CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms BERRY (Whitlam) (16:59): I rise today to recognise Dr Jodi Edwards, a Yuin Dharawal custodian who has dedicated her life to community, culture, education and language across New South Wales, including in the Southern Illawarra region within my electorate of Whitlam. Jodi left school in year 10 to support her family after her father was injured in a workplace accident.
She returned to high school at the age of 26 to complete her HSC, the first in her family to do so. Jodi was awarded her PhD from Macquarie University in 2021. At the University of Wollongong, she is the Vice-Chancellor's Senior Indigenous Research Fellow with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security.
Two years ago, the Albanese Labor government invested in the University of Wollongong's Unbroken Whispers project led by Dr Jodi Edwards. Blending Indigenous research and modern science, Jodi and her team are tracking southern right whales, humpback whales, orcas and dolphins along Australia's east coast. Jodi's project draws on stories and knowledge from the world's oldest living culture to better safeguard our incredible ocean environment.
In 2022, Jody was named Shellharbour Woman of the Year and Illawarra Regional NAIDOC Aboriginal Community Person of the Year for her enormous contribution to many organisations and initiatives within our community, and in 2023 she was nominated for the New South Wales Aboriginal Woman of the Year award. I thank Jodi Edwards for her absolutely extraordinary contribution to our community.
I rise today to recognise Leanne Gordon, an extraordinary woman who has devoted the past 15 years of her life to the not-for-profit organisation True Hearts Community, which provides invaluable services to people in need in my electorate of Whitlam. True Hearts Community prepares and distributes approximately 500 food hampers each month from a community centre in Warilla.
These hampers are distributed three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and include fruit, vegetables and bakery items, as well as pantry items and meat when it's available. The hampers assist vulnerable individuals and families who are facing hardship due to financial insecurity and domestic violence. Leanne is a survivor of domestic violence herself, and she is particularly committed to helping women and children escaping domestic violence.
In addition to the hampers, True Hearts Community provides a safe place where people can come for a chat over a cup of tea. I was delighted to visit Leanne and her team of volunteers in Warilla and saw for myself how they put together the hampers and provide comfort to so many families in the community. Leanne Gordon is a beacon of kindness and generosity, and I thank her sincerely on behalf of our community for the selfless and outstanding contribution that she's made over the past 15 years and that she still continues to make today.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Lawrence ): In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.