Zonta reflects on year of service to women and girls
Generous funding reaches DV victims & children in need
Women and children escaping domestic violence, homelessness and family crisis will receive practical help from the Zonta Club of Blackall Range after the club presented funding to local support organisations at its Changeover Dinner at Flaxton Gardens on June 23.
Representatives from Sonshine Sanctuary, Lily House and Breaking Thru spoke at the dinner, thanking Zonta members for their ongoing support and explaining how the funding would be used.
Sonshine Sanctuary
Sonshine Sanctuary’s Gayle Hall said the organisation was preparing to receive a family with six children that week, and bedding previously supplied through Zonta’s support and a Post Office grant was already making a difference.
“We feel so grateful to be invited back again and to have your assistance constantly,” she said. “We’re receiving a family with six children this week and we’ve been able to use the bedding that we received from you, which is really wonderful.”
Carolyn Mikl, also from Sonshine Sanctuary, said the support showed vulnerable families that the wider community cared about them. “These families really do appreciate Zonta and what they do when they receive our gifts and things from you,” she said. “They do know that people are out there supporting them and it makes a big difference.”
Ms Hall said the latest funding would help furnish the units, including replacing worn lounge chairs and buying new beds and mattresses.
Lily House
Jo Higgins, from Lily House, said the support from Zonta was invaluable for charities working to keep homes open.
She said the funding would be used to create winter packs for the young women supported by Lily House, many of whom arrived in poor health after homelessness, domestic violence, drug-related harm or other trauma. “I’ve come to realise that winter is hard for these girls,” she said. “They’re not particularly well nourished when they come to us. They’re often in poor health.”
Ms Higgins said the packs would include items such as dressing gowns, socks and slippers. “I don’t want them sitting at the table in a blanket with a t-shirt under it,” she said. “We want them to have lovely, warm, winter things.”
Breaking Thru
Breaking Thru founder Sarah Johnson said her organisation, based at Diamond Valley, worked mainly with children under 19 who were in risky situations, including family breakdown, foster care, disability and homelessness.
She said the funding would help provide kits for young people moving from place to place, including simple things like feminine hygiene products and even just bags to hold their belongings. “This money is very handy in providing kits for our young people to go from place to place,” she said. “Our youngest has been an 11-year-old girl who had been homeless for a few nights.”
Ms Johnson said she was always encouraged by the community support around Zonta. “I always come away from these meetings and get-togethers very inspired by the community that is around us,” she said. “It enables us to do the work that we do, and to continue holding our heads up and helping them to hold their heads up too.”
Zonta Club of Blackall Range president Margy Henderson has paid tribute to members, local businesses and the wider Range community after a busy year of fundraising and service for women and girls facing domestic violence and other life challenges.
Mrs Henderson delivered her president’s report at the club’s Changeover Dinner and Installation of Office Bearers at Flaxton Gardens on June 23.
“What a busy year it has been and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their hard work raising money to support women and girls escaping domestic violence and facing life’s challenges,” she said. “We could not have achieved so much this year without the fantastic support we receive from the community and businesses on the Range. We feel very lucky to be part of such a generous community.”
Among the year’s major achievements was a trivia night which raised more than $6500, with major sponsorship from Maleny & Hinterland Real Estate and Drysdale Funerals.
Raffles outside the IGA raised almost $2000, while the club’s plant sales in Maleny continued to be one of its strongest fundraisers, bringing in $11,000 last year.
Mrs Henderson gave special thanks to David and Brian, who are not Zonta members but have helped each month by carrying trays of plants and delivering trailers of pots to the kiosk.
The club’s Business Directory also raised $9500, with Mrs Henderson saying members were pleased “there is still an appetite for a printed directory on the Range as well as online”.
The year also included the packing of 600 birthing kits on May 21, marking the Australia-wide 20th anniversary of Birthing Kit Foundation Australia. The day also acknowledged the passing of past long-term member Gillian Allen, who was a strong supporter of the project.
A Post Office grant enabled the club to purchase bedding for Sonshine Sanctuary and Lily House, helping women escaping domestic violence settle into temporary accommodation.
Other highlights included Zonta’s presence at Maleny Australia Day, the Dusk on the Deck International Women’s Day event, where Alison Frew was named Woman of Achievement, and education awards and scholarships for Hannah Leach, Alexandra Haslam, Kelly Schofield and Eliza Portas.
Mrs Henderson said Zonta’s work also extended globally, with part of membership fees supporting international projects including efforts to end child marriage and prevent climate-induced gender-based violence.
“It is inspiring to belong to an organisation that is able to make a positive impact in local communities and for women and girls globally,” she said.
Mrs Henderson will represent the club at the Zonta International Convention in Vancouver in July, where Sandra Venn-Brown from the Stanthorpe club will be inducted as incoming Zonta International president.
She said the club had another big year ahead, with its 30th anniversary due in 2027, new members, an enlarged board and a new advocacy committee.
“I feel we will achieve a lot to improve the lives of women and girls, both locally and internationally,” she said.