By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A DEDICATED mother who is passionate about raising the awareness of disability services has been awarded the inaugural La Trobe Community Award.
Michelle Jankovic from Berwick was given the award by La Trobe MP Jason Wood at a special ceremony on Saturday 18 October at which she was recognised for her valued service to the disability community through her self-made business Helping Hand is Here.
“I am truly thankful for this wonderful recognition,” Ms Jankovic said.
“Every day I walk in the joy knowing I want to make a difference, I want to help an individual, I want to make someone else’s life a little easier from what I have lived and learnt through my experiences with disability.”
Ms Jankovic, whose 12-year-old son Bailey has mild cerebral palsy, found it difficult to find extra support for her son once he entered primary school.
To fill the gap she saw widening beneath her very feet, Michelle started up Helping Hand – a disability services workshop which aims to better inform primary school families in Casey and Cardinia about the help available to them.
Mr Wood said Ms Jankovic was a “great example of what it means to support your community”.
“Always willing to help out and passionately pursuing the cause of those who need it,” he said.
“She has volunteered for the Royal Children’s Hospital, has been the guest speaker at the Variety gala, is a member of the City of Casey’s Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and is a member and fundraiser for the Touched by Olivia foundation and the City of Casey’s all-inclusive play space committee.“Michelle’s hard work and dedication for the disability community is very inspiring.”
Ms Jankovic, who also won the Home Based Business of the Year Award earlier this month at the Casey Cardinia Business Awards, was nominated for the La Trobe prize by friend Sally Woolgar.
“I nominated Michelle Jankovic for being an inspiring example of giving selflessly to others,” Ms Woolgar said.
“Michelle uses her own challenging personal experiences to be a blessing in the lives of others travelling a similar path.
“Driven by her compassionate love for others in wanting to soften the bumps in their own journey, Michelle created Helping Hand is Here to make it easier for those living with disabilities to navigate through life’s challenges.”
The La Trobe Community Award was introduced by Mr Wood this year to recognise those individuals within his electorate who continue to give back to their local community.
