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From the desk of the CEO. June has been a remarkable month at Cornerstone. As a Faith Mission Cornerstone continually lives a precarious existence dependent on donors large and small to provide the financial support necessary to cover costs. With the coffers as low as $200 at the end of May and needing to replace vandalized windows and a worn out heating system as well as meet the normal costs things looked grim. However, God had the whole matter under control and in the first weeks of June cheques to the total of nearly half our Annual budget arrived. These included a cheque from a group of City of Casey Councillors from their personal ward funds, a cheque from Dandenong Market, the Andrews Foundation for the food program, City of Casey Community Grants for the program, Minter and Ellison (Collins St. Law firm)for the windows and food, as well as donations from ordinary men and women expressing their desire to support the poor in the district. The windows have been replaced and paid for and currently a philanthropic group is investigating the replacement of the old heating system. The support we have received and the encouragement it provides excites and enthuses our 50 volunteers to even greater efforts to meet the needs of those who come through the doors of Cornerstone. Ps. Max Walker. CEO. Death of Mrs Kaye King: Cornerstone mourned the loss of one of our regular attenders in Kaye. Kaye and Roy were married in Cornerstone and have been involved in all the Cornerstone activities over the past 5 years. To many she was a mother figure and will be sadly missed. A large contingent of Cornerstone regulars attended the funeral expressing their condolences to Roy and the immediate family and friends. The funeral service was conducted by Pastor Max and Pastor David. Saturday Night June 14th: This will be a special night at Cornerstone based around the theme of Australian Rules Football with people wearing their club colours. The Night will be organised by Felix, David and Charlie and the regular Saturday night volunteers. The program commences at 8.00 p.m. Cornerstone Website: www.cornerstonecentre.com.au is the location for news and archival material concerning Cornerstone and its activities including past newsletters and updates. Dandenong Department of Corrections: Cornerstone is a worksite for the Department of Correction and volunteers, David and Felix oversee the program. Workers come to Cornerstone on Wednesday and Friday Drop in programs to assist with cleaning, preparation of the meals and cleaning up after the meals. Student Placement: Kelly is a student at Eumemmerring Secondary College on placement at Cornerstone. Kelly assists with office tasks, as a receptionist, with the preparation and presentation of the meals as well as being involved in a small games program with those who attend Cornerstone. Kelly will be with us throughout 2003. June Encounter: Encounters are periodic programs run on a Sunday throughout the year. The June Encounter will be on Sunday June 29th from 5.00 - 9.00pm. It will be a Soup, Hot Dogs and Sweet Night. There will be a variety of items, quizzes, special music and a comedy video. In between each segment of the program there will be the normal drop in activities such as pool. Ps. Max and Alison: They will be having a holiday from Friday June 14th until Sunday June 22. Ps. David Grice/ Barbara Siddall and Charlie Hensman can be contacted through the office if the need arises. Hospital Program: Ps. David Grice continues to work in Pastoral Care at the Dandenong Psychiatric Hospital. He runs a program at the hospital, visits the patients and does follow up work with those who regularly visit Cornerstone. Welfare: As indicated in the local press this week the major welfare agencies in the district are under extreme pressure to meet the needs of those seeking assistance. The gap between the haves and the havenots is increasing and more funds are urgently needed from Federal and State Governments. Finding homes for people is a disaster area especially for those who are disabled, intellectually impaired and/or with a diagnosed mental illness. Winter in Dandenong and Casey is not a good time to experience homelessness. There is much to be done to ensure that the poor and disadvantaged get a fair deal. While the State and Federal Governments read reports and appoint committees to investigate the need more and more people are facing increased difficulty in finding a place to live and the money to put food on the table.
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| Cornerstone operates under the business name Cornerstone Contact Centre Inc. (AOO29459A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
