NEWS DESK JOSH Berry’s idea to help the homeless with socks has been warmly welcomed. Picture: Yanni
Technology to assist with MS explored A FRANKSTON woman living with MS is taking part in an initiative to find technology solutions to people living with disease and disabilities. TOM is a technology company which aims to creative, affordable solutions to assist people who live with disability. The company held its Makeathon event in Melbourne this week - linking professionals and students in the fields of engineering, industrial design, allied health and trades with people who need solutions to the challenges they face. Stella Carew lives in Frankston. She lives with MS, and is hoping to receive
assistance to be able to do her own dishes. She had been going through the Makeathon process to try and find a way to solve the problem. TOM Melbourne founder Debbie Dadon said that the organisation is “extremely excited about the TOM: Melbourne 2022 Makeathon and the prospect of working with our fabulous teams of makers and need-knowers to design and create customised and affordable assistive technology”. TOM Melbourne shares the intellectual property for each product it creates through open-source Digital Product Files.
STELLA Carew lives with MS. Picture: Supplied
Socks a good fit for charity AT just nine Mount Eliza’s Josh Berry knew he wanted to do something for people in need, so he did something a little different - he started collecting socks. Fast forward seven years and the industrious year 10 student has collected 38,000 pairs of new socks and is still counting. Berry says he came up with the idea when he was thinking about ways to help homeless people, and realised warm socks were something everyone needed. “I did some research and warm
socks was apparently the second biggest needed clothing item,” he said. His initial aim was to collect 50,000 socks so that every homeless person (at the time data showed there were 25,000 homeless people in Victoria) had two pairs. And so, the charity 2pairseach was born, with Berry letter boxing and just talking to neighbours to spread the word. From there businesses and organisations, schools and individuals starting donating socks or money to buy them. Berry said there was a lot of satisfac-
THE EASY
BREAKFAST with Jon & Julie
tion in knowing he might have made some difference to a homeless person. Socks are collected all year and distributed every few months, and the charity is aiming to have collected 50,000 socks by the time he turns 18 at the end of 2023. He keeps everyone up to date with his charity’s Facebook page, and regularly posts images of donations and personal messages of thanks. To find out where socks can be dropped off go to the website 2pairseach.com.au or the Facebook, 2 Pairs Each. Liz Bell
Right now, there are community services jobs available where you can make a difference, helping people who have a disability, families fleeing violence, and children and families who need care and support. Plus, there is a jobs guarantee for new graduates in priority areas.
Make a difference. Visit jobsthatmatter.vic.gov.au
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
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Frankston Times
20 September 2022