Karen Van Donkelaar
Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, Minister for Creative Industries) (09:45): I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding local volunteer, Karen Van Donkelaar, who over the last 30 years has shown an incredible dedication to helping others. Karen’s drive for helping others comes from a deeply personal and horrible childhood experience of abuse and hardships that inspired a lifelong mission to help others feel safe, seen and supported. Karen was a founding member of the Diamond Valley Foodshare in 1992. She helped build this organisation that continues to support hundreds of families doing it tough. She has served as secretary, acting president and volunteer coordinator and still shows up regularly to lend a hand whenever it is needed. She has also given her time to Meals on Wheels in Greensborough, delivering meals, friendship and compassion to some of our most isolated residents. Karen also served on the Watsonia Primary School council from 1987 to 1994, fostering a supportive and community-based school environment. Driven by her own experiences, Karen has also contributed to reform efforts to better protect vulnerable children with the Department of Justice and Community Safety, and she was actively engaged in the support of the Children Legislation Amendment Bill 2019. She also successfully campaigned to change a street name in her home town that honoured a priest who had ignored revelations by children experiencing child abuse and who was complicit in relocating paedophile priests. On behalf of my local community, I want to thank Karen for making our community a better place. She is a quiet powerhouse of kindness, strength and resilience.