At last a comprehensive pocket size directory of services for men has been produced and is finding its way into the hands of men and professionals who work with men throughout Victoria. Project manager Laurence Anderson has seen a favourable response; "Men kept telling me 'there's nothing out there for us blokes'. Now they're saying with a Help Mate in hand, 'It's about bloody time!'"
HELP MATE was commissioned by Dads in Distress Inc and funded by the Australian Government's Stronger Families andCommunities Strategy. The project was undertaken by consultants BETTER MEN Australia who named, designed and populated the directory. The 15 page double sided directory comes in two formats; a fan out format, or a folded card. It lists services, tips and supports in a variety of categories. Special features include 'Must See Movies for Men', 'The Simple Seven - Health Tips for Men', 'Boredom Busters - 38 ideas to spend time with the kids without spending a fortune', a 'Symptoms of Depression' checklist, plus websites, local attractions, calendars and school terms.
There is a state-wide version for men experiencing separation, plus a growing number of region-specific versions that are pitched at men in general. The pilot region is one of Victoria's largest and fastest growing - the Casey/Cardinia region in the Outer-South East, past Dandenong. The project has been proudly supported by the Casey-Cardinia Men's Health Action Group Inc which contains representatives from both local councils. Co-sponsoring the inaugral printing is local business 'Dive and Dive'. Other regions such as Bass Coast, MorningtonPeninsula, Greater Dandenong, Latrobe & Central-East Gippsland and Frankston have adapted HELP MATE for their own localities and many more are showing great interest.
HELP MATE creator Rob Koch stated, "Looking out for your mates is a quality Australians can be proud of. This handy tool could get you or a mate through some tough times by getting connected to the help that is out there."
To order quantities of HELP MATE or to enquire about producing a version for your area click here.
To view or download the PDF of the Casey-Cardinia version of HELP MATE! Click FRONT or BACK
