I remember that this time last year we were all celebrating the end of a horrible year and thinking that surely 2021 would be better. How wrong we were.
At least we had already endured the first act so the second act was certainly more familiar. Masks and sanitiser still dominate our lives at work, leisure and at home
Despite all this we have now reached the stage where Covid is simply something we deal with. We have resumed almost all of our activities, including Movement Matters, meditation, table tennis, scrabble and bus trips to interesting places.
Other activities like our disability support services and the other supports we provide for our senior citizens are also back – many now provided by our wonderful volunteers. We obviously ensure that everyone is double vaccinated and all precautions are in place to prevent any adverse event.
On November 20 we worked with The Happy Hens at Henley to host the famous Fancy Flea Market. The weather was kind and our fancy BBQ was much appreciated – we sold out of everything and together with the raffle and stallholder fees and support from Hunters Hill Council we made almost $4000. Thank you to everyone who came to support us. It felt almost normal to be out there mixing with real people again.
Our next fundraiser is running the sausage sizzle at Bunnings, Gladesville on Saturday December 18. Please put it in the diary and come support us. Take the opportunity to meet many of our board members who will be helping us to run the stand. Unlike the Fancy Flea Market, I can’t promise the BBQ will be “fancy” but it will be very good!
Last month we conducted a survey of the staff at Sydney Community Services and asked how they were faring following the last few months and how they feel about the future. In fact, more than 80 per cent of our staff believe that 2022 will be productive and successful.
They all noted that their work makes “a positive impact in the world” and almost all staff said they feel inspired by their role.
When we asked them what were their perceptions of SCS’ strengths they listed – strong leadership, reliability, high employee morale, dedication and a focus on values.
All of that made me feel very optimistic about what 2022 might bring.
Happy New Year!!
Gill
