By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
DR LEON Shapero rifled through his drawer until he found one particular letter that he cherished.
The printed email speaks of a local high school student in Casey, originally from Afghanistan, who was so overwhelmed to receive an ACE Foundation encouragement award that he checked with the teacher several times to make sure they had the right child.
“It resonates deep down something like that,” Dr Shapero said of the student’s email.
“That was one of a number that can really bring a tear to your eye when you read them.”
Dr Shapero is the Managing Director of the Thompson Road Clinic in Cranbourne, a facility he has continued to expand since 1993, but in the last year the GP obstetrician has also turned his attention to building his own charity.
The ACE Foundation was set up and incorporated in August last year, and aims to encourage, support and help educate local teenage students.
“Many children in our Casey community face substantial hurdles,” Dr Shapero said.
“Language, cultural, financial, family fracture and social challenges have the effect of limiting potential.
“That is the area we wish to impact.”
And while still in its early stages, a student teacher and tutor supervised study centre at the clinic has been set up by Dr Shapero and the Ace Foundation board. The centre rewards students with funding, and in particular encouragement awards for children who, their teachers identify, would benefit greatly from them.
“I just wanted to do more, and do so utilizing the experience I’ve gained on various government committees and boards,” Dr Shapero said.
“Using the experience gained, I wanted to put something together that could impact on a broader scale.
“And to do that, you need well known, respected, influential, and like-minded people, put them together and the team is greater than the sum of its parts.
“The ACE board are very active, hardworking, like minded and resourceful people who know this community well.”
With Dr Shapero sitting as chair, others on the ACE board include Casey Councillor Amanda Stapledon, Cranbourne Secondary College principal Ken Robinson, Courtney Gardens Primary School principal Loretta Hamilton, Federal Parliament political staffer Janet Halsall and Highview Accounting owner Silvio Marinelli.
The ACE Foundation focuses on helping students in Years 6 to 10.
“I personally thought they were the best years to focus on as they may provide the child with meaningful encouragement,” Dr Shapero said.
“It’s when kids start becoming themselves,” Dr Shapero said.
The organisation is also assisting principal Ken Robinson in running a catch-up education program at Cranbourne Secondary for young pregnant girls and mothers of young children.
Dr Shapero said he was very passionate about supporting this initiative, helping encourage these young women to return to their studies to be able to not “miss out on the world.”
“I went and spoke to the group last week, we’re now going to provide material support for them,” Dr Shapero said.
“We will provide resources they use day to day, but also think about how we can best provide further incentive and encouragement.
“We may be able to send them to educational facilities as a group, just keep them involved and reinforce that what they are attempting to do in difficult circumstances is very worthy of encouragement.”
And each letter he receives from appreciative students reinforces to Dr Shapero that he himself is doing the “right thing”, as he holds one eye on the future of the ACE Foundation and the other on the future of the children he wants to help.
