By Rachel Curry
The Emmanuel Centre has this week celebrated the gift of a new workshop shed at their annual Christmas Party, with Emeritus Archbishop Barry Hickey blessing the structure in front of a large group of people with disabilities, staff members, volunteers, family and friends.
Speaking at the event on Monday, 5 December, Emeritus Archbishop Hickey prayed that the new shed would bring “friendship, skill-building and a strong sense of purpose within this community of Emmanuel”.
An Archdiocesan agency which functions as a self-help centre for people with disabilities, the Emmanuel Centre also encompasses the Catholic Ministry for People who are Deaf or Hearing Impaired, Catholic Association for Special Education Support and mental health groups.
Their annual Christmas Party, which featured Christmas carols in St Francis Xavier Church and a shared meal in the Emmanuel Centre courtyard, was the perfect occasion to celebrate their many achievements from 2016.
Alongside the construction of their new workshop shed, the agency’s roof and kitchen were renovated and they built a wicking garden to grow vegetables.
They continued their challenger program and regular activities in the hall and held special events for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, including a Family Day for Deaf People during Lent.
Other highlights include initiating new Mental Health First Aid scholarships for people volunteering to work in parishes and running a restorative justice program for the Archdiocese of Perth.
Summing up the year’s successes, Emmanuel Centre Co-ordinator Barbara Harris said the agency had assisted 3500 people through 35,005 volunteer hours in 2016.
“The volunteers are vital to the mission of the Emmanuel Centre. We are supported and encouraged by the volunteers we have,” she said.
Mrs Harris also spoke about the fortuitous timing of the Christmas Party, which highlighted several causes close to the heart of the Emmanuel Centre.
“It’s really a special day today, other than the fact it was the Feast of Saint Barbara yesterday,” she joked.
“This is our annual Christmas Party, last Saturday was the International Day of People with a Disability and today is the United Nations International Volunteer Day.”
Mrs Harris concluded her speech by leading attendees through a Prayer for Inclusion and Prayer for Volunteers.
For more information about the Emmanuel Centre, visit www.emmanuelcentre.com.au.