STUDENTS, staff and the wider Molong Central School community were joined by members of the town’s Rapid Relief Team last Thursday for an R U OK?Day event.
Taking place at the school, volunteers from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church’s Rapid Relief Team service cooked up more than 100 meals as part of the mental health awareness effort.
“The Molong team is proud to be part of the local community and enjoyed the opportunity to engage and serve them on the day,” said RRT Molong leader Kelvin Scott.
The Rapid Relief Team service was started by the church in 2013 as a way of supporting and connecting with communities including frontline and emergency service workers.
R U OK?Day is part of the wider R U OK? effort that seeks to destigmatise conversations about mental health and get people talking and supporting each other.
The organisation’s CEO Lachlan Searle said the focus of this year’s events was about helping people find the confidence to talk about their challenges.
“From the Torres Strait to Tasmania, people have embraced the R U OK? Message and made it their own,” he said.
“They have helped create a culture where reaching out to someone you’re concerned about is becoming more and more part of everyday life.
“Awareness matters because it helps create a shared understanding that reaching out to someone you’re concerned about is a positive thing to do.
“But awareness is only the beginning. We want people to show that they care and act on that concern by asking the question, ‘are you OK?’.
“A conversation doesn’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have all the answers. Often, simply taking the time to ask and listen can make a meaningful difference and show that person that you truly care.”
