Residue Flood Appeal funds donated to Lismore Soup Kitchen

Lismore City Council has donated the final remaining funds from the Lismore Flood Appeal to the Lismore Soup Kitchen in recognition of its ongoing hard work and dedication to assisting flood-affected residents and the homeless.

Councillors unanimously decided to donate the residue amount of $5760.12 to the Soup Kitchen that was donated between the distribution of flood grants last year and the closure of the Lismore Flood Appeal.

Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg said donating the remaining funds to the charity would go a long way to assisting those in need of help.

“If we had distributed this amount equally to those who had previously received a grant, each person would only have received $3.20 so Councillors decided the funds would be better spent by donating the whole amount to one charity, the Soup Kitchen,” he said.

“The stipulations of the Public Fund Rules require that any surplus amounts are transferred to a recognised and tax-deductible charitable organisation.

“This decision underlines Council’s commitment to support local charities and non-profit organisations that play a vital role in enhancing the well-being of our community.”

Mayor Krieg also thanked everyone who donated to the Lismore Flood Appeal.

Soup Kitchen Manager Steve Smith (left) with Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg.

“On behalf of Councillors and Council, I would again like to thank everyone who donated to our Appeal, which raised about $1.7 million from across the country,” he said.

Lismore Soup Kitchen Manager Steve Smith said the donation will help with the organisation’s current projects.

“Since the 2022 flooding disaster, the Winsome and Soup Kitchen have been engaged in Flood Recovery and rebuilding work throughout Lismore and the Northern Rivers area, in a program called ‘Repair to Return’,” he said.

“The work involves conducting essential repairs to homes and is an active and ongoing partnership with Resilient Lismore, Joel Jensen Constructions with support from the Catholic Diocese.”

“The Winsome also runs The Good Pantry at 51 Wyrallah Road in East Lismore, providing subsidised groceries to families and households in need, so this funding helps in so many ways.”

To provide the grant assistance to those in need as quickly as possible, Council distributed the funds raised in two initial rounds, providing $650 to a total of 1800 eligible community members, followed by another $304.54.

When the Flood Appeal began, Council staff developed procedures and processes to ensure the large sum of money and applications were managed in a fair, transparent and efficient manner.

No administration costs were deducted, with 100 per cent of funds raised going to flood-affected residents.

For more local Lismore news, click here.

A Giraffe has arrived in Kids Ward

A new ‘Giraffe” Resuscitation Unit, worth $34,000, is now in place at the Lismore Base Hospital Children’s Ward.

The equipment was donated by Our Kids, with money raised through the Local Government Golf Day, the 2023 Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge and the Knappick Family.

This equipment replaces an older unit that is used by the paediatric team to review a baby’s condition, as well as for resuscitation of critically ill babies.

L-R: Sergeant Joshua Scott (41st RNSWR Battalion), Samantha Gordon (Team Samson), Jason Clarke (Team Samson), Jason Honeyman (Team Samson), Corporal Renee Campbell (41st RNSWR Battalion).

Representatives from the Local Government Golf Day and ‘Team Samson’, including members of the Lismore 41st Battalion who play a vital part in organising the Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge, visited the hospital to see how the ‘Giraffe’ helps local kids.

“Having this piece of equipment is incredible for Kids Ward and is vital for sick babies that present needing medical care,” Rebekka Battista, Our Kids Fundraising Coordinator, said.

“Large pieces of equipment often stay on the Our Kids Wishlist for a while due to the price tag; however, thanks to the generosity of these groups working together, we were able to purchase the Giraffe quickly,” Rebekka said.

Anthony Magarry (organiser of the Local Government Golf day) and Jason Honeyman (Team Samson)

The Knappick Family donated last year, and part of their donation kickstarted the funding for the Resuscitation Unit, followed by the Local Government Golf Day and the Lismore Samson Fitness Challenge in March this year.

Our Kids works with the Nursing Unit Managers (NUM) in the paediatric areas of each local hospital to determine items for the Our Kids Wish List.

Since 2001, through the community’s generosity, Our Kids has purchased over $2.3 million worth of equipment for local hospitals in Northern NSW to help keep kids local when they need medical care.

If you or your business would like to partner with Our Kids, please email info@ourkids.org.au or phone the Our Kids Office at 6620 2705.

For more health news, click here.

Local indigenous man gets real about the trials and challenges of parenthood

By Sarah Waters

Ballina resident Kaiden Powell says the opening of Gidget House at Tresillian Lismore Family Care Centre, is a welcome addition for Northern Rivers parents who need extra support in their parenting journey.

Kaiden, 34, grew up in Orange NSW, on Wiradjuri country, home to the largest Aboriginal group in central NSW.

Over the past 17 years he has worked as an artist, counsellor and mentor to many young men in the community, where he continues to pass on the Wiradjuri culture and its strong connection to the land.

In recent years, Kaiden founded the organisation Changing the Odds, which delivers art therapy programs to individuals and organisations.

Prior to that, he was a counsellor at Namatjira Haven Drug and Alcohol Healing Centre and has toured the country as a motivational speaker, sharing his inspirational story of adversity and recovery.

During his twenties, Kaiden found himself taking on the role of a father figure to two young boys, now aged 10 and 12, when he was in a relationship with their mother.

He still considers them to be his stepchildren, although he is no longer with their mother.

“I still am involved in their lives and have maintained that relationship with them,” Kaiden said.

“I grew up with an absent dad and I think it’s important for young boys to have a father figure and a role model,” he said.

Despite, not having his dad around, Kaiden was surrounded by his four siblings, younger nieces and nephews and what he describes as the perfect mother and grandmother.

He knew by the age of 15 he wanted to be a dad, at some stage of his life, and acting as a father to his former partner’s children came naturally to him.

Two and a half years ago, Kaiden had his own child, named Yindyamarra – in Wiradjuri language, it means our way of life, which is love and respect, and going into spaces, gently and softly.

Like many new fathers, Kaiden said he was overwhelmed by the joy of having a new son.

But not long after Yindyamarra was born, unresolved feelings from his own childhood started to resurface.

“I put such high expectations on myself of what I wanted to be like as a father.

“I was looking at my own son and thinking I love him so much, then I started reflecting back on my own childhood and was thinking how come my father wasn’t the same and around … or even tried to reach out to me.”

CEO Gidget Foundation Australia Arabella Gibson and Kaiden Powell at the opening of Gidget House in Lismore.

Kaiden carried around those feelings with him, while working two jobs, running a business and navigating the ebb and flow of parenting.

He started to feel shame and guilt for feeling the way he did, especially as he saw how busy Yindyamarra’s mother was with the new baby.

Eventually he found help through SMS4dads, a free text message service which delivers advice, tips, and support to new fathers via their phones.

The information is synced directly to their baby’s stage of development, so they’re aware of what to expect and are also reminded to be aware of their own mental health.

Kaiden said it made him realise it was ok to have difficult feelings as a new dad and he could address those old wounds he had been carrying around since childhood.

SMS4dads commissioned Kaiden to create an original artwork about his journey into fatherhood.

The painting is based on the theme that no matter where you come from, you’re not alone and are able to have conversations about the many feelings that arise during fatherhood.

Kaiden said any service that offers help to new parents, such as Gidget House in Lismore, is always needed.

“Parenthood isn’t how you expect it to be.

“It’s important to have that space where we can talk about our own mental health and wellbeing, so we can be the best parents we can be.

“I’m co-parenting at the moment too, so that can have its challenges, but my focus is always on the children and maintaining positive relationships, because then everyone else benefits,” he said.

Kaiden continues to juggle fatherhood with his business Changing the Odds, while also working as a counsellor, motivational speaker and artist.

He is also a member of the Aboriginal Men’s Advisory Group.

Prior to fatherhood, he toured internationally with the National Indigenous Soccer team.

Any new parents, who need extra support, can access GP-referred, free specialist perinatal counselling sessions at Gidget House at Tresillian Lismore Family Care Centre.

For further information visit: www.gidgetfoundation.org.au

For more health news, click here.