Concerned: Tina Foster says her family will struggle after the Delacombe Community House closes.
MOVING to a new city is a challenge at the best of times, but Delacombe mother-of-two Tina Foster says it would have been impossible without the support of the Delacombe Community House.
“We moved to Delacombe and knew no one so I went up to the Community House to meet people and allow my daughter to make some friends during the school holidays,” she said.
“I got a flyer for a scrap booking event, we love doing it so we went along, and the women introduced themselves and were so friendly and helpful to me in a difficult time.”
With two children under 9, Ms Foster said the vulnerable families in the Delacombe area would suffer when the facility is closed on June 30.
“It’s not just a house for this community, it’s a necessity for so many people.”
“Anyone who moves into the area from next week won’t have any chance of getting to know people or getting help from people who know how to get established.”
She said children would be put at risk by having to cross busy main roads to access replacement services at the Sebastopol community hub.
“Many of those families are already scared of new authority figures and institutions, and this decision means they won’t have (co-ordinator) Cathy Thomas or (volunteer) Tracey Steiner to call on.”
“Those women have been saints to so many of us for so long,” she said.
Ms Foster called on Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge to visit the facility next week and explain why $50,000 in co-ordination funding would be withdrawn.