4 October 2023
Dani is a Social Worker from the Child Protection Unit at Sydney Childrens Hospital, Randwick attending in company with CPU Allied Health Manager, Bernadetta Walsh and Senior Social Worker Clare Stewart.
Following a heartfelt welcome to country, Dani expressed her appreciation of their partnership with Cornucopia, valuing the generosity, and the difference we can all make for children and families who come to their service. CPU is not a service that other people talk about, because the services we provide aren’t services that people would ever wish to access.
We use your crucial funding to provide group programs which compliment individual counselling. Group programs show our young people that they are not alone and by their very nature of bringing survivors together in a safe space, promote a culture of healing and processing. A recent teenager told us that attending the group (and I quote) “literally saved my life”, that “I could go somewhere I didn’t feel alone and that I made friends”.
A mother also reflected in the impact of this program: “My daughter has gained a greater sense of acceptance and confidence having participated in this group. She has connected with young people who have a shared trauma and who like her are trying to process strong emotions of grief, loss, anger … whilst trying to create a positive future for themselves. She has drawn strength from this group of young people, which has come as a surprise to her, and has created a space where she is more accepting of her own feelings. Such leaps in her willingness to share her thoughts with me regarding matters that she has been unwilling to discuss in the past.”
The power of community our group program provides, cannot be underestimated, and we sincerely thank you for the critical contributions that you make.
