Since the beginning of the pandemic, the team at QICGRE’s Canberra Centre has been working hard to bring a little joy to the local community, as part of a nationally led ‘a little thanks goes a long way’ campaign.
Despite the social distancing measures in place, the team have continued to find ways to connect with those most impacted by the pandemic, focusing on small acts of kindness to help brighten people’s days.
When strict lockdown regulations were first introduced, Canberra Centre quickly realised that children were missing out on birthday parties. To help spread birthday cheer they started sending out birthday packs containing presents, cake making kits and decorations, which enabled kids to continue to celebrate their birthdays at home.
Canberra Centre also recognised those in aged care facilities were having a particularly tough time. The team really wanted to do something a bit different to liven up the days of residents, so they worked with a local musician, Rob Jarrah, to provide entertainment for the day. They were really delighted to see the residents and staff clapping, dancing and singing along to well-known songs throughout the performance.
Despite facing their own challenges, Canberra Centre is particularly grateful to their retailers for donating essential items to those in need. The centre partnered with the team at Coles to donate items to local food pantries, and a number of other retailers who have kindly donated coffee and treats to frontline staff.
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- Local musician, Rob Jarrah
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- Entertainment for neighbouring aged care homes
Gary Stewart, General Manager for Canberra Centre, said he is proud that Canberra Centre could support the local community throughout their time of need. “It’s been incredible to see the local community coming together throughout such a tough and uncertain time. I’m proud of the remarkable work our team has carried out to help the community remain connected and keep spirits high. We will be continuing to implement initiatives in upcoming months to say thank you to those helping others and offer our support where we can.”
Like many other centres who have responded to the community during this challenging period, Canberra Centre has gone above and beyond to look after customers who have been so loyal to the centre for many years.
