Many of the families we support accepted our invitation to attend the match, with tickets kindly donated by the Newcastle Knights.

Despite the Newcastle Knights’ ultimate loss on the field, the family-focused event was fun-filled and a winner in the eyes of children in care.

Later this week Out of Home Care will be hosting a second event to mark National Families Week, the annual ‘Bowling in your PJs’ festivities.

“Each year, over a 100,000 people and hundreds of organisations, including CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning, celebrate National Families Week – Australia’s annual celebration of families,” Director of CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning, Helga Smit, said.

“The aim of National Families Week is to celebrate the vital role that families play in Australian society. It is a time to celebrate the meaning of family and to make the most of family life.

“At CatholicCare we are very privileged to support families in all their different forms including those involved in our Out of Home Care, Disability Services, Counselling, Early Intervention and Refugee Service programs.

“The theme for National Families Week 2016, ‘Stronger Families, Stronger Communities’ has a nice synergy with what CatholicCare continues to achieve in the community.

“We support and empower families as the central building block of our communities, ultimately ensuring the wellbeing of people in the Hunter and Manning.”

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