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| From the Pen of the Executive DirectorThere was a family comprised of a grandmother, mother, and son who moved to a town. They lived in their car for 6 months until the Department of Community Services heard about them. The little boy (5 years old) was placed in foster care. He was brought to the Anglican Counselling Service because he destroyed everything in his path. He had been sexually abused. After trashing the counselling room several times, he got to the point where he stopped doing it. Recently, he returned to the Counselling Centre by himself. Now 10, he wanted to see his counsellor. Asked why he wasn't at school, he replied, "I was given some time off." We could not see him because he was not accompanied by his guardian. Also there is a couple who had separated. The husband felt lost and desperate to get his family back together. After individual and couple counselling, the family is back together. They attended a series of Marriage Enrichment Seminars at their local church and are attending church regularly as a couple. These are just a couple of the stories from the Anglican Counselling Service of trying to bring change and healing into people's lives. We need your help to ensure that we are able to continue to assist children, couples and families whether it be because of abuse, relationship breakdown, depression, addictions, grief, anxiety and so on. We was an increase of 25% in the number of clients seeking help over the previous year. Of these 24.5% received Social Security Benefits and 48.8% were on incomes of less than $27 000. Just over 73% of our clients were on low incomes. Figures like this suggest that the Anglican Counselling Service provides a service that many of these people would not normally receive or afford. Further, these figures suggest a significant impact upon our finances. The staff and Board accepted some cost cutting measures to ensure that ACS continues in providing this unique and valuable service to the region. But it does not totally cover our anticipated deficit now at $36 000. I believe that the service ACS provides is important to the mental health and well-being of many people in our region and Diocese: it is important as a support to the ministry of parishes and the Diocese. I would ask you, if God so moves your heart, to consider supporting our need to meet this deficit and maintain ACS services in the Diocese. In Christ, Rev Brian Kirk Executive Director Anglican Counselling Service PS If anyone would like a copy of my annual report, please contact my secretary, Meryl on 02 6762 4380. Staff Matters Jan Carter has joined the ACS as a counsellor in Gunnedah. She completed the ACS training course many years ago, and recently completed the UNE Bachelor of Counselling. Isabel Pollard has resigned from ACS. We wish her well and God's blessing. Isabel will continue to counsel in Armidale on a voluntary basis until she finishes with her current cases. So that you can get to know some of us, these are some of our staff (pictures will be added when I find some nice ones): Betty Yeaman counsels in Tamworth. She has just taken on the position of Manager of Supervision. Lynn McClenahan was Manager of Supervision and is now managing the Problem Gambling Treatment Programme for which we received funding. Lynn counsels in Armidale and Uralla. Jenny Regan counsels in Tamworth and Gunnedah. She is the Manger of Training for ACS and the Principal of LRCCS. Judy James in the Manager of Operations, and has responsibility for satisfying OH&S requirements, among other things. Judy also counsels in Tamworth. We also have the position of Manager of Community Education, who is responsible for the Life Skills, and other, courses that the counsellors run. Presently Brian is co-ordinating this, as there isn't any money to pay another Manger. Praise Matters
Prayer Matters
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