MP lends a Helping Hand
Residents at a south Australian aged care home are presented with new flags for remembrance day.
Mawson Lakes care home had an unusual morning when MP Tony Zappia dropped in to join them for high tea.
Mr Zappia visited the Adelaide home, its staff and residents to present them with new flags ahead of this year’s Remembrance Day service.
Helping Hand acting wellness program manager Natalie McCarthy had previously recognised there were no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander flags at the care home and reached out to Mr Zappia’s office to request some because she felt having the flags was important to residents.
“There is an Aboriginal resident in the Mawson Lakes care home and plenty of staff who also wanted these flags available to include in events,” she said.
One of the residents is Mabel Lochowiak, a Kaurna elder who has been a prominent figure in Australia as an Aboriginal rights activist.
Ms Lochowiak’s grandfather was an Anzac who died at war, and her father was born on 25 April 1915, which became the first Anzac Day, and was named Anzac.
Her family has five sons named Anzac, including Ms Lochowiak’s grandson.
Mr Zappia’s staff asked if the home would like the MP to present the flags personally.
“It was agreed that we should put on a high tea for Mr Zappia, as well as family and friends to formalise the occasion,” Ms McCarthy said.
The importance of each flag was presented by Mr Zappia, with 25 people in attendance, complemented by a Welcome to Country performed by Ms Lochowiak’s son John.
The new flags have been hung and Mawson Lakes care home plan to display them at future events.
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