A chance to give back to the community is just one of the reasons that attracted new CEO Cam Battaglia to Balwyn Evergreen.
“I think we can play an incredibly important part in helping people connect and be physically and mentally well,” he says.
Cam grew up in Hawthorn and Burwood in an Italian household – his parents were migrants, and he has younger twin siblings.
He's married, with two daughters and two German Shepherds and enjoys gardening, cooking BBQs and supporting Richmond FC.
After spending the first half of his career in the corporate world, he found his passion for community healthcare with his first CEO role in the sector – ProVision Australia. This network of 400 optometrists does extensive pro bono work in developing countries.
"People who'd never seen care in their lives, for many it was the first time they could see. I decided that's the space I wanted to work in.”
Cam has since headed up Vinnies in Box Hill, the South Eastern Melbourne Primary Healthcare Network and Southern Migrant Refugee Centre in Dandenong.
All help support people experiencing disadvantage and provide access to services they otherwise wouldn't have.
“I see a lot of parallel programs with Balwyn Evergreen,” he says.
He also has his own experience to draw from – his mother is in aged care, and he was her primary carer for 12 years.
“I have a strong understanding of what older people need. I understand their desire to live at home.
"Evergreen can be that place where they can come to feel welcome – to laugh, sing and connect."