The Legacy of Mamma Lena & Dino Gustin

. THIS WEEK .

The Fairfield City Champion. Wednesday, August 24, 1994

DOUBLE CELEBRATION

By ILIANA RUSCO
IT is not everyday someone's dream comes true but for Mamma Lena, the well known and much loved radio personality of the Italo—Australian community, it did' – twice-over!
Last month she was able to celebrate, together with thousands of her listeners, not only her 80th birthday
(see page 9) but the 10th anniversary of the Sorella Radio Child Care Centre in Fairfield.

The event coincided with the State Government's grant of $20,000 to build an addition to the Centre and
develop programs for ethnic children.
"To arrive at what we have today is a story of love, tears and hard work," Mamma Lena said.

The multicultural Centre that Mamma Lena has been dedicated to has grown in popularity over the years.
"The aim of the committee is to continue to cater for the needs of the very young, because we believe this
service will benefit the community greatly as a whole," she explained.

Expansions to the existing facilities will accommodate the growing number of families requesting the centre's services — an achievement that Mamma Lena attributes tò many years of "backbreaking work with limited funds."

Submissions for the grant were made by Fairfield architect Sil Frassetto, who is in the process of completing plans for the Centre's expansion.
"We've done the preliminary work of talking to Council and the Department of Youth and Community Services," Mr Frassetto said.

"The plans will be ready in about in a fortnight." After many rejections, Fairfield Council finally approved the plans for the Centre in 1979. However, only the foundation stone was then laid, and Sorella Radio Child Care Centre had to wait until 1984 to be inaugurated.

"This is a dream I hope will survive for many more years to come as a symbol of love towards humanity,"
Mamma Lena said.

ARCHITECT SiI Frassetto at the Sorella Radio Child Care Centre, Fairfield, and Lorraine Vagli and children – where plans for much needed expan
sions are already on his drawing board.
Photo by Armen Deushian

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