26/03/2026
๐ It all started in Bairnsdaleโฆ
Today, weโre celebrating ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ข๐๐ป ๐ช๐ฎ๐โ๐ 5๐๐ต ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ โ and what a journey it has been.
๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต 2021 ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐น & ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐น (and yes, the funny part โ theyโre not married or even related!), ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ข๐๐ป ๐ช๐ฎ๐ began in a small office with nothing more than big hearts, determination, and a few Excel spreadsheets.
By ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ 2021, we became a registered charity. ๐๐ 2022, ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ.
But behind those milestones is a story of real sacrifice.
The early days meant double shifts, being on call 24/7, working weekends, and accepting low wages โ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ. Brad and Kat even invested their own money to bring the vision to life and keep it going.
What started small has grown into something truly special. From about 60 staff and 30 participants in 2021. ๐ง๐ผ 207 ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด 270 ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐.
And today, weโre proud to be delivering:
โจ 4,000+ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
โจ 350+ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Weโve also expanded our services to include:
โ๏ธ ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ โ providing direct supports and case management
โ๏ธ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ โ supporting those recovering from transport accidents
โ๏ธ Delivering personalised NDIS, aged care, and community programs across Gippsland and beyond
Beyond service delivery, we continue to invest in our people:
๐ 40 ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ
๐ 20 ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ 12 ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ต๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Weโre also creating real impact in the community:
๐๏ธ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ โ ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐
More than just awareness โ these events provide real pathways to additional counselling and support. What started at ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ป๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ณ ๐๐น๐๐ฏ has now expanded to ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น.
๐ฑ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ
Providing meaningful employment for 19 ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ across:
โ Hospitality
โ Garden services
โ The Return It Recycling Program (supporting sporting groups and non-profits)
๐ค ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ & ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐โ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Weโre proud to partner with the ๐๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐น๐๐ฏ, strengthening community connections and opportunities. The development of a ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ป is also underway โ something to keep an eye on as we continue to create inclusive spaces. Alongside this, recovery coaching courses and other exciting business ventures are on the horizon.
Now expanding beyond Bairnsdale into Latrobe โ and into NSW โ Your Own Way continues to grow, while staying grounded in what matters most: ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐.
From humble beginnings to a thriving organisation with its own office space, merchandise, and an incredible team โ this journey has been nothing short of inspiring.
๐ง๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ โ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐. We wouldnโt be who we are today without the work you do every single day out in the community.
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ โ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ. Not just to support you, but to walk alongside you and help you succeed.
โค๏ธ๐ To everyone who has been part of the journey โ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ, ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐, ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐. This milestone belongs to all of you ๐๐
๐ Want to see more? Check us out:
๐ https://yourownway.org.au/
๐ https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/e8928304-038e-eb11-b1ac-000d3a6b24eb/profile