A Keilor Downs ‘force of nature’ for people with disabilities has been awarded Brimbank’s highest honour for prolonged and outstanding community service.
Despina Havelas was named Brimbank council’s citizen of the year at an Australia Day ceremony last Monday.
A full-time carer for her 15-year-old son, Kon, and founder of Autism Angels, Ms Havelas has also helped develop numerous autism services in Brimbank.
She says she’s genuinely overwhelmed by the numbers of well-wishers backing her.
“I want to continue changing the world for families and children living with autism in Victoria and Australia,” she says.
“Sadly, disabilities are on the rise, especially in autism. We need more planning, more infrastructure. There’s a lot of fragmented pieces. A strong message I’m getting back is that people need somewhere to go, an advocacy place, a reference point for help.”
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