SPORTS AND MUSIC STARS ‘JOIN HANDS’ FOR THE DISADVANTAGED HEALTH SERVICES CAMPAIGN
Announcement posted by Thurnham Teece 23 Jun 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday 22nd June 2020 Sports and music stars have reached out to the nation calling for a ‘helping hand’ in support of 60,000 disadvantaged Australians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. These celebrities include tennis great & Australian Patron of Hands on Health Australia (HoHA), Evonne Goolagong Cawley and its international Patron, Dr. Patch Adams, who became renowned from the 1998 American semi-biographical comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. The campaign kicked off today in the wake of HoHA having to close the doors of its clinics throughout the Eastern States. Services have been reduced and livelihoods have been affected dramatically because of government regulations with social distancing.
Evonne Goolagong Cawley said today that more than 800 patients each week in Victoria, mostly marginalised, were now without their physical & mental health services and wellbeing programmes. “We urgently need financial help to continue to provide our services online and be able to resume our clinical services in the post Covid-19 period.”
Other celebrities supporting the campaign are Opera star David Hobson plus Australian musicians, Tim Rogers and Pierce Brothers as well as Richmond’s AFLW Akec Makur Chuot. HoHA founder Dr. Dein Vindigni along with Dr. Sam Ginsberg, a clinical and family psychologist who served HoHA for over 25 years in his capacity as a volunteer psychologist, Director, Chairperson, and Patron; and Australian humanitarian worker Moira Kelly AO are also behind the campaign.
Hands on Health Australia’s Chief Executive Officer Franca Smarrelli, said the HoHA services and programs not only helped individuals, but also strengthened communities through helping to build community spirit and resilience. “We have never sought public money in our 35 years of operation, but our streams of income from fundraising, international programmes and sponsorships have virtually ceased. There also has been little support from State and Federal governments, despite us looking after people in aboriginal communities and others who are disadvantaged and socially isolated. We have 400 volunteers a week in our clinics who help deliver our services, but we need to raise much needed money to ensure that we can reopen our doors and continue to help our current patients and the increasing demands for our services.”
David Hobson said many of the patients were very anxious, especially those with mental illnesses and some of their stories were harrowing. “These are tough and uncertain times and we’re only asking people to give what you can afford.” His views were echoed by Tim Rogers and the Pierce Brothers who said a ‘helping hand’ in the current environment is reflective of the Australian spirit of ‘giving to those who need it most’. “We always dig deep in a crisis and this one is bigger than anyone has ever experienced. We cannot have the disadvantaged being denied their health services and not being cared for properly.”
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ABOUT HANDS ON HEALTH AUSTRALIA (HoHA):
HoHA is a community-based charity that provides physical and mental health and wellbeing services to disadvantaged and marginalised people and communities. Through its community clinics, it provides integrated allied health and mental health community support services. The Community Clinics are the heartbeat of the organisation and are guided by the Principles of: Care, Support, Connect, Respond, Participate Respect and Engage. It was founded by Dr. Dein Vindigni whilst studying with Community Aid Abroad in India in 1987 where he met international humanitarian Moira Kelly, of Melbourne, who had spent time with Mother Teresa in Calcutta working with the ‘poorest of the poor’. On returning to Melbourne, where he is now a Senior Lecturer at RMIT, Dr Vindigni gained support for his desire to help the needy through the late Father Ernie Smith, a parish priest at Sacred Heart in St Kilda and founder of the Sacred Heart Mission. Father Ernie and Dr Vindigni set up the first official HoHA clinic in a small room in the Mission’s headquarters offering chiropractic treatment to those who visited the Mission. From these beginnings HoHA expanded its services in physical health, wellbeing and mental health community support services.