Lutheran Care is celebrating 20 years of fun, friendship and support at Family Zone.

Family Zone is Lutheran Care’s parenting and community hub co-located at Ingle Farm Primary School. The centre will mark its 20-year anniversary milestone with a get together for participants, volunteers, staff members, partner organisations and stakeholders at Family Zone on Wednesday, 30 September.

Family Zone was launched in 2006, when John Howard was Australia’s Prime Minister, the Mike Rann Labor government won the local SA election in a ‘Rann slide’, and Sandi Thom’s ‘I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair’ was the biggest selling single with 10 weeks at the top of the Australian charts.

The centre’s goal was to be a safe and welcoming space for families and the community, offering a range of programs to support, inspire, empower, entertain and inform to help participants and their families thrive.

The programs have changed over the years based on what the community needs and wants; the availability, skills and interests of volunteers; and funding. However, across the broad range of playgroups, classes, support groups and activities delivered over the past 20 years, there has definitely been something for everyone.

Today, programs such as the Neurodiversity Support Group support neurodiverse children and their siblings, while giving their parents a space to connect with other families going through similar experiences. Playgroups support children’s early development while giving parents an opportunity to engage with their children and other families. Other programs specifically support groups such as men, new dads, new mums and people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, helping them build skills, connect with others and overcome challenges. The Home Visiting program provides isolated families with practical support, connection and referrals to other services including those available at Family Zone.

A Conversational English Class helps migrants and refugees build their confidence and skills in speaking English. Facilitated by volunteers, the group helps participants build their vocabulary and develop the language skills they need in everyday life, for tasks such as shopping at the supermarket or connecting with health services. While these may seem like everyday tasks, learning how to book a GP appointment or ask for help to locate a certain type of food in a new language can make a significant difference to someone’s confidence and independence. Participants have also been practising writing in English. For some participants, particularly women who have had limited opportunities for formal education in their home countries, this may be the first time they have had the opportunity to develop these skills. It is wonderful to see how far they have come.

Inspired by Family Zone’s popular Cooking From the Heart cooking class and representing the diversity of cultures and countries of those who gather at Family Zone, a cookbook – Faces and Flavours of Family Zone – has been developed using recipes submitted by staff, volunteers and participants, including everything from team member Shukria’s Afghan Manto, to volunteer Edna’s Vegetarian Noodles, and our Family Zone Director Kerry’s famous Fool Proof Scones. It will be launched at the celebration. Some celebratory bunting has also been developed, including heartwarming handwritten messages from many of the Family Zone family.

Lutheran Care’s Chief Executive Officer, Ian Byrne, says, “After 20 years, Family Zone has something incredibly valuable: a model that has been tested and adapted over time, proven capability, deep community relationships and community confidence”.

“And perhaps most powerfully, we see it in people who first came here for support and then decided they wanted to become part of the Family Zone story themselves – as volunteers, supporters and members of the team.  That is a pretty extraordinary measure of success,” he says.

Many of Family Zone’s participants, volunteers and team members describe the hub as a “home away from home”.

Cathy’s story

A serious illness left Cathy* with a permanent brain injury. She spent two months in a coma and had to relearn how to walk and talk. At a time when Cathy and her children were isolated and struggling, she says she was “just
trying to survive”.

“I was begging for help and I kept getting turned away. The only service that stepped up to help was Family Zone.”

Through Family Zone’s Home Visiting Program, Neurodiversity Support Group and Cooking From the Heart class, Cathy and her children found practical support, friendship and a place where they belonged. As their connection with the Family Zone community grew, their confidence did too.

Now Cathy volunteers at Family Zone, helping other families feel as welcome as she did. “I feel very hopeful now,” she says.

Chloe’s story

Meanwhile, Chloe who experiences many health challenges, didn’t think she would be able to work again, but put her hand up to volunteer in Family Zone’s crèche. The crèche allows parents to have some time and space to engage with Family Zone services whilst their children are being supported.

“I liked seeing the children learn new skills,” Chloe says. “No one yells at me. This is the first job where I don’t have a stomach ache coming here.”

When the Family Zone cleaner left, Chloe advocated for herself in regard to taking on the position, and was appointed as the new cleaner. She currently cleans four days a week, and volunteers for two.

“The biggest thing was, I thought that all people were bad and scary and mean. Then I came here and I realised, no, there’s lots of nice people in the world.

“Now, I feel happier and have more things to look forward to. I don’t feel so lonely and isolated.

“Family Zone is probably the second most important thing to me after my partner and my pets.”

Cathy’s and Chloe’s stories are among those featured in Faces and Flavours of Family Zone.

Family Zone is located at 2 Belalie Rd, Ingle Farm SA. For more information, visit lutherancare.org.au/family-zone/

*Name changed to protect client’s privacy.