A healthy serving of friendship

Dapto Leagues Club has once again come to the rescue of the Illawarra Community Services’ (ICS) Community Breakfast with a donation of $10,000, ensuring that this innovative program will continue to provide its vital service.

The program provides breakfasts for children and adults at two sittings at Dapto Ribbonwood Centre on Monday and Thursday mornings, with Youth Only at 7.30am and All ages at 8.30am.

ICS Community Worker Lucy Pepolim said the program had been running for 8 years, serving more than 20,000 breakfasts, 40,000 cups of tea and coffee and 30,000 milkshakes and snack packs.

Youth Worker Belinda Caruana said everyone was welcome at the community breakfast.

“We have grandparents with kids, home school families, pensioners, teenagers and homeless people, but it’s not always about poverty,’’ she said.

“It’s more about being welcome and having a place to eat no matter who you are.”

One time shearer’s cook, chief stirrer and live wire of the group, 79 year old Alma Campbell used to do meals on wheels but now spends her time socialising at the Community Breakfast.

“After breakfast we head up to the Mall and have coffee and doughnuts,” Mrs Campbell said. “Before long we meet up with lots more friends and catch up with all the news.”

June Stangl, a keen gardener and former volunteer carer on bus trips said volunteering gave people a chance to give something back.

“For widows it gives us the chance to meet people rather than staying at home and vegetating,” she said.ICS Aboriginal youth co-ordinator Brett Amatto has seen the benefits of the breakfast and tutoring program he runs for young people experiencing difficulties at school. Most children participating in the program return to the school much better behaved.

“We have been targeting young Aboriginal children needing support to improve their behaviour and results at school,” Mr Amatto said.

“We provide a nutritious meal which helps them concentrate, social skills to help them relate to people in a positive way and excursions which open up their eyes to what’s out there in the wider world – beyond Dapto.”

For more information about the breakfast, phone 4262 1918.