By Dongyun Kwon
An NDIS provider based in Healesville has reached a significant milestone of $100,000 contributions to the local community since it was established in 2019.
Lighthouse started with a small idea of Founder Annette Jakubowicz.
Ms Jakubowicz said she decided to create a space for people to ask questions about the NDIS after the previous provider closed down in Healesville.
“It started with myself, one person and has built over time very quickly,” she said.
“We are now providing services to about 300 people across Yarra Valley and also a few outliers scattered around.”
“We donated $30,000 to $35,000 back for free services each year.”
Lighthouse had to confront a big challenge for a few months after it began.
The Covid-19 pandemic hit the world as well as Healesville.
“The original business idea looked very different to what it ended up being. We had to adapt and pivot it to the needs of the community at the time,” Ms Jakubowicz said.
“We paid for people’s meal delivery and getting meals out to them. We did a wheelchair hire taxi service. We helped people to pay some electricity bills along with normal expenses.
“The main chunk of it comes from us individual time going out and working with families one on one.”
Lighthouse hosted a special lunch celebrating the significant milestone with clients and partners on Wednesday 25 October.
Client Ruby MacLean and her mother Barb MacLean appreciated all of the support they have gotten from Lighthouse.
The mother said she and her daughter would never leave Lighthouse.
“It was in 2021. We googled the local NDIS provider available for us after the previous NDIS provider took money from us they shouldn’t have,” she said.
“We found out that they were charging us $800 from Ruby’s travel money and she wasn’t being taken out or anything. Ruby went out once and it was me who was driving her to Alexandra.
“We have had so much support from Lighthouse and I would recommend them not just 100 per cent but 1,000 per cent.”
Lisa was Ruby’s support coordinator and helped her with getting through many adversities.
“Lisa helped me with getting physio sessions and getting an early assessment which was ‘changing assessment in circumstances’ because I was finishing school,” Ms MacLean said.
“We’ve got food packages as well when we’ve had hard times.”
Ruby and her mother both said Lisa was more than a best friend.
Another client said her coordinator Martia Byrne took care of her like a fairy godmother.
“Every time I would be in trouble or need help, I would ring Marita or email her and she’ll respond to me straight away and she seems genuinely concerned for me,” she said.
“She helped me in lots of different ways including budgeting, but she also connects with me emotionally so I feel secure.
“She even works outside her working hours like late at night she would just straight away respond to my email and I could sleep in peace.”
