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A grant from the OBrien network’s charitable foundation has gone towards supporting a cause very close to the heart of one of its agents.
Rebekah Whittaker from the OBrien Tecoma office volunteers every week at the Foothills Community Care local program, providing meals for the community of the Dandenong ranges and eastern Melbourne foothills.
Her work with the organisation led her to help them seek a grant of $5,000, which they were awarded, from the OBrien Foundation to fund their Domestic Violence Peer Support Retreat.
Originally planned for the end of 2021, the Phillip Island retreat finally went ahead on its fourth scheduled date last month.
Stephen Barrington, the chief executive of Foothills Community Care, shared that the retreat was considered a great success among attendees.
“It was a great time, where we had 16 women and 18 children along for the weekend, at a fully catered and pampered campsite down in Cowes.
“For many, it was their first ‘holiday’ away at a beach for many, many years. It was a time of rest, activities, learning and healing in a supportive and nurturing environment,” he said.
One of the attendees related to him that she found the experience of being pampered “overwhelming” and that after a gruelling six months, it was exactly what she needed.
In addition to this successful event, the organisation reports that it has served over 42,000 fresh meals and delivered over 15,000 food parcels to its community members in the last 12 months alone – a program facilitated at the Ferntree Gully Girl Guides Hall, where Ms Whittaker can be found every Wednesday night.
Applications for a charitable grant from the foundation can be made via any local OBrien Real Estate office and will be considered each quarter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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