Waroona Community Resource Centre celebrates funding commitments for Waroona Family Support Services

A service vital to supporting residents in parts of the Peel and South West regions has secured its future for the next five years.

Since 2012, the Waroona Community Resource Centre has operated Waroona Family Support Service, assisting those not only in town but in nearby Harvey, Pinjarra, Preston Beach, Lake Clifton and Yarloop.

It is one of only a few CRCs across the State who offer family support.

Now, a recently announced funding agreement with the Department of Communities has secured its future until at least June 2028.

Waroona CRC manager Stuart Macdonald thanked the Department for supporting the service.

“To give us that security but also to have the continuity in the community and the ongoing care of people that we currently see is amazing,” he said.

The service employs three staff, who last year conducted about 390 consultations, made 1880 referrals and provided support to 3300 people facing difficulties.

Mr Macdonald described the service as “vitally important” to the communities it serves, noting how the service has adapted to changes in required assistance in recent years.

“From our own data, we see the demographics of those during the COVID period have changed in age and their necessities - it has gone to more elderly people and it is a lot of financial assistance people are after, it’s not social engagement or social isolation,” he said.

“We adapt to the data coming in, so the needs have changed and we address those new needs.”

Waroona Family Support Services has also received a boost in the form of a $20,000 grant from Lotterywest for its emergency relief fund, which was awarded to the CRC by Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke on April 27.

The fund provides both families and individuals with emergency assistance through consultations and referral to support services.

Over the last year, the distribution of funding has changed from an emphasis on emergency food to more financial assistance as inflationary pressures bite.

Mr Macdonald said the Lotterywest support was critical to the emergency relief fund continuing.

“Without the funding, we wouldn’t have the ability to financially assist those families in crisis,” he said.