In September 2018, a Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Ms Beryl Gibson by the Catholic Chaplaincy team at the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) after Beryl recently concluded eight years of service as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
Beryl has also been an outstanding social worker in a professional capacity in her working life as well as a valued volunteer in parish communities her whole life.
Professionally Beryl has been responsible for the implementation of many programs, especially for women and children. She has made an inspired contribution to the many Family Support Programs over the years across the Diocese and led the first services to be given government funding for Family Support and Counselling, having established services supported at first by charities locally.
Beryl has been a valued Board member of many parish works locally, including the Family Support Movement which ran for decades in many parishes. She was a founding Board Member for Centacare Broken Bay, now known as CatholicCare. Her wise counsel and support to the founding Director of Centacare Broken Bay, the late Jim Grainger, led the organisation to remain client focused in the journey to establish many of the suite of programs it supports today.
Her knowledge of funding application processes, the ability to tell the real stories of need within the documents, has been invaluable over the years. It is well recognised that her leadership and foresight has enabled many to continue to pursue great careers as social workers sponsored by the Diocese because CatholicCare continues to win contracts, maintaining a credible tradition of real support to families in need.
Any Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are welcomed and encouraged to become part of the volunteer team at the RNSH Chaplaincy Department for their local parish.
For further information, contact Sue May, Administrator for Catholic Volunteer Eucharistic Ministry on 0448 497 624 or email
sue.may@catholiccaredbb.org.au