By Jena Carr
A free event is coming to Geelong’s Steampacket Gardens to encourage conversations between veterans, their families, and the community.
The Victorian Veteran Family Services Family Fun Day on Sunday, June 18, will feature a sausage sizzle, live music, face painting, a petting farm, and information stalls from ex-service organisations.
Legacy Melbourne veteran liaison officer and former army veteran Adam Kent said bringing the event to Geelong was important as the area has a large veteran community.
“We can go a long way to improving the veteran and the family which adds value to the community,” he said.
“Veterans and families are assets to their community, but sometimes they’re not sure how to fit back in, and the community wants them to fit back in, but not sure how.
Mr Kent said many regional veterans were unaware of the many services available, and the event looked to connect them with those options in a “fun, jovial way”.
“There are a lot of veterans and families out there that don’t engage with the services that are available as it can be a confusing space,” he said.
“We want everyone to get together on the day. You can come along and talk to as many or as little people as you like and enjoy a bit of music.”
Mr Kent said the event was open to everyone and that you didn’t have to be a “veteran or a veteran family member” to participate in the day.
“It’s about creating a discussion in a safe environment, sharing stories, and learning from each other,” he said.
“We want to create a social connection opportunity to develop more peer support, which we’ve found really helps veterans and families integrate back into their communities.”
