Volunteer Cheryle Tromp recalls the moment it hit home how important the service was to so many people, when a client told her, “If it was not for the YMCLC, I would not be here.”
In that moment, Cheryle said she realised how vital the work they do was, and why the centre was fighting so fiercely for its future.
For many people, YMCLC is not just a building; it is a lifeline.
Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy called into the YMCLC on Monday morning to hear the centre’s need for a 25 per cent funding increase and to collect dozens of handwritten postcards from clients, which tell what the service means to them.
Staff hope these messages, many from vulnerable residents, will help elevate the issue in Parliament.
“YMCLC is now stretched to a breaking point,” executive officer Julie-Anne Clark said.
“With annual increases limited to CPI (around 3 per cent), most Neighbourhood Houses across Victoria are now “slipping into the red.”
Despite its essential role, the centre receives funding for just 25 staff hours a week under the Neighbourhood House Coordination Program, less than half the 50-plus hours required to operate safely.
YMCLC provides everything from Services Australia and VicRoads agency support to homelessness assistance, digital literacy coaching, youth programs, Food Share distribution, and tech help for older residents struggling to navigate a digital world.
For the hundreds of residents who turn to YMCLC each month for assistance managing complex government processes, connection, or simply a compassionate ear, the message is clear: the community cannot afford to lose this vital service.
Mr McCurdy has collected more than 400 postcards from Neighbourhood Houses in his electorate and presented them to the Minister this week.
