Page 3985 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Ginninderra, based in Belconnen, and that is the NationsHeart Community. NationsHeart do an absolutely tremendous job, and I know a number of members of this place have visited the church and seen some of the great work they do. It is such good work that, indeed, they have been the recipients of a number of grants from the ACT government and from a number of companies that offer financial assistance.
Among the work they do there is the Food Hut co-op. They have got the Belco Kitchen. They have got the Rough Diamonds. They have got craft and chat. They have got independent living skills, including a cooking program, and the Gentle Footprint nutrition program. I had the pleasure of going out there and seeing and tasting some of the food they had prepared, and it really was a magnificent occasion and it was really quite touching to see the progress that these people have made with their cooking skills and how much pride they had in the food they prepared for me and for the other guests.
It is a great program, the Footprint nutrition one. It provides a place to learn and share and provide mutual support and education opportunities about nutrition, food choices, meal planning, food preparation and budgeting. It is a great program, as are all the programs they have.
I would like to thank and commend: the ministry team, including Pastor Naomi Giles, Pastor Jenny Moore and Jan Roberts; the management team, including Craig Webber, Ric Glenister, Marc Blackmore and the office administrator, Janet MacKinney; and the elders, the finance team, all the volunteers of the children’s work and all the other programs they do. They really do a superb job.
I will just mention Janet MacKinney, who is the office administrator. She does an absolutely amazing job. She has always got a million things on the go at any one time and she keeps track of it all tremendously. I know they have got a thank you for their volunteers coming up in the next couple of weeks, which I look forward to attending, to also pay tribute to all the great people who make up their wonderful community. They punch well above their weight and give so much back, and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank them formally in this place and to offer my support—and, indeed, I am sure, the whole Assembly’s support—in assisting them going into the future.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Assembly adjourned at 9.42 pm.
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