Category: Category: Health
Recipient: Julie Grehan
Nominated By: NBIF, National Brain Injury Foundation
Since the early 1980s, Julie has been living a life which has embraced ‘giving and caring’. She and her husband have fostered children including those with special needs & Julie has worked in nursing homes.
In 1992, after coming to Canberra, Julie was employed with Home Help and Respite Care and was a most committed worker always giving over and beyond in terms of time, energy and genuine dedication.
In 2000 Julie was involved in a very traumatic car accident which resulted in her being unable to continue in paid employment. When she was able, she set out to find an escape from the pain and injuries that she had sustained. Working with wood acted as a distraction and time-filler. However, the focus quickly shifted from her to others and she began the role of volunteer for people with disabilities and Darryl’s Den at the Kaleen Community Centre Hall came out of the wood work.
As the ongoing success and continuation of Darryl’s Den relies on fundraising, donations and volunteers, Julie is always out sourcing ways of achieving this. She has regular stalls to sell the artifacts or items, made by the group and is always sourcing free or cheap materials from lobbying businesses and the public.
Julie has successfully established a supportive and functional group, where participants feel secure and safe and where they develop skills including wood-burning, knitting, computer and table tennis. There are about 25 people who attend Darryl’s Den, with about 9 or 10 attending on the days it’s open. Julie has also encouraged the assistance of other dedicated volunteers who she trains and supervises.
In reality, Julie is available 24/7 as she never refuses a call from someone in need. She seems to be able to work around her medical problems, showing great dedication and commitment to a needy group in our society.
Without the Ted Flemings of this world, quietly working away at protecting our native biodiversity the future may be a rather bleak place.