Monday Muses~ Craig's Table~Workers Recovery

Question: what does the humble bumble bee and participants at Craig's Table have in common?

Answer: neither the bumble bee or the participants at Craig's Table listen to the urban myth that they "can't fly".

Last week *Ben one of the A Team discussed his "where to next" with Corey; understanding his physical incapacity and accepting the damage has reached maximum health. The only thing that could be done is to look at a combination of transferable skills; not just *Ben's transferable skills, but the families ability and transferable/supportive skill set. What came out of the conversation is not just practical it is achievable. For me it is exciting to watch yet another member of the injured worker community reaching past the perceived restrictions and heading into a direction that had not been considered before. I am not sure as to what the pathway that will be taken is, what I do know is that *Ben and his family are very clear in their minds. *Ben is not his true name.

As with many others, my family has had more than just a few brushes with various forms of cancer. Last week I purchased a daffodil lapel pin, because for me it is important that the researchers have access to very required funds in order to continue the search for the causation and for the cure. I also support research into heart disease-again heart disease has touched my family. As I walked up the street to my next destination I passed by the huddle of worldly belongings of someone who is sleeping on the street, this lead me to remember all the funds raised by various organisations to assist the ever growing needs of the less fortunate among us. Craig's Table did a bedding and towel run for the Parramatta Mission at the start of winter. Craig's Table is listed as a supply option for various organisations when furniture and clothing is required in emergencies. (everything from crisis care to new Australian's needing a helping hand) Craig's Table takes its role in"Community Good" very seriously. One of the foundation lessons for everyone who comes to Craig's Table is the need to support the community, not just the injured worker community, but our local, State and National community. We reach back and we lift others forward. It is the reaching back to support and to lift others that makes Craig's Table very unique within the world of workers compensation. For Craig's Table it is important that we celebrate the birth of babies, that we celebrate the special occasions, that we hold out a hand of hope and friendship to the elderly residents around Craig's Table. All of this came into focus last week when I was putting together a list of information, it wasn't until the list was completed that even I understood just how much work and how many lives Craig's Table has touched over the last 18 months; to say that I am very proud of what Craig's Table has done is not enough. The Teddy Bear Run for the West Mead Children's Hospital allowed the A Team and participants at Craig's Table to get a glimpse of just how easy it really is to do more, be more, give more and help more. Close to Craig's Table is the Bags of Love food hampers that we pack each week for the injured worker community. To know that the recipients are able to eat quality food and not worry quite so much about the weekly shopping is a feeling that I don't think I will ever be able to explain. It is even more exciting to know that since the Bags of Love food hamper program started late last year we have given out a guesstimated $80k with the help of Second Bite. Even though we never know what is going to arrive or when an extra delivery will arrive, it is the knowing that help is in place. It is also heart shattering when members of the injured worker community shed tears of relief because there is such things as apples and blue berries and potatoes and mushrooms and a myriad of other foods in their hamper.

For Craig's Table one of the daily challenges and frustrations is the size of the injured worker community and that for the majority of people this community is hidden away, unspoken of and not understood . According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics " Of the 13.4 million persons who had worked at some time in the last 12 months, 4.2% (563,600) experienced their most recent work-related injury or illness during that same period. Actually no one really knows the true size of the injured worker community and that in itself is very sad. Even sadder is the knowing just what the size of the challenge in front of Craig's Table is and knowing that Craig's Table is still the only registered for purpose not profit association willing to meet the needs of the injured worker community. Craig's Table is very aware of the needs that each member of the injured worker community has just as we are aware of the importance of Community Good.

Through it all comes one sound, the sound of laughter. There is always laughter, one of the participants said a few days back that she wan't aware of how little she had had to laugh about and how she had lost so many pre-injury friends to laugh with. Nor was she aware that since the workplace injury how her "normal" life had somehow disappeared. Now she has a new set of friends who she relies on and who rely on her just to be in place and to share silly stories and jokes with. When her and I talked she told me that she was thinking with a clearer mind and she was planning again, planning things as simple as a weekend picnic, planning trips to the park and planning to visit family or have them come visit her. It was the comment from her psychologist though that had her a tad baffled, the psychologist had asked if she was sleeping better because the tiredness under her eyes had gone. It was only then that she realised that since coming to Craig's Table her life had become "livable" again. Laughter had played a far greater role than she had thought it would, the doom and gloom had gone, it was replaced by laughter and friendships and understanding that she once more had a place to belong and a place that needed her there. There is always laughter at Craig's Table and because of the laughter people can and do start to think and planning and begin the journey back to themselves once more.

And now it is time for a cup of tea whilst I water the courtyard garden before I work out what is for dinner. I did notice over the weekend that the strawberry plant has a few early flowers on it, so no doubt the family of Skinks that live in and around the courtyard will be watching the strawberries ripen for them to enjoy.

Yours in service

Rosemary

Social equity for injured workers

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117 Magowar Road Girraween

A MAP THAT DOES NOT EXIST FOR A PATHWAY THAT CANNOT BE SEEN AND THE ARRIVING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A COMP LAUDE

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

FRUSTRATION AND DETERMINATION