Ramlegh Family and Community Centre in Clyde North was brimming with love, support and advocacy as the Andres Pancha Anchor Community commemorated a father’s passing anniversary.
Held on Sunday, 29 June from 12pm to 3pm, the event saw friends and family of the Pancha family come together in honour of Andres’ death, but also to hear from local voices of support during APAC’s Walk the Talk Wellbeing Conference.
May it be for child and family therapy, alcohol and drug addiction support, victims’ support, to overall personal wellbeing, there were a total of 14 guest speakers that circled the open room, all eager to share their knowledge and stories.
There were a total of 60 people gathered in the centre, as conversations about support, physical and mental health, and community camaraderie filled the room.
Divine Pancha, founder of APAC and wife of Andres, said that “it’s just beautiful to see here, the beauty and power of kindness”.
“To see that you know, kindness does exist, and it is happening right through our own eyes.
“When you see everyone coming together, you see that it would not have been very impossible if it were not for the generosity and willingness of the young people that set this up – this is their work,” she said.
Jack Massey, the community inclusion manager at Abacus Learning Centre, was one of the 14 guest speakers during the event.
He spoke about the organisation, one he belonged to for over 12 years, and their work on disability services.
He elaborated on their specialty in providing early intervention support for new divergent children and their families, and when asked what his favourite part about it was, he said it was the “little things”.
“Every day I get to see a child learn a new skill for the first time, or make a friend for the first time, or an educator have success in a scenario that used to be challenging for the class, that’s what it’s all about.
“We’re all about learning and growth, and supporting individuals to become the best person they can, and we get to see that every day.”
Massey added that the not-for-profit has the overall goal of helping children and families with disability through education, but for him and his peers, it’s also about being able to share “success stories” and seeing how “different people are helping in their own way”.
“There are so many people here today from different walks of life, different professions, different roles, but they’re all part of the same community.
“So being able to see how all of these different places are forming together to really help the community grow is very important,” he said.
For Natasha Macallister, who works as a disability inclusion primary coordinator for Brentwood Park Primary School, she is on the same page and is all about providing support for children with additional needs.
“It’s all about getting to see the kids and seeing where they’re at, and I think it’s quite special to be able to talk to families, to read assessments and to meet with allied peers,” she said.
When speaking to the different families, parents and sometimes youths that came to her table, Macallister said that she was able to look through the lens of either a child, the classroom teacher, or the parent.
For her, being able to do that outside of her workplace and being a voice in the wider community is important, especially “in such a shifting landscape”.
“I think it’s important that there are people like me at schools, and that schools are actually putting in the time and investing the money in this role.
“It’s all about raising awareness, that support does exist and for parents and carers of children who are neurodivergent or have additional needs,” she said.
Jessica Laurito, who is the addiction and alcohol nurse unit manager at St John of God Langmore Centre, was more than welcome to share her experience on working with those battling addiction, and what it means for the everyday community.
With over 17 years in the field, she said there is still glee in “being able to find a way to help out more”.
“I think it’s very easy to get stuck in your own life, you get caught up in raising your kids and working, doing all the things that you do.
“So I think that being able to be out here, to give more and share is really, really gratifying,” she said.
To Laurito, the best and most impactful part of her role is “seeing the change that you can make in people’s lives”.
Tackling cases of addiction to easy-to-access substances such as alcohol and rugs, Laurito said that it was far too common to see those who have reached the lowest point of their lives.
“These people have lost their jobs, their families, or they’re on the brink of losing these relationships,” she said.
“A lot of the people I’ve worked with have experienced trauma in their formative years, and they haven’t necessarily learned some of the skills that other people might think are quite basic.
“We have people come in and they said they can feel like their life is over, so for me it’s just working with them, and then the best thing is seeing them change.”
The biggest thing for her was being able to engage with people about the dangers of alcohol, and its “slippery slope” is integral to one’s physical and mental health.
“People can drink and have fun, that’s fine, but it’s a slippery slope when people start to use it to avoid life, to numb depression, for example,” she said.
“So I think places and events like these, where being able to say that there are supports around to help, GPs who you can go see, are important.
“I know it’s cliche, but it’s okay to not be okay, and there’s so much work in that space, but also so much more to be done.”
At around 1pm, a light lunch was provided, with more guests arriving; by 2:30pm, there was a short yet powerful performance by Divine’s daughter, who sang to the crowd, serving as the official commemoration of her father.
Other services and organisations present included independent First Nations Cultural Educator, Anthea Barry; Southeast Community Link; Castan Child and Family Therapy; Health Canvas Clinic; Windermere; Southern Yoga and Health Centre; and Scouts Victoria.
The event finished at 3pm sharp, with the wider Pancha family readying themselves to travel to Frankston to lay a wreath at the pier, in honour of Andres and his love for fishing.
