pinarc.org.au

We are excited to announce that our Toy Library Volunteers Jill, Jenny, Kim, Ina and Jenny have been nominated for the Volunteer Recognition Awards 2011 being held on Saturday 14^th May in Ballarat. The awards run by United Way, recognize and honour outstanding individuals who are making a significant contribution to their community.

This small dedicated group have been attending Pinarc for a combined 70 years of service with some beginning when the toy library was known as Noahs Ark Toy Library. Together they have provided 5,000 hours of service ensuring that the highest standards of cleanliness and maintenance of the 1000′s of toy components that pass through the library each year are maintained.

The volunteers are a friendly face for the hundreds of children, adults, families and organisations who have visited the service during this time. They share in the history of the many families who have sought resources from the library and are a constant friendly presence for visitors to our service. Their knowledge of the resources eases the burden for families who often have much to contend with and may find the array of items confusing.

Our volunteers are highly reliable, dependable and hard-working, always turning up when they say they will and often staying longer than promised in order to finish their work. While their work is highly valued by Pinarc, they are a group of “quiet achievers” and therefore we are keeping our fingers crossed that they will gain some formal recognition of their wonderful work.

With its extensive range of therapeutic and specialised toys and equipment for people with a disability, the library compliments the work of the therapy team in the Early Childhood Intervention Service. It provides families with the resources to continue therapy goals within the home and also is a resource for families and organisations wanting specialised toys and resources to borrow out.

The library located at Pinarc Disability Services can be accessed by families throughout the Grampians regional area. It is a vital resource for many families, giving affordable access to the toys, equipment and resources that they need to support the development of their child/children or adult. The library helps children with disabilities learn and gain new skills through play – a very important part of helping them reach their full potential.

For further details of the Toy Library contact (03) 5329 1300 or drop into 20 King Street North, Ballarat, Victoria.