b'A WORD FROM THE GENERAL MANAGERSOUR IMPACT131 Kylie Flament (OUTGOING)Social enterprise is always a bit of a rollercoaster, but FY22 took it to a whole new level. 1311,860 Between COVID fears and restrictions, and radical weather, there were many challenges for the young people and former refugees we employ and support, and our whole Green Connect community. EmploymentHours ofThroughout it all, I witnessed truly incredible strength and collaboration as we all pulled together, opportunitiestraining anddespite hardship and uncertainty. provided development The way our team responded to the lockdown in July is a great example. We needed to pay our staff to pick and pack veg boxes from our farm and food hampers from Food Bank; pack personalised care packages from our closed op shops as well as frozen meals from Merrigong; then get them all delivered to people in need. But the lockdown meant our production process was taking longer and getting more difficult. It was a mammoth effort which had to be created and scaled up almost overnight, but when we called out for $40 donations the community really showed up. People who were doing OK consistently pitched in with money, time or moral support, to enable us to help people who were not doing OK at all. It meant that families in the Illawarra did not go hungry or stay cold in winter while COVID kept everyone isolated at home. 160 55,000 It was also a boost for a little social enterprise like ours to win several awards this year, including the Commonwealth Secretary-Generals Award for Innovation in Sustainable Development.Tonnes of wasteKgs of fair food As a result, we had lots of people visit us, from local school children to film crews, and even the divertedgrown andGovernor-General of Australia. All the passion, efficiency and vision of our enterprise made a bigfrom landfill distributed impression on His Excellency General the Honorable David Hurley AC DCS (Retd) and his wife, Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley when we showed them around the farm.We also welcomed a few new team members, and farewelled others including long-term Fair Food and Farm Manager, Cal Champagnethe driving force behind our beautiful 11-acre permaculture farm from the beginning. It was a big change for us, but our wonderful new manager, Emily Henderson has already built on Cals legacy and made it even better. I am also departing after almost five years as General Manager. What a wonderful challenge its been to lead this incredible enterprise and achieve so many social and environmental outcomes while running five businesses. I am certain that the next GM, Robert Servine, will also build on my efforts and take 1,541 Green Connect even further. Community Thank you to every single person who has supported the cleaner, greener, fairer and kinder world that visits to GreenGreen Connect represents. Go well.Connect Farm Robert Servine(INCOMING)The first time I stepped onto the Green Connect farm in Warrawong, I felt as if I had come home. Green Connect creates jobs andI used to run a program called Seattle Youth Garden Works (SYGW) in the U.S. where we hired employment pathways for younghomeless youth to work on a vegetable farm and we taught them employment and life skills. I have 7 people and former refugees inyears of experience working in organic farming. So, I was on familiar ground. But it was also because work that helps the planet andeveryone at Green Connect is so warm and welcoming. They work hard to do good for people and the community. We run a farm andthe planet. Green Connect is clearly the right place for me. op shops, provide gardening andMy immediate plan for Green Connect is to bring our 5 business units back to pre-pandemic levels. landscaping services, zero wasteIts been a tough couple of years with COVID-19 and the extreme weather. Flooding is hard on farms services and staffing solutions toand this one is no exception. But our other programs have also suffered as most of the work we do is businesses and councils. outdoors. Once we are back on track, well start to look at how we can keep growing in a sustainable way to support the communities we work with. Come visit. Id love to meet you!Eh Moo, Senior Farm Hand PAGE 25'