• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Finke River Mission

Est 1877

  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
    • Videos
  • Is God calling you?
    • Testimonials
    • Employment
  • Contact Us
  • Donate Now

New kids on ‘the Block’ celebrate five years

19 December 2014

by Miranda Cirocco

In 2009 Lutheran Community Care (LCC) was invited to work with Finke River Mission to respond to the needs of the local community. Building on 40 years of community service experience in South Australia, LCC set up on ‘the Block’ in Alice Springs and formed a partnership with Finke River Mission and the local Alice Springs congregation.

‘When I visited in those first months we had just started our support program, helping people with managing money. There were three staff in the office. It was a quiet place and we didn’t know quite how things would go,’ LCC Director Helen Lockwood says. ‘Now when I visit there are over 20 staff enthusiastically providing support in financial literacy and running the playgroups. It’s a dynamic workplace with staff contributing ideas, planning and increasing their skills. We now work with nearly 2,000 people a year.’

We now work with nearly 2,000 people a year.

The original financial literacy program that targeted Town Camps and ten remote communities with two money workers has expanded to reach thirteen remote communities serviced by ten Money Workers. LCC also has two qualified Financial Counsellors on-site, including the first Aboriginal Financial Counsellor in Alice Springs. Staff have a personal knowledge of what Indigenous Australians face and have assisted them to avoid borrowing ‘traps’ and large bank fees.

In addition to the financial literacy programs, LCC has worked closely with the church to develop the Kwatja Etatha playgroup which reaches out to over 200 parents and children each year. In 2013 staff were excited to start a mobile playgroup which drives fun activities and morning tea directly to families in four Town Camps each week.

LCC recently opened a road front Op Shop on Gap Road which offers quality used clothing at an affordable price. It has been hugely popular with the community and is open Thursday and Friday. Further responding to community needs, LCC offers emergency assistance in the form of food or blankets and just last year staff were able to give 55 Christmas Hampers for struggling families to celebrate the holidays.

The true success of LCC is the passion brought from staff who work together to provide support that has been needed for many years. When asked what they enjoy most about working at LCC, one staff member said they like the positive atmosphere and feeling of belonging that the playgroup creates.

‘That’s why families come, it’s a comfortable, healing place. People come directly to us at LCC because it’s a calming place and they feel they belong. There’s serenity, they are comfortable, and they are accepted as a group.’

« Desert Rules reno!
Mission Block reunion »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Alice Springs
  • Alyawarr
  • Ampilatwatja
  • Anmatjere
  • Anniversaries & Celebrations
  • Areyonga
  • Art & Music
  • Asante Sana
  • Children & Youth
  • Communities
  • Docker River
  • Engawala
  • Haasts Bluff
  • Hermannsburg
  • Imanpa
  • Kintore
  • Kiwirrkurra
  • Kwala Kwala
  • Lilla
  • Mt Liebig
  • Mutitjulu
  • Napperby
  • Papunya
  • Partnerships
  • Pastors & Staff
  • Pintupi-Luritja
  • Six Mile
  • Stirling
  • Tara
  • Ti Tree
  • Titjikala
  • Training
  • Uncategorised
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteers & Supporters
  • Women
  • Yirara College

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • December 2013
  • June 2013
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • June 2011

© 2020 Finke River Mission. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
  • Get Involved
    • Is God calling you?
      • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Footer

Contact Info

  • 51a Gap Road, The Gap NT 0870, Australia
  • (08) 8952 4666
  • admin@finkerivermission.org.au

Warning: This website contains images of people who have died.

Copyright © 2023 — Finke River Mission • All rights reserved.