Shoalhaven's 'Empower Me Program' one of 70 mental health projects to receive community grant from Australia Post

Organisations and projects supporting mental health have been awarded grants from 'Australia Post's 2022 Community Grants', with the Shoalhaven mental health program being one of 70 programs taking home funding to improve their services.

The "Empower Me Program", was awarded $5000 as part of the grants to go toward their project 'Grab a Cuppa.'

'Grab a Cuppa' is a series of facilitated events for carers of children with a mental illness to connect with their peers.

The project aims to equip carers with skills and strategies to support both their children and themselves, and connect carers to build a network of support.

Nikki Morris, the founder and President of the Empower Me Program said they are "committed to supporting the local community to lead a mentally healthy life."

"Through our programs, camps, projects and initiative, we promote our four key elements," Mrs Morris said.

The four key elements promoted by the Empower Me Program are:

Mrs Morris said the grant money will help them achieve the program's aim.

"Our aim is to reduce the statistics of mental illness among all people in our community," she said.

The Empower Me Program was just one of the organisations across the country to receive a 2022 Australia Post Community Grant of up to $10,000.

In Australia Post's third consecutive year giving out the grants, in total more than $500,000 has been invested into community-led local projects that connect individuals and promote improved mental health.

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Australia Post's Executive General Manager of Community, Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement, Tanny Mangos said the organisation was delighted to support projects making a real difference to health and wellbeing.

"Australia Post recognises the important role local organisations can play in building resilience and supporting mental wellbeing within their community," she said.

"These grants help enhance community connections, and we know that when we connect with others, we feel better.

"We also know that this often results in improved mental health outcomes, and we want to support the organisations that are helping make this happen."

Mrs Mangos believes that recipients this year will make an important difference to their communities, supporting a range of groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, those with a disability or care commitments, LGBTIQ+ communities, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities and young people.

"The continued impact of the pandemic, financial pressures, isolation, and the constant demands of everyday life can all impact on mental wellbeing," she said.

"We're pleased to award these grants to support such a diverse range of important projects."

The full list of Australia Post's 2022 Community Grant recipients can be found here.

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