example of how she helped Kangaroo Valley. She was able to obtain grants of $10,000 to be given to Kangaroo Valley businesses which were suddenly affected by the road closures after the rains.
Her job will be terminated by the Council on 30 June 2023. Relevant information can found on the Council’s website.
The Smith Family
Kangaroo Valley VIEW club is asking people to give to The Smith Family’s Winter Appeal this year, to support thousands of children and young people with their education. CEO of The Smith Family, Doug Taylor, said that while inflation is affecting all Australians, the most vulnerable members of our community are faring the worst. It has been a particularly challenging time for the students and families The Smith Family supports with the cost of living crisis affecting the price of power, food and housing. Families are having to make impossible decisions about where to spend their limited funds. VIEW is the largest supporter of The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program.
June meeting
Our next VIEW Club lunch meeting will be at The Friendly Inn on 9 June 2023, at 11.30-12 noon. The speaker will be Lillian Chen from the Stroke Foundation.
Club Secretary Gayle Rudd will be contacting all members by phone or email about the next meeting’s arrangements.
To contact the club please phone Gayle on 0405 315 950.
Jeannette Dumbrell