Dianne Vogele’s son, Christian, learned how to snowboard this winter. He also spent a night at Werribee Open Range Zoo, went for a ride in a hot-air balloon and spent a weekend on the Murray River in Echuca.
They were just a few of the exciting trips Whittlesea YMCA organised for 16-year-old Christian and about 19 other teenagers during school holidays.
While Christian was off exploring, Dianne was able to spend time with her husband and two eldest sons, and take a break from her role as Christian’s primary carer.
Christian has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disabilities and is on the autism spectrum.
He attends Concord School in Bundoora for students with additional learning needs, and joins other teenagers with disabilities on weekend trips and school holiday programs organised by the Whittlesea YMCA.
But he doesn’t always get in. “He missed out once because there were too many wanting to go,” Dianne said.
“And it will only get worse as more hear how brilliant the program is.”
Whittlesea YMCA disability services co-ordinator Annette Jurisch said that because respite services were few and far between in Melbourne’s outer northern suburbs, many of the Whittlesea programs had waiting lists.
The YMCA’s disability service is jointly funded by local, state and federal governments.
“But we’re always looking for more funding to expand our programs,” Ms Jurisch said.
The Whittlesea YMCA is a signatory to the Whittlesea Community Futures campaign, which is seeking to raise the profile of social issues in Whittlesea and work for disability solutions in the lead-up to the state
election.
To help alleviate youth mental health issues, the campaign is requesting funding of $550,000 from the state and federal governments to establish a co-ordinated youth mental health service with Medicare-funded psychologists, clinical and non-clinical mental health services all under the one roof.
There are three simple things community members can do to tell the government and opposition parties that people want a fairer deal:
■ Sign the Fairer Funding petition at
www.fairerfunding.com.au.
■ On the Fairer Funding Facebook page, share stories in video and photos about how a lack of services impacts on you.
■ Check the Families on the Edge campaign’s progress on Twitter by following @fairerfunding.
OUR STORIES
Whittlesea’s mental health pain
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Whittlesea community groups fight for a fair go
Whittlesea youth foyer plan wins Mission backing
Northern Star Weekly also welcomes your stories – emaillcottee@starweekly.com.au.
