Jo Higgins was our speaker on Wednesday. Jo is from Lilly House on the coast, a house that is home to vulnerable and at risk young women and their children. It relies entirely on volunteers like Jo and community groups to provide a home environment where women and children feel safe and nurtured.

 

It is a unique place, more than a shelter, but a home with caring and teaching a large part of the Lilly Home culture.

 

Jo related some stories of of incredible disadvantage that some of our young women on the coast are facing from birth, right through their upbringing. 

 

Jo read out a letter from one of her past residents who spoke of losing her mother at a very young age, and "survived" is probably the best word, to describe her upbringing such that now she has a career a young family of her own. 

 

The most harrowing part of Jo's story was the terrible effects that drugs are having on our disadvantaged kids on the Coast. 

 

Lilly's house can accommodate a handful of young mums, and do a great job in turning lives around. Unfortunately they have no government funding and rely on community support and volunteers like Jo. 

 

If you can help have a look at their website. Lilly House.org

 

 

 

..and in an after breakfast chat Ray found out that Jo needed a bit of a hand with assembling some furniture for the house. Delighted to see that a number of our members have volunteered their services.

 

Stay tuned for more information on how Alex Rotary is helping the community.