Community Support in Suburbia

We've been privileged to receive a great deal of support from my cousins here, friends and friends of friends, and our church. Just yesterday, our pastor (Minister Paul C Blacker) dropped in for mid-morning coffee and a chat.

What struck us throughout the session was the practicality of help offered.

"If you'd like your grass cut, I could come by tomorrow with the church lawnmower and cut it for you."
"If you need help unpacking when your things arrive, don't be afraid to say so and we'll get some people over."
"If you're ok to drive 20 mins to Caroline Springs, my wife and I would love to have you over for dinner sometime next week."
"Type 'christianjobsaustralia' into your search engine and you'll find plenty of IT jobs. World Vision is huge and posts a lot on that site. You could also talk to Mark Emerson, our guitarist. He was with WV for 15 years before he left."

Paul's simple, hands-on approach, which is amply mirrored by the members, is THE reason why we're so happy to call Hoppers Crossing Uniting Church our spiritual home for the duration of our time in Melbourne.

What do the good folk of Werribee and Hoppers Crossing get up to in their free time? A lot, it seems. Just look at the community calendar in our local paper.

Nature stroll along Werribee River on 11 Nov.
Community singing every Wed night.
Jazz and Swing Night with the Moonee Valley Jazz Band on 18 Nov.
The Spiritualist Chapel of Peace and Harmony is holding a psychic supper on 11 Nov at 7 pm.
Wyndham Rotaract Club is holding a trivia night on 18 Nov at Derrimut Heath Pri Sch.
Women of all ages are invited to the next W2W meeting at Southland Christian Centre. Enjoy cooking, arts and crafts, learning new skills, Christmas crafts, free light lunch and free childcare.
Pagan Social Group meets 2nd Sat of each month at The Coffee Pot Cafe.
Those who care for a relative with a mental illness and want to share their concerns can join the Westgate Support Group.
Meet local artists once a month ro discuss art and visit galleries.
Universal Chinese and Friends Association holds meetings and classes every Sun from 10.30 to 12.30 at Central Park CC, Hoppers Crossing.
Separated, divorced or widowed parents with children looking for support, fellowship and an opportunity to share concerns with others over a cuppa are welcome to the Christian Solo Parents Group.