Maree De George is from Windermere Child & Family Services and is in the  picture above with Gilly Swinnerton. She lives in Rosebud and works in Narre Warren, so it was a big drive for her to come to us.

Although Windermere started at the Brighton orphanage in Windermere Crescent 150 years ago, Windermere now  visits Melbourne communities which they service with almost 200 employees, . It’s sobering to know there is a callout regarding family violence to our police service every 2 minutes in Australia? Windermere assists 20,000 people affected by family violence annually.

Maree then shared with us the range of government assisted services they provide eg NDIS, Childcare, Crisis management, counselling to name just a few, and then the amazing unfunded services they provide entirely through community support- “Building Harmony”, “Mums and Bubs “and “Kids on Track”.

“Building Harmony” brings children from diverse backgrounds together at age 9 to 11, to celebrate diversity, respect different cultures and encourage friendship across cultures.

“Mums and Bubs” provides young girls with babies from very dysfunctional backgrounds (many of whom would be otherwise living in their car) with a residential program for 4-9 months at Strachan House, to help them learn how to function well as a parent, how to apply for a rental home, how to cook a meal, how to sit at dinner with family and fellow residents, how to love your child - experiences they have not received when growing up.

“Kids on Track”  is for grade 5 children that police and teachers identify as being vulnerable, demonstrating antisocial behaviour and likely to come before the courts if the pattern is not addressed by a powerful and positive intervention.

Well-known former footballer Matthew Richardson is an able and committed ambassador for these programs with Windermere, and led Trek on the Kokoda Trail last year and will take a team to the Great Wall of China next year as fundraisers. There is a commemorative Golf day in October and the “Bounce of The Ball” lunch at the MCC in March – this is recommend as a fun way and day to support Windermere.

Prior to questions, Maree showed a graphic and spine-chilling video by a young woman who had been badly beaten by her then partner into unconsciousness, requiring coma therapy and long term rehabilitation. She detailed her story, and explained how Windermere has gradually enabled her to move into a much brighter life with her young son. The boy was suicidal following the violence he had witnessed, but has been given help and hope for the future.

Google windermere.org.au for more details