By Jessica Micallef
Chris Morgan-Prosser is the project coordinator for the Sunbury Winter Night Shelter. The Sunbury resident chats with Jessica Micallef about how her love with helping others within her community.
What is your connection to Sunbury and Macedon Ranges?
My family moved to Mount Macedon in 1979 and we have been connected with friends and family in the area ever since.
How long have you lived in the area?
We lost our home in the Ash Wednesday bushfire in 1983, and we moved to Sunbury to rebuild our nest. After a few years our love of Mount Macedon drew us back, but one hot summer, I turned into a scaredy cat and we moved away from the area.
Sunbury has always been our comfort zone. I worked at Sunbury High School, we attended Sunbury Uniting Church and the church family and community made us feel at home.
What are you passionate about?
My family – I love them to bits. My adult children live in Sunbury, and I have two gorgeous grandsons and a very supportive husband. I also have siblings in Sunbury who are very community-minded, it is in our genes. I love people and I love helping if I can.
How did you become involved with the Sunbury Winter Night shelter?
Jenny Willetts from the Yarra Ranges came to speak at Sunbury Baptist about the Winter Night shelter and as I have always had a deep concern for the homeless I knew I had to be involved in some way. A group of local ministers asked me to be project co-ordinator, even though I thought they would need someone younger. I said I would give it a go. My husband, Ian and I have been working on the project ever since.
What are some of the perks of being a part of this project?
Working with the great people. We are all volunteers just doing what we can in our community. We are all working together for the same goal and that is a great feeling.
Meeting the wonderful people in Sunbury who have volunteered for shifts, given financial assistance, donated linen, knitted beanies and blankets and just shown their love of people and community. People are so wonderful it gives me goosebumps when I think about it.
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
I am pretty much an open book really. I am a glass half full person. I have found there are so many good people in the world and there is enough food and clothing for everyone we just have to keep sharing. There is definitely more good in the world than bad.
What are some of the best things about Sunbury and the Macedon Ranges?
The friendly people with community spirit and generosity, our beautiful countryside, our history, restaurants in O’Shannassy Street, seeing everyone come together for events like Christmas on the Village Green. There is a spirit about the place, the spirit of home and belonging.
If you could change one thing about the area, what would it be?
Infrastructure and maybe I would make Jackson’s Hill a place for the people, young and old.
But bottom line, I like it just the way it is.
