The heart of the community.

Here is a snapshot of the bustling Heyfield Community Resource Centre (HCRC).

It’s one of 400 Neighbourhood Houses in Victoria, with over 40 in Gippsland.

On the Wednesday that photographer Morgane Cazaubon paid a visit, the gents in the Men’s Shed were deep in their woodworking and the cacophony of cooking was filling the air as the local food relief program prepared their weekly batch of 120 community meals.

...about 200–250 local residents visit each week for the meals, classes, equipment, resources and camaraderie.

It’s a busy place. There are 14 regular volunteers involved with the Centre, and recent surveys demonstrate that about 200–250 local residents visit each week for the meals, classes, equipment, resources and camaraderie.

And, this is a scene that is replicated across our region, with the beloved Neighbourhood Houses providing an invaluable hub for our communities. As HCRC Centre Manager Caroline Trevorrow highlights, the pandemic accentuated how impactful loneliness can be on our personal and collective mental health.

Heyfield’s food relief program has been operating for around 15 years. Every Wednesday at the height of the pandemic they were preparing an astonishing 300 meals for all ages and backgrounds. Now, while continuing to deliver some meals, the Centre hosts a monthly sit-down lunch with a guest speaker.

The Men’s Shed has 8–10 dedicated members who all value the relaxed, safe and respectful environment that surrounds them as they man the tools. As presented in Gippslandia #22, the lads were pivotal in creating cricket bats for the ‘Bats for Will’ charity event, crafting nesting boxes for the Heyfield wetlands, and bowls, cutting boards and other handmade wooden items for HCRC fundraising initiatives.

Caroline shares that in 2018 funding was allocated to launch several new Neighbourhood Houses across the state, all of which are becoming as embedded in their communities as the HCRC is in Heyfield. At the time of publishing, funding has not been recommitted beyond 2024, potentially putting these Houses at risk. You’ve got to believe that their communities will be ensuring their survival.

After all, it’s not a House. It’s a home.

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Gippslandia - Issue No. 24

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