FORMING connections with the wider community is a rewarding experience for those living in a small town.
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Nhill's Alison Creek knows this well.
Following a decade of work with the town's Karen community Mrs Creek has taken on another venture, this time providing a space for traditionally isolated community members to form friendships and connect with one another.
Mrs Creek grew up in Tasmania and studied early childhood teaching at university.
Following her course she moved to Melbourne to study at a Christian college, where she met her husband Brian, an aircraft engineer from Nhill.
They lived in the Northern Territory for 10 years, where Mrs Creek worked for a charitable Christian organisation that serviced indigenous communities in Arnhem Land.
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She said working there was an enriching experience.
"I think I learnt heaps living alongside another culture. It is hard to put it all into a nutshell but I think it just gave me an appreciation of both the benefits and challenges of western society and the challenges of the indigenous communities.
"I met some awesome people in the process."
After moving to Nhill, Mrs Creek worked as a volunteer tutor for the Karen community, teaching English language classes.
The volunteer work would eventually lead to a paid position at the Nhil Learning Centre, where Mrs Creek worked on founding Karen fabrics store Paw Po.
She has since founded The Hub at Nhill's old scout hall - a project in partnership with Horsham's Harvest Christian Church.
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The Hub hosts lounges for two groups, young parents and the elderly, to get out of the house and socialise in a relaxing setting.
On Wednesday The Hub has its Stay and Play Lounge, where young parents can drop in and let their children play in a safe environment while having a chat with others.
Mrs Creek said her experience as a young mother in a remote community gave her an appreciation for connecting with other parents.
"Going back and remembering my own experience I think it is often a shock when you stop working and are suddenly home alone with your kids.
"I think there is real value in being able to get out of your home and connect with people. In an environment where it is kid friendly.
"I think it is a healthy thing for the community to form connections and then it carries on when you hit school age. I am aware in a community like this a lot of people have their connections already - people have been here for generations.
"But there are a lot of new people coming into town so I suppose it is another opportunity for people to link in and get to know each other."
On Thursday The Hub hosts its Memory Lane Lounge, a space for senior community members to come together and enjoy each other's company.
Mrs Creek said the idea came from having to care for her mother, who had dementia and lived in an aged care community in Melbourne.
"Just a few years ago my mum passed away, she had dementia. She was in an aged care community in Melbourne and I spent a lot of time with her, as a result of that I became aware of the news of people, looking after family members and aged care," she said.
"I think for those that are caring for older people or perhaps want to visit their parents in an aged care home, it is nice to be able to go for a walk and take their parents somewhere. Not only that their parents can enjoy, but they can enjoy it and it would just be a nice social interaction."
Mrs Creek said her faith motivated her to volunteer, and the act of giving gave her purpose.
"I believe that God created us for connection, community and supporting each other. I believe that I get more out of life when I give than when I try to get.
"I just enjoy seeing people connect with each other and find meaning in life."
"I think volunteering is a real strength in communities. I think it brings ownership and engagement in a way that brings people together and makes a strong community and just results in positive things for the community."
The Hub's Stay and Play Lounge is hosted at 4 Campbell Street, Nhill, between 9.30am and 12.30pm. The Memory Lane Lounge is on Thursdays between 10am and 3pm.
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