General News
8 November, 2024
Cultural connections made
A big crowd gathered last weekend to welcome new international residents to the town — with the hearty reception forging deep connections across the community.
Fresh friendships and closer bonds were formed last Saturday, over the ‘Building Community Connections’ dinner which saw an impressive turnout of more than 100 people.
Among the attendees, the guests of the hour were those who have recently moved to Maryborough to take up employment at the local hospital.
The event aimed to help these new locals establish a social network within the wider community, according to Maryborough resident Tony Macer who helped organise the program.
“We really want our new residents to feel welcome and to choose to make Maryborough their long term home,” he said.
“This will enrich our community, increase our levels of diversity, secure more health workers for our magnificent new hospital and build our local economy.
“It’s vital that we do what we can to help build a network of support across the community for the new residents and create positive relationships for all.”
For Anu Lijo, who moved to Maryborough from Dubai six months ago, the “outstanding event” was an opportunity to meet likeminded people.
“The program was an exceptional initiative that truly made a difference in fostering connections and building a sense of belonging,” she said.
“It provided not only the opportunity to meet colleagues from various departments but also helped us engage with the local community.
“It was refreshing to be part of something that valued cultural exchange and collaboration.”
More than just an avenue to build connections, the event also saw a number of existing community groups and organisations come together to support the initiative.
The Maryborough Lions Club provided necessary funding for the event which was held at the Salvation Army’s function room.
Two of the new residents, Arun Varghese and Sameel Mahinsha, along with assistance from The Salvos’ Jacob George also worked hard to put together a delectable Indian meal for everyone.
Mr Macer was full of praise for all the effort that was put in to make the event a success.
“We have an incredible volunteer community — we can’t thank the Maryborough Lions, the Salvation Army, the Maryborough Volunteer Resource Group and members from Zonta enough,” he said.
“This is just the start as we will now work with our international groups to further build relationships and establish a supportive community.
“We will explore possible future events such as multicultural days or harmony days.”