Turn the Tables Partnership with the Mama Lana's Community Foundation

I am very pleased to announce that on behalf of my clinic, the Quan Yin Healing Centre, I have become a Turn The Tables Partner with the Mama Lana's Community Foundation (MLCF). This partnership will provide ongoing funding for the MLCF to continue providing a range of services to the homeless and underprivileged people in the greater Penrith area.

​I had the pleasure of volunteering at Mama Lana's recently and was impressed and inspired by the wonderful work that they are doing. Mama Lana's is a wholly not-for profit charity with the beautiful motto, “Kindness with no strings”. They provide hot meals six nights a week, and supply their patrons with a range of essentials from food and drinks, to toiletries, clothing, sleeping bags and blankets. Their new permanent premises, funded by Turn The Tables partners, also operates as a drop in centre throughout the day where people can come to access other services, have a hot shower, a cuppa, and a safe place to just be.

On the night that I helped with a meal service, I was impressed by how many volunteers donate their time on a regular basis to make this all happen. Many people regularly donate one, two or more days and nights a week to cooking, cleaning and serving food, and even more work goes on behind the scenes providing all the other goods and services to meet a wide variety of their patrons needs. There is obviously a lot of love and care involved at every level.

​The couple behind the organisation, Lana and Roger, are true earth angels in action. They both work full time, have seven children and four grandchildren, yet they are passionate and caring enough to dedicate the remainder of their spare time to creating this amazing space for people who really need it. That is true devotion.

In my early 20's I did a year of full time volunteer work with people experiencing homelessness in the USA and the UK, and it is a cause I have close to my heart. I'm sad that this work continues to be needed all over the world – possibly even more so with every passing year. But I am heartened and inspired by the people who continue to turn up and provide these services day after day. Mama Lana's does this so well and 'with no strings attached', with great heart, and with great integrity. That is why I have decided to make this my primary charity for the next three years (at least). I believe businesses have a responsibility to give back to their communities and am so pleased that I am in a position to do this now. When you support my business, you are also supporting the MLCF.

If you are interested in helping out with volunteering or donations, you can find out more about Mama Lana's Community Foundation here. If you are a fellow business owner and you want to join Turn The Tables as well, find out more information here.