With the onset of the winter weather, it puts extra strain on those already struggling with day to day living.

Add to this a relationship breakdown on the loss of employment and all of a sudden you may find yourself in need of one of the emergency relief or homeless centres in town.

One of the biggest problems faced by these centres is the supply of adequate warm comfortable bedding.

These centres exist to assist the marginalised and troubled sections of our community by providing a safe environment and short term accommodation.

We are always accepting donations from the community of blankets and warm clothing to try and cater for those requesting assistance.

I would like to express my appreciation for the grant provided by the Griffith City Council and the councillors for the immediate purchase of new blankets and bedding for The Salvation Army’s Griffith Men’s Shelter.

With their kind donation, we have been able to provide warm blankets, sheets and pillows for the Crisis units located in Binya Street, Griffith.

The Salvation Army added further funds and we have been able to replace the existing mattresses that are about 20-years-old, the thread bare blankets and worn out pillows.

The sheets were recently replaced with a donation from the Acacia Motel, Griffith.

I am constantly surprised by the generosity of the local community and how everybody pulls together when times become tough.

The Salvation Army utilises this generosity to continue to help others.

Looking forward to making this winter more bearable for those who are really struggling.

Nearly a third of men who are ‘blue-collar’ workers wouldn’t know what to do if they were struggling with depression or anxiety, more than a quarter believe that men with these conditions are seen as soft and many think seeking help is a sign of weakness.

These troubling findings are contained in a new survey which reveals that harmful concepts of masculinity are affecting the mental health of these men.

Now, beyondblue will tackle these attitudes with a revamped campaign that brings humour to a serious issue and shows ‘blue-collar’ men that feeling down is nothing to be ashamed of and that support is readily available.

Davo’s Man Therapy will introduce Australia to a new mental health champion “Davo”, a larrikin tradie who doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to mental health.

Davo will star in television, radio and digital ads for six months to direct men to www.mantherapy.org.au/davo where they can measure their distress levels, get answers to frequently asked questions and advice on how to tackle depression or anxiety. The campaign follows the launch two years ago of beyondblue’s successful Man Therapy, which used another fictional character, Dr Brian Ironwood, to promote good mental health to men.

Thumbs up to The Griffith Veterinary Hospital for their care and support during our sad loss of our beloved dog Simba.

*****

Thumbs up to George at the Yenda Pharmacy, thanking him for giving me a lot of help.