Tremendous to be here at the official opening of the new Jannawi Family Centre at the Mungo Scott Building, the old Flour Mill, Summer Hill.
Everyone here is in deep admiration for recently retired Chair, Leanne Wallace, new Family Centre Chair Helen Rogers, Monique Jackson, the Jannawi Connections Board Chair, and the amazing Bilijana Milosevic, Director, and the whole team.
Impressed by the welcome to country & Smoking Ceremony and local MP Jo Haylen’s speech welcoming Jannawi to the area after 45 years at Wiley Park.
The name Jannawi means “with you, with me” in the Darug language of NSW. No one should have to walk alone, especially children.
Jannawi Family Centre is a specialist child and family safety service that runs two key programs.
The Family Program works with families where children aged 0-12 years are assessed to be at significant risk of harm, and provides therapeutic support, counselling, and complex case management.
The Community Connections Program supports vulnerable culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse families to access mainstream services and build social connections.
What hurt, joy, triumph, grit, and struggle lie in the memories and daily practices of the Jannawi community.
If in the inner west, south-west Sydney, and beyond, we really believe in community building, we cannot ignore what the brave people in Jannawi do. They are a model, and an inspiration.
Jannawi’s vision is that children are safe, happy, and healthy and belong to families and communities that support them to maximise their potential.
Only in humility can you support what they do and contemplate the needful actions to rescue stranded kids and traumatised families. This is heroic work.
A big call out to Adam Geha, Jason Severino, and others at EG for facilitating the move and the many community supporters and staff who make Jannawi live “with you, with me”.
