For many Australians, the festive season is one of joy and connection, where friendships and family are celebrated, food is shared and holiday plans are made. Yet for others in our neighbourhoods, that sense of togetherness, warmth and belonging will not be felt, and rather an acute sense of loneliness will take hold.
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Christmas Day might be lunch for one, sleeping rough or spent with the paralysing uncertainty of not knowing where family is, after being separated because of war or conflict.
There is hope. At Red Cross loneliness is not something to be ashamed of. We’re there for people who have nobody else, calling and visiting, driving them to appointments, offering one-to-one support to those struggling with mental illness, or giving a warm welcome to those seeking safety from violence or persecution.
We know loneliness doesn’t discriminate. It stealthily creeps into our lives, no matter our age, gender or ethnicity, and takes hold when tragedy happens, like losing a loved one, a divorce or losing your job. And if you don’t catch it early, loneliness can reach chronic levels and have a significant effect on our health.
But it’s bigger than that. When there’s no one by your side, and you’re feeling deeply isolated, communities start to become less trusting, there’s more fear and places start to feel less safe.
It’s time for Australians to change that. Red Cross is calling on you to make this the season of belonging, by taking simple steps. Be kind on social media, say hello to your neighbours, volunteer or check on someone you know is in trouble.
A donation to Red Cross will also help us continue on our mission to work with half a million of the most socially excluded Australians to build the vital connections they need.
Wenda Donaldson, Australian Red Cross director Victoria
Don’t ignore us
Before she was elected as the member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke had stated that she was opposed to forced council mergers. But now that she is comfortably settled into her new role as our local member, she sees things differently. She now supports forced council mergers.
This of course is against the wishes of her electorate. However, this is not the first time that a politician has misled their constituents and it won’t be the last. Apparently, they will say and do anything to get elected.
Instead of thinking for herself, Ms Cooke is prepared to tow the party line to the detriment of her constituents.
Despite Gundagai having one of the most successful councils in rural NSW for the past 90 odd years or so, apparently Steph Cooke believes that it was in everyone’s best interests to have a handful of stuff-shirts from the Liberal and National parties kick all our councillors out of office and replace them with a dictator style administrator.
She is prepared to sit back and say nothing when the Court of Appeal has said that all those councils, including the Gundagai Council, who weren’t given copies of the KPMG Report, were denied procedural fairness.
If Ms Cook thinks that she can just ignore the wishes of both townships then she will be in for a rude shock come the elections in 2019.
We won’t tolerate a member whose only interests is to kowtow to Macquarie Street.
