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Editorial: Good Friday morning and Dandenong is deserted. There is virtually no public transport. For the poor, the lonely the disenfranchised, the lonely senior citizen etc it is a day when their activities are limited by there capacity to walk. However few of their regular venues are open. Many will spend the day looking at the four walls of their unit or room having nowhere to go. The TV will drone all day. Some will sleep the day away. Even worse if you are one of the many homeless who dwell in Dandenong and Casey who have virtually nowhere to go as the shopping complexesd are closed. Apart from church services there is little to do and less places to go to. However, Cornerstone in Dandenong is open. Those who are within walking distance wander in as the doors open at 9.00 am. Cornerstone begins to bubble with activity. Many without transport have walked in from places as far afield as Hallam, Doveton and Endeavour Hills. Others have walked from the caravan parks on the Dande Frankston Road. Some have been picked up by friends and driven in. A volunteer wanders between the table offering hot cross buns as a special treat. Lunch is fish, with vegetables and a homemade trifle. Voluntary donations will be added to and $100 is sent to the Childrenšs Hospital Appeal. 75 people share in the lunch. Gathering places are important. They are very important for those on the fringes of society especially when there is nothing open. They are not a substitute for family but when you are alone places like Cornerstone sure helps. This type of christian love in action is more powerful than the most eloquent preacher in any of the churches over Easter. The reality of the demonstrated unconditional love of Christ on the Cross is translated into concern and compassion for those on the fringes of our affluent society. Easter can be a lonely time for many in isolation or it can be less daunting if the oportunity to gather is provided on such days. Pastor Max Walker. CEO Cornerstone. Board Elections 2004: Elected members: Chairman: Pastor David Grice. Secretary: Alison Walker. Treasurer: Barbara Siddall. Committee Members:Marion Jones; Don Cameron; Grant Renkema; Patricia Grice. Appointed members: Correction Program Supervisor: David Monroe Office Manager: Amanda Hensman. CEO: Pastor Max Walker. (appointed until 2007). Non Board Positions: Jimbo...Pool Supervisor. Felix Stevenson..... Assistant Corrections Supervisor. Ian McFarland: Catering Manager. Youth Program April/May/June. Through Don Cameron a major youth provider has approached us to provide a special youth program, in April, May, June. The Board has agreed to this and the dates are Saturday April 24, May 22, and June 26. . Saturday Nights: The Saturday Night program is continuing to develop. Teams from Dande Bapts, Vineyard and Fountain Gate Christian Fellowship, a Board of Management team, Grant Rekemašs Homegroup and Youth for Christ will each develop Saturday Night programs on the nights allotted to them. Cornerstone looks forward to the programs they will develop using the talents of their team members. Easter Programs: Cornerstone opened Thursday through to Monday over Easter with programs on each day. It commences on Thursday night with the Drop In, Good Friday for a Special dinner, Saturday night with Fountain Gate Christian Centre running the Drop in , Sunday Morning Encounter with an 8.15 am Celebration of Easter and a full english breakfast. Cornerstone and Monday for pool from noon till 3.00 p.m. Hearts, Heads and Hands On Conference: This conference was attended by Pastor Max & Alison Walker and Barbara Siddall from Cornerstone. This conference was held at the St. Kilda Town Hall. Opened by the Victorian Minister for Community Services , the Honorable Sherryl Garbutt, the conference both celebrated the volunteerism that keeps the emergency relief sector going and challenged Emergency Relief workers to reflect on their policies and practice. The 250 participants represented 80 different organisations from all over the state. Conference organisers estimated that the agencies represented at the conference provided assistance to 663,876 Victorians in 2003 with an estimated dollar value of nearly $11.5 million. The May issue of VCOSS NOTICEBOARD will contain detailed reports of the various sessions. Heating: As winter approaches Cornerstone is seeking to replace the geriatric heating we have in the Drop with a more efficient system, Currently all the Drop In has is an industrial heater that is very noisy and expensive to run. At the moment a wall heater has been recommended to be connected to mains gas. However, the provision of heating to meet our requirements is very expensive and beyond our current financial capabilities. Maybe we are all faced with another cold winter where multiple jumpers and longjohns are the order of the day. Minimal estimates are well over $1500. Mental Health: Mental Health in the Dandenong and Casey municipalities is grossly underfunded. Agencies that spend their time trying to support the mentally ill and their families are increasingly frustrated by their inability to meet many of the needs of their clients as they face the reality of living in a society that either ignores or stigmatise the mentally ill. The people who are hospitalised are the lucky ones getting excellent treatment from dedicated staff at Dandenong Psychiatric Hospital. They in turn are frustrated by rapid turn over rates and the ever increasing demand on their service. Surely it is time to stop all the governmental posturing both federally and locally and begin to adequately resourse the hospitals and agencies daily battling to assist the mentally ill. Political platitudes do not solve the problem, needed resourse allocation will. Cornerstone Programs:
For detailed information on Cornerstone visit our website:How to get in touch: Correspondence to:
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| Cornerstone operates under the business name Cornerstone Contact Centre Inc. (AOO29459A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
