The Heartbreak to Hope book is a 2021 community project associated with the Gippsland Community Leadership Program (GCLP).
GCLP is the longest running leadership program of its kind in Australia and is currently in its 26th year. Each year the program cohort build their leadership skills, whilst delivering a community project within their working groups. The intent of the community project is to build connection, leave a legacy and provide a benefit for the community.
This book aims to provide communities with a chance to share their stories and debrief. A chance that many community members have not necessarily had due to the Covid pandemic. The hope is that the book will help community, emergency services and those involved in fire and drought to digest what has happened, and reflect on what was important then and what is important now. The focus of the book being on fire and drought is because it was felt they went hand in hand leading up to and during 2019/20.
The benefits are three-fold; the first being an opportunity for people to share stories and experiences. The second being that all proceeds raised from sales of the book will go back to support mental health initiatives in the East Gippsland community. Finally all money spent on the design and production of the book was within the Gippsland Region.
