That blend was in the mix 30 years ago when the Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood Centre was 'Incorporated' making it one of the oldest community service organisations in the city, today.

Community comes from two Latin words; com and munos, translated literally as 'together in gift'.

That is exactly how the Neighbourhood Centre was integrated into the already successful Family Support Services. A gift, in the form of a 3 year pilot scheme, by the Fraser Federal Government to ... develop a community based structure of services to provide support to families to in crisis and to provide an adequate child rearing environment by ensuring the equitable distribution of a range of appropriate services.

The Mount Isa Welfare Council, formed in the early 70s, found most families in the isolated city had few extended family members to turn to in difficulty. A pilot scheme allowed the Welfare Council to employ Mrs Margaret Doherty as a family support worker to guide and assist those families when crises arose.

In her first report, she expressed her dismay despite encouraging support from the 'professionals' the same could not be said of voluntary organisations.

"I believe we need the support of both groups if we are to adequately cover the needs of welfare in the city", she advised.

Following the success of Mrs Doherty's appointment and her report, a special meeting on the evaluation of a Family Support Service scheme was held at the Civic Centre in August 1980.

From its inception, the new scheme was actively involved in an organic way to build a network of relationships between distressed families and individuals and other supporting organisations.

As Bob Geldof, humanitarian, said ... humility is no more than the realisation that every single other person, no matter how deprived, confused or crushed, is at least as valuable and important as oneself.

His words aptly sum up the ethos behind the ongoing work of the Family Support Service.

And as the city grew so too did the demand for the social welfare of its residents, not only in times of crisis but to guide and always support them, allowing them to learn by doing.

Through the intervention of the Homemakers programme many families and children deemed at risk of abuse gained the skills to improve their family situations, cooking skills and communication.

Playgroup was an early initiative of Family Support Service as parents were encouraged to see that interaction with their children need not be just another chore, but rather a pleasurable and rewarding experience for both parents and children.

The success of this initial Playgroup program saw several new and independent play groups established to cater for the growing need of young families in the city.

Throughout the years, the scheme has had a high community profile in providing counselling, parenting programs, outside school hours care, budget management, parent-teenage conflict, playgroups, domestic violence and emergency relief.

From its incorporation as the Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood Centre on the 12 December 1989, to the present day, it has continued to encourage people to recognise their needs, develop social skills and empower them to achieve goals to improve their lifestyle.

But never let it be said that the organisation has been too top heavy on the serious side of life.

The Centre has always been a safe haven for children to be wrapped in love and laughter as they explored their creative skills during after school hours care and holiday fun activities.

For children like Cameron Jacobs, Tallul Kumar, Rachel Etheridge and Clare Emmerson learning to cook corn fritters and make chocolate crackles was fun but they all agreed ... eating them was better!

And for budding artists like Jacob and Jasmin Harrison, they dabbled in painting pictures for their parents to admire and tape to the family refrigerator.

Exploratory day trips to the Lions Youth Camp were always popular with children as they were encouraged to learn about the surrounding flora and fauna before a much-anticipated swim in the lake.

Such trips were only made possible through the generous financial support of Mount Isa Mines that allowed a commuter bus to be purchased in the early years.

And when that bus needed to be replaced, the Rotary Club of Mount Isa South-West equalled a second financial donation by Mount Isa Mines to buy a new bus for the Centre.

Over the years, the Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood Centre has led the way in any number of proactive social programs that have grown and found new pathways into the community through new organisations.

For those volunteers that took time out of their busy schedules to sit on the past thirty management committees of the Centre, they understood that it was their 'doing' that really mattered to people.

They understood the importance of connection, humbleness, a guiding hand, the support of families in crisis; integrity has always been at the forefront of their beliefs and actions.

But no matter how successful a program has been received and supported, the Centre has had to fight to gain every cent required to keep its doors open and operating for the benefit of those in need; from one funding period to the next, the scramble for extra State financial support has been an ongoing project.

Now with 30 years under its social belt the Mount Isa Family Support Service and Neighbourhood Centre has proven it is - a good neighbour!

Researched and written by Kim-Maree Burton www.kimmareeburton.com

Information and photographs sought from the North West Star and the archives of MIFSS-NC.