Volunteers to get their hands dirty for Headspace
15 September 2010
Alcoa staff are lining up to make a contribution to one of the region’s most important youth health and wellbeing organisations.
Volunteers will landscape the gardens of headspace’s newest site in Drysdale on September 23.
headspace provides mental health and wellbeing support, information and services to young people and their families across Australia and opened its latest premises in July this year.
The volunteering event is being organised by BacLinks, a unique organisation which aims to build stronger communities by co-ordinating partnerships between community groups, schools and local businesses.
The day won’t only be about landscaping with the Alcoa volunteers to hear about the headspace program from Bellarine Community Health Executive Manager of the Families and Communities Program Karen Oliver.
“The Alcoa employees will be given an insight to the challenges and difficulties faced by young people in the region including issues relating to alcohol and drug use as well as anxiety and depression,” Ms Oliver said.
“It’s great to see workplace volunteers from Alcoa coming along to achieve this important project for us, which will be an excellent space for young people and their families to utilise. It’s important they can feel comfortable both inside and outside of the site.”
The partnership between Bellarine Community Health and headspace enables the new site to provide additional services to young people including physiotherapy, dietary, occupational health and safety and podiatry services.
The initiative is part of Alcoa’s ACTION (Alcoans Coming Together In Our Neighbourhoods) program which recognises the efforts of Alcoa employees who volunteer on a local community project. The Alcoa Foundations will also match the employees’ time with a financial contribution of $US3000 to headspace.
Acting Alcoa Point Henry Operations Manager Charlie Adornetto said that the health and wellbeing of Geelong’s youth is of paramount importance to the region and to Alcoa’s employees.
“Alcoa employs nearly 1000 people in this region and they like many others in our community are the parents, grandparents and brothers and sisters of the next generation.
“We hope that the support we are providing headspace can help them with this vitally important service.”
BacLinks Manager Sheree Holdsworth said the organisation was proud to be able to facilitate the link between headspace and Alcoa volunteers.
“It is hoped that through the engagement of the Alcoa volunteers and the headspace team, relationships will be developed, stories and experiences shared as well as awareness and understanding gained about the problems facing youth today.”
BacLinks is a division of not-for-profit Geelong disability service provider, Karingal.
ENDS
Information: Contact BacLinks Manager Sheree Holdsworth on 5249 8989 or 0409 520 075, or Communications Officer Lisa Foreman on 0448 898 730.
Photo Opportunities are available upon request.