We Need You
Call for help from popular city service - by Jody Lindbeck, Daily Adverister 23 November, 2019
Wagga residents are being asked to through their support behind the city’s Sunflower House.
Sunflower House provides a clubhouse-style environment for people who are living with mental illness.
While at Sunflower House, people can participate in activities that encourage socialisation and development of life skills and to take up educational opportunities.
In October, One Door Mental Health stopped operating The Esplanade based facility, which is now locally run by Sunflower House Inc.
The president of Sunflower House Inc, Mark Horton, said the transition to a local community-based organisation had been welcomed by existing members, but this organisation needs community help to keep Sunflower House running.
A federal government grant of $275,000 will keep Sunflower House’s doors open for the remainder of the financial year, but more support is needed.
Mr Horton said without Sunflower House, there would be a huge gap in the community.
“The good thing is we have a very loved and supported - what we would call - clubhouse,” he said.
“You don’t come here for clinical assessment or diagnosis or treatment. It’s not a counselling service. it’s purely a place to come to for people who come out of rehab or are constantly dealing with challenges in their lives.
“It really would be a big gap in the community if we lost this. One of the first things I did after taking over as president was to get everyone together and at the end of our discussion, I asked everyone in that group if they could tell me what Sunflower House meant to them.”
“And that was quite emotional to hear things like, ‘If I didn’t have Sunflower House, I would have nowhere to go’, ‘it takes away the isolation for me’, ‘I have somewhere to go where I feel safe’ and ‘it’s my home’. “
To celebrate Sunflower House Inc formally taking over the facility, a launch is being held on Friday, November 29, from 10.30 am."
There will be morning tea and tours of both Sunflower House and its garden project.
Mr Horton is hoping for a strong turnout at the event and, as a result, for the Wagga community to show it’s support for Sunflower House.
“It’s in the local community’s interest that people with mental illness are looked after,” he said.