Springvale South resident Helen Heath has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the Dandenong community.
By Nicole Williams
A SPRINGVALE south resident, who sees a faithful essence in all people, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community.
Helen Heath has spent 40 years working in welfare and faith and is now the co-ordinator of the Interfaith Network bus tours and executive officer of the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia.
She was named City of Greater Dandenong Citizen of the Year in 2006 and earned the Hindu Foundations Mahatma Gandhi Community Service Award in 2009.
Mrs Heath said she was initially very shocked to be awarded one of the nation’s highest honours.
“I got the letter and was initially shocked – shocked is a good word,” she said.
“But it is recognition of not just what I do but also the other people with the Interfaith Network in Dandenong.”
According to Mrs Heath, Greater Dandenong has its problems but she said the acceptance of different faiths in the area was not one of them.
“Dandenong does it really well – if only the world could be like this.”
Mrs Heath was raised in the Christian faith but thanks to her volunteer work, she can now see the wonder in all beliefs.
“There is lots of ways to understand faith and belief,” she said.
“There is something at the essence of human beings that if you could tap that you would have a wonderful resource to make the world a better place.”
Although she was originally hesitant to become involved in the Interfaith Network, Mrs Heath said she has found something she truly believes in.
“When you find something you believe in, you make that effort and commitment,” she said.
She credits her family to her dedication.
“I think it comes from family and influences along the way,” Mrs Heath said.
“My family were very involved in community and then my own family have taken that on – which is a great delight for me in various ways.”
But the one thing that keeps her involved after 40 years is belief.
“It’s the belief that the individual person can make a difference but together we can make an even bigger difference.”
