By CASEY NEILL
DAWN Vernon is passionate about her community, seeing it thrive and ensuring its safety.
The Greater Dandenong Neighbourhood Watch president has lived in Noble Park for 66 years.
“We wouldn’t live anywhere else, we just love it,” she said.
“My husband is 70 and has lived here all this life.
“It’s the best place.
“The places where we can eat… we don’t have to travel overseas, we’ve got all the beautiful food and markets.”
But she needs help to continue her good work, spreading safety messages throughout the municipality.
“Even if they want to give an hour or two a year to the program, it would be an enormous help,” Ms Vernon said.
“It’s as much as they want to do. It’s not a weekly commitment.”
The group distributes 10,000 printed copies of its newsletter throughout the City of Greater Dandenong bi-monthly.
“I cannot believe that people do not realise that they live in Greater Dandenong, which covers Springvale, Noble Park, Keysborough, Bangholme and Dandenong,” Ms Vernon said.
“When I give them a newsletter they see Dandenong and say ‘no, I don’t live there’.
“I think this goes back to when we had the cities of Springvale and Dandenong.”
The newsletters go to some homes but are readily available at clubs, libraries, offices, theatres, churches, shops, swimming, pools and more.
The group also sends almost 1000 newsletters via email, and Ms Vernon encouraged businesses to sign up to receive it so they could print copies for customers to pick up.
Members attend events like the Dandenong Show to spread the word, and help police and the council by handing out brochures with warnings in crime hot spots.
Greater Dandenong Neighbourhood Watch will also hold a public forum on 19 March, with Senior Sergeant Phillip Hulley as the guest speaker.
The forum is in room three at the Paddy O’Donoghue Centre, 18-34 Buckley Street, Noble Park, from 7.30pm to 9pm on 19 March.
Call Ms Vernon on 0407 325 030 or email president@nhwgreaterdandenong.org for more information.
Email Reg Vernon at editor@nhwgreaterdandenong.org to receive the newsletter electronically.
