SHINE FOR KIDS - DENNIS VAN SOMERAN

 SHINE for Kids, a Rotary program, supports children of prisoners to develop coping mechanisms and provides opportunities for these children to support each other. It helps create hope, as well as inspire them to reach their potential, nurture their growth and empower them to succeed. Dennis Van Someran has been a volunteer with Shine's and with many of his formative years affected by having a father in prison, used his experience and examples to give us an informative rundown of the emotions that a young child goes thru and how SHINE tries to bring “normality” to the fractured relationship between Parent & Child. They attempt to “Break the Cycle” of Kids (the victims) also ending up in jail.    

SHINE for Kids  provides mentoring, transportation, as well as education and organises activity days with their parent(s) during school holidays. Current estimates are that there are over 60,000 children affected by their parents' imprisonment in Australia in any one year. Shine has been around in NSW for 30 years, and now has a presence in Victoria & ACT, with a move into Queensland this year. SHINE, with 30 employees & 300 volunteers, costs $2.5Million per year to survive with the Government supplying approx. 50% of the funds.