Yass Can Assist received a $5,000 Volunteers Grant last week from Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain.
Kristy said the local region is filled with volunteers who give up their time to help others and while they often aren’t looking for recognition, sometimes they need just a little bit of assistance to keep going.
This is why Kristy was delighted to travel to Yass to meet with Yass Can Assist volunteers and present them with a Volunteers Grant.
“Since 2004, Yass Can Assist volunteers have fundraised around $750,000 which has all gone back into the local community,” Kristy said. “But really the support they provide to people impacted by cancer can’t be quantified.”
“Like most community groups, over the past two years Yass Can Assist hasn’t been able to fundraise as much as they’d like, this is why I was so happy to provide them with a $5000 volunteers grant. I know it will be put to good use!”
Can Assist volunteer Annie Waterhouse said the group was very excited to receive the grant.
“We’re thrilled to bits about it,” she said. “Because normally all our efforts go into raising money for our patients but this was a volunteers grant so it was excellent to get it.”
The grant will be used for an accounting program, training courses, new patient liaison phones, an A3 printer and laminator, new fleecy jackets for volunteers and other much needed items.
Annie said Yass Can Assist Secretary Jan Roberts originally applied for the grant several months ago, so it was heartening news to hear they had received it at last.
“We are very grateful to receive this grant which will improve our fundraising efforts to help cancer patients in Yass Valley.”
Annie said Can Assist had also received some cheques from Yass Roos and local schools that raised money for Pink Day which was appreciated after a difficult two years for fundraising.
“That’s a big help to us because we’re going hard at the moment fundraising with lots of things on,” she said. “But over January just because it happens to be Christmas doesn’t mean that our patients haven’t got expenses.”
“It’s good to have some extra helpful funds that we haven’t had to raise come in as well.”
This Saturday, December 11, Can Assist are holding another fundraising stall at the kiosk near Miller’s Pharmacy on Meehan Street from 8:30am to 12pm.
The not-for-profit will be holding a sausage sizzle and sell- ing baked goods, fairy floss, Christmas gifts, books, and plants. Raffle tickets will also be available to purchase.
Can Assist will also have a stall at the Binalong Markets on Sunday morning and a stall at the Yass Community Christmas Carols from 4:30pm in the afternoon on December 12.
By Brianna O’Rourke
