You would think having an op shop, church and rehab facility would keep them busy enough, but Remar in Pakenham has big ambitions for the future with plans to expand and serve even more in the community.
A Christian-based humanitarian organisation, which first began in Spain and now found across the world, their work is largely dedicated to helping those battling addictions.
Remar’s residential rehab centre is based in Nyora which caters for adult males with the program running for 12 months.
They also run an op shop and church in Pakenham.
The rehab program takes a ‘therapeutic Christian community’ approach, where participants develop vital routines while undertaking a number of work activities such as carpentry, cooking, gardening and various farm duties.
According to Remar pastor Luis Brito, the main benefit of their rehab program is there is no waiting list and space is available for new participants.
“A lot of the men that we’ve had that have done a detox program would often have to wait for months before going to a centre,” he said.
“We just want people to know we’re here, there’s a lot of people who struggle with addiction locally and they may not be aware there’s a closer option with the centre just being in Nyora.”
They strive to keep the entry process as simple as possible with participants able to get in touch through their website, followed by an interview with pastor Luis.
They also have ambitions to establish a women’s only rehab program after noticing a severe lack of services throughout the state.
They are hoping to partner with organisations or individuals who could help bring this to fruition.
“It’s unfortunate, we get calls almost every week for women that need support and that there’s no programs for women,” Mr Brito said.
“We’re just hoping to find the right people to partner with us and collaborate on it.”
They are also hoping to attract more volunteers for various roles such as in the op shop, weekly soup kitchen and at the rehab centre.
The op shop, which is crucial to raising funds for their rehabilitation and social programs, is located on 6 Michael Street, Pakenham.
It offers a wide range of items from shoes, clothing, children’s toys and even features a dedicated section for furniture.
It is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm and is in need of volunteers to assist its day to day operations.
While every Wednesday night a soup kitchen is held from 5pm to 7pm, which is free for anyone to attend to enjoy a delicious meal and have a chat at the church site at 49 Bald Hill Road.
And it doesn’t stop there, as they also have ‘Remar Renovations’ which offers services such as carpentry, painting and gardening with profits going towards the rehab centre.
It also provides a great opportunity for participants to get involved and learn new skills, earn money and help them find employment after the program.
Anyone interested in volunteering or finding out more about Remar can visit remaraustralia.org
