Roundabout Canberra – a great Community Champion

We’re often inspired by people and organisations making positive contributions in their communities.

Among them is Roundabout Canberra, which provides baby and children’s items to families in need.

Carissa Minahan, The Personnel Group’s Braddon-based ParentsNext Client Development Consultant, says they have offered valuable, practical support for some of her ParentsNext participants.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Miranda, Hannah and the team at Roundabout Canberra,” Carissa says.

“I heard about this amazing organisation in 2019. Over the past few years, Roundabout has helped many of our clients and continues to do so today, by supplying large donations of much-needed items.

“I’m so grateful I found them and can count on them for assistance for my clients.”

Roundabout Canberra founder and CEO Hannah Andrevski launched the charity in early 2018 and relies on community donations and volunteer staff.

The Personnel Group’s ACT ParentsNext Client Development Consultant Carissa Minahan and Area Manager Cate Johnson collect donated support packages from Roundabout Canberra.

They assist families in need across the ACT with donations which include items such as; clothes, prams, baby car seats, formula, nappies, bottles, play mats, book packs, toy packs, school packs, toiletries, blankets and bedding, Christmas presents and more.

Roundabout liaises directly with service providers such as The Personnel Group.

“I fill out a donation application form with my client and send it to Roundabout,” Carissa says.

“Then I go and pick up the donation from Roundabout and bring it back to our office so the client is able to pick it up when they attend their ParentsNext appointment.

“All clients that have received donations from Roundabout have been extremely grateful, and most have been brought to tears of happiness and relief.”

Carissa is one of The Personnel Group’s trained ParentsNext professionals delivering the life-changing skills across the ACT region and making our participants work ready.

ParentsNext is a pre-employment program to help parents plan and prepare for employment by the time their youngest child reaches school age.

“Carissa was a breath of fresh air in the often exhausting, dehumanising and demoralising path of government payments, ParentsNext and seeking employment,” is how one participant – an unemployed single parent – describes the support she received through ParentsNext.