COMMUNITY service providers and their clients came together at Tomaree during the week to make people aware of services on offer.

Dubbed the ‘Tomaree Connect Day’, the event was hosted by Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre (TNC) and coordinated by TNC program support officer Clare Saunders, community member Bill Cottrell and Mitzy Dewhurst, from the Tomaree Library and Community Centre.

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Port Stephens Councillor Leah Anderson, representing Kate Washington MP, officially opened the event.

The Tomaree Community Connect Day was a project of Tomaree Interagency – a collaboration of local service providers who meet bi-monthly in the Tomaree Library and Community Centre to exchange information and address key issues facing the Port Stephens community.

The interagency is growing rapidly and all up 23 community organisations attended the event.

The services they provide include seniors’ support services; financial hardship support; domestic violence support; youth counselling services; health services; indigenous services; legal services; employment services; housing support and justice of the peace services.

Clare Saunders, Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre’s program support officer, told News Of The Area, “The event also provided a fantastic opportunity for services to network and collaborate on how we can all work together as a collective, to provide the best possible outcomes for our vulnerable community members.

“There wasn’t a minute of silence in the room, while service providers connected and built partnerships.

“We are so grateful for the sponsorship we received by local community organisations and businesses for the event.

“We would like to thank Jennifer Underwood from Port Stephens Council for providing a space for the event, John Chamber from Rotary Raymond Terrace and Mark Freeman from the Men’s Shed Salamander for cooking the barbecue, Salamander Bay Village for providing sausages, Bakers Delight Salamander Bay for donating 20 loaves of bread, and Bay FM Port Stephens for advertising the event.

“Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre would also like to express their gratitude to Bill Cottrell for his many hours of work on the project.

“We would also like to thank our centre volunteers for all of their help on the day,” she said.

The Tomaree Interagency is looking to learn and grow from the experience.

Nicole Chapman of the Seniors Rights Service said, “It’s so important for our older community members to know and see firsthand the services that are available to them.

“We found the event to be a valuable opportunity for Seniors Rights Service to educate and provide information to not only older people but also other service providers.

“We try to collaborate as much as possible, and it’s events such as the Tomaree Community Connect day that help us build those collaborative relationships,” she said.

Avril Saunders of jupiter Youth Counselling Service said, “ It was an honour for jupiter to be a part of the community connect day.

“Being surrounded by and connecting with all the amazing caring organisations in our community was truly wonderful,” she said.

“[It was] a room full of like-minded people who share the same passion for improving the quality of life for everyone in our community,” she said.

Louise Simpson of the Yacaaba Centre said, “We at the Yacaaba Centre are thrilled to have participated in the Tomaree Community Connect day, where various services joined forces to serve the people of the Tomaree community.

“It was truly inspiring to witness the collaborative efforts of numerous organisations coming together for a common cause,” she said.

The Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre has had a huge increase in demand for services – in the last reporting period TNC experienced a 35-per-cent increase in community members accessing emergency relief crisis support.

The complexity of the issues facing clients has increased because of cost of living issues and the country’s housing crisis.

By Marian SAMPSON