The Logan East Community Neighbourhood Association (LECNA) will be supported to continue its vital work to encourage co-operation, relieve poverty and help the local community through an EPIC Assist (EPIC) Community Grant.
Gillian Marshall-Pierce, Manager – Community Liaison, Program Innovation & Administration, explains the extensive delivery of services and programs LECNA provides.
“We offer a range of social inclusion, financial wellbeing, personal development and employment programs, in addition to inviting local community members to contribute by volunteering their time,” Gillian said.
Recently, LECNA started delivering a Certificate 2 in Food Processing as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.
“We were keen to offer a program to local community members seeking employment as it ties in well with our goal of supporting people to ‘Build Better Lives’,” Gillian said.
The program runs for 12 weeks and offers participants hands on skills and experience in the kitchen, barista certification and their Responsible Service of Alcohol licence.
“The goal of this program is to find long-term, sustainable employment and we are committed to having success in providing good outcomes and certainly hope to continue being able to deliver this course to people,” Gillian said.
EPIC is passionate about working with other organisations that value and welcome people with disability and is thrilled to be supporting the great work of LECNA.
The local EPIC team is working hard to strengthen their connections with community groups to better support job seekers with disability.
Gillian believes employment gives people both a sense of purpose and financial independence, taking them out of the welfare cycle of relying on emergency relief to survive.
“Employment offers confidence and enables people to be good role models to others around them,” Gillian said.
Gillian explains that community centres are often underfunded and many, including LECNA, scramble around fundraising and for grants to assist with their work on the frontline, supporting people where they need it most.
EPIC’s Community Grant will help LECNA support 15 people through their services and programs to build better lives.
The next Certificate 2 in Food Processing course will run from 28th January to the 17th April 2020. Contact LECNA on (07) 3808 4529 if you are interested.
For more information about LECNA’s services, visit their website.