The (now) annual Yarra Neighbourhood House Network thank you lunch for volunteers was on this Saturday - rounding up National Volunteer Week.

It was lovely that some of our committee and fabulous volunteers got to meet other volunteers across Yarra, and enjoy lunch and music and chatting.

The event was also attended by key staff and Councillors from Yarra which was super.

At ACC we have so many people who do big and little things to help each week - from coordinating their book club to teaching line dancing … to dropping off the money, helping out at our markets, knitting, cooking, setting up toy library … providing extra support for participants for our access all abilities programs … and of course being on our committee of governance to help guide our strategic direction.

So … thanks so much to EVERYONE who puts time and energy into ACC. We really appreciate it!

With the kitchen all organised, we are getting back to our monthly preserving and jamming activities.

If you like cooking (and talking while you cook!) we’d love you to join us this Tuesday 21 May from 1-3pm for preserves group.

This month we are celebrating autumn and making beetroot relish. If we have time we may also make some preserved lemon.

Bring your apron. We should have everything else here.

Also … if you have excess fruit or veggies growing in your garden we always love donations … we can use them for our community lunches, for preserving and jamming and can also pass them on to the community or the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

What is the key to friendship?

Add your thoughts to a key tag on our fence this week.

We love quirky community art experiences … and creating opportunities for casual community interactions.

We always love a primary school fair. How exciting (a what a great sign!). Add this to your diary!

Darebin City Council is collaborating with Seniors Rights Victoria and Housing for the Aged Action Group on the Warm Safe Home Project.

The project is a mechanism to build awareness of elder abuse, and will be showcased at Preston Library in early June, for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day that takes place on June 15th each year.

The project asks people in the community to decorate a small house and talk about what it means to them to have a warm safe home.

If you are feeling creative and/or would like to help build awareness of this important issue, you can collect a cardboard house from us. Drop it back once you’ve finished. We’ll then pass the completed houses back to our Council colleagues for them to include in the exhibition.

Note, we should have the kits ready by the end of Monday!