Caring Hands Day launched to commemorate 40 years of caring by Southcare
Southcare is calling on the WA community to use its “caring hands” as it launches its inaugural “Caring Hands Day” on Wednesday 6 April to mark its 40th anniversary.
Chief Executive Officer Dr Nicky Howe said getting involved in the day was easy and anyone could participate.
“The message we are sending to the community is clear: now, more than ever, the world needs helpers, and you can help by simply using your hands,” Dr Howe said.
“Forty years ago Southcare was started by 20 volunteers who used their caring hands to help the community by knitting nine baby blankets and donating unperishable foods to provide emergency food to families in difficult economic circumstances.
“Today the caring hands belong to 38 volunteers and 96 employees who help customers across 57 suburbs.
Southcare’s legacy now extends to helping WA’s ageing population remain independent at home, providing emergency relief with food and clothing vouchers, offering free financial counselling and specialised social support and assistance for Aboriginal families. Money raised at our Op Shop is used to help fund our emergency relief.
You can get involved in Southcare’s “Caring Hands Day” by using your caring hands to:
- Pick up the phone and check in on a loved one
- Cook someone’s favourite meal (and deliver it to them)
- Pay it forward by buying a coffee for the person in line behind you
- Send someone flowers
- Join a knitting or sewing circle
- Invite someone to catch up and listen to what they say
- Help someone with their shopping (or buy it for them)
- Pick up rubbish at your local park, river or beach
- Donate toys, clothes, homewares to our Op Shop, a toy library, or shelter
- Visit Southcare’s Op Shop and buy something knowing funds will be going back to help those in the community
- Give things away for free on Facebook Marketplace
- Adopt or foster a rescue animal
- Plant seedlings or help in a community garden
- Volunteer at Southcare, a school or other local charity Join a community group such as Rotary, Soroptimist Internationals, Lions Club or a Men’s Shed
“We want to inspire people to create a service culture of giving by using their caring hands so they can see the direct and positive impact it has,” Dr Howe said.
Southcare’s longest serving volunteer Helen Moore was one of the first to start the Manning-based charity in 1982 and continued her service for 32 years, saying “it was always easy to see a need”.
Helen passed away in January this year and Dr Howe said her legacy is still very much there; it just moves and presents in different ways.
“Right now, social isolation, emergency support and financial pressure with COVID-19 are dominating the work we do, as well as the ongoing personal care we do as an essential service to keep people safe and independent in their home,” Dr Howe said.
The opportunity now is to move with the challenges, to move ourselves with compassion, service and grace and to move and use our hands to where they will have the most impact.
“If we have hands and the ability to use them, our invitation is to collectively use them to make a positive impact for those who need it most.
“We have created this day to commemorate 40 years of being a proactive carer, connector and contributor and while our history is important to us, looking forward is equally as important which is why we are starting this new legacy.
“We would love as many people to get involved in Caring Hands Day on 6 April, but really, every day provides an opportunity to use our hands as a helper.
Share how you will or have you have used your Caring Hands and tag Southcare on Facebook or LinkedIn and #caringhandsday