Southern comfort

In the wake of a huge World AIDS Day effort and with Christmas and New Year’s Eve fast approaching, now is the perfect time to stop and thank the army of volunteers who have given countless hours of their time to help support ACON and our community over the past year. An especially big thank you goes out to our amazing World AIDS Day volunteers.
Our inaugural branch open day, barbecue and the dedication of the memorial garden were incredibly successful this year and the Illawarra Branch and our community are looking forward to working together on some new and exciting ways of doing things in the coming year.
To kick the New Year off there will be a new lesbian social group forming. REAL (Respecting Equality Amongst Lesbians) will be holding its first meeting on Thursday 17 January between 6pm and 7:30pm at the ACON community space. Please contact Tania on 0402 433 891 for further information.
The youth groups, Young and Proud and Label Free Youth, will be taking a short break over Christmas, with the last YAP meeting being held on Thursday 13 December, 4pm-8pm, in the Illawarra Branch Community Space. The group will kick off again on 24 January.
Remember too that there are many within our community who find this holiday season to be a difficult time, often dealing with a variety of personal issues. As our community is a family, checking in with a friend can mean a world of difference to them and often brightens your day as well.
Enjoy the season, have a happy New Year and, as always, play safe.
If you require any additional information about groups, services, organisations in the Illawarra you can contact ACON Illawarra on 4226 1163. Trevor Slattery is the Youth Peer Education/ Education and Community Development Officer for ACON’s Illawarra Branch.