Westfield Local Heroes

Emerge & See

After nearly two decades as an officer and sergeant with New South Wales Police, Alana cofounded a charity to support emergency service workers suffering from trauma related to their jobs.

Open Door Youth Housing Support Service

Driven by personal experience, Nick leads Open Door Youth Housing Support in Hurstville, supporting young people through homelessness with housing, care, advocacy, and connection. He challenges systemic barriers and works to shift community attitudes, creating opportunities for young people to be seen, supported, and empowered to build a future filled with safety, dignity, and possibility.

South Sydney Indian Association

Ramya brings together and inspires Indian women in Sydney’s southern suburbs. She organises professional workshops and taboo-breaking talks to build confidence, independence and wellbeing. Driven by a sense of civic and social responsibility, Ramya works to ensure that her community feels valued and that it creates an impact on the city’s diverse landscape.

Shopfront Arts Co-op

Zoe Ong is a dedicated volunteer at the Shopfront Arts Co-op, providing administrative support
and assistance with the Saturday drop-in art-making class. As a young person living with a disability, Zoe’s impact extends beyond these tasks.She’s also part of the Shopfront Disability Advisory Panel.

Georges River Life Care

Glenn Power founded Georges River Life Care in 2007 to help those in need. The organisation now provides family violence support, financial crisis support, legal aid and more. During COVID-19, Glenn initiated a Community Relief Centre, distributing 150 food hampers weekly. Glenn’s efforts ensure safety, support, community connection and financial assistance for over 700 families annually.

Project Youth

Stella Simmance, a Youth Support Worker at Project Youth, works full-time at a crisis refuge in St George. She helps to provide short-term housing for young people facing homelessness. Stella’s dedication and compassionate approach creates a safe, empowering environment, positively impacting the lives of young people by supporting their goals and well-being.

St Declan's Catholic Church

Caring Nellie Doueihi is a community innovator who brings comfort and connection to hundreds of older people. Nellie is the Coordinator of Ministries to the Sick and Elderly at St Declan's
Catholic Church in Penshurst, where she provides 130 volunteers with an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on 300 elderly people.

Heartbeat of Football Foundation Limited

Football tragic Andrew Paschalidis has saved lives with his relentless campaign to prevent and treat on-field cardiac arrest. Andy is the founder and CEO of the Heartbeat of Football Foundation, which offers simple screening checks for players,advocates for defibrillators for all sports fields and provides first aid education.

The Kogarah Storehouse

Lala Noronha OAM is General Manager at the Kogarah Storehouse, where she helps hundreds of people a month with emergency food parcels, financial aid and life-enhancing programs. Since starting her role in 2015, she has led the Storehouse through unprecedented growth, with a three-fold
increase in people seeking and receiving help.