Women from Permanent Impressions in 2021
PRI ADILBERT - Interviewed by Carmen Jenner
When Pri Adilbert sat for Jana for the Permanent Impressions collection, she had already been inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and had won the Pride of Australia Medal for Community Service. Ten years on, she is now known as Dr Pri Adilbert thanks to a PHD and awarded a Community Champion Award for her work during Covid-19. Her generosity has helped numerous of souls in need and if it weren’t for the well-deserved recognition she has received, Pri would have joined the ranks of so many unsung heroes as her selfless community work often reaches those without a voice. We caught up with Pri to find out what she has been up to since her involvement with Permanent Impressions.
Tell us about some of your latest achievements?
Finishing my PHD took up a lot of time so I’ve been doing all my usual volunteer work including the Up All Night for the Ronald McDonald House and Perth Children’s Hospital. I’m an online mentor for The Smith Family and I work as a volunteer with the Red Cross where I check in with a couple of people every morning to see how they’re going. I also teach English to new migrants at the Vic Park Community Centre and I’m on the board of Age Friendly Belmont, which helps to make the community comfortable and suitable for elderly people.
Can you think of an outstanding highlight or event that really moved you?
I regularly cook meals and deliver them to the homeless and during Covid-19 I delivered cooked meals to those who were feeling isolated or suffering from health issues. When Patrick Gorman MP was running his Community Champion Award campaign, one of the gentlemen I helped sent him a beautiful letter nominating me for the award. It really touched my heart that he was so appreciative of the help I gave him and how I made his life easier during this covid madness. And it made me realise that there are so many honourable people in the community and we need to reach out because many of them don’t know how to ask for help.
What kinds of meals do you provide?
Oh, all sorts and I make sure that I provide vegetarian and meat options. Mainly pasta and soup with bread rolls, some vegetables and a piece of fruit – and a bottle of water for hot days.
That’s amazing you’ve helped out so many people during a very desperate time. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of volunteering?
Do it, it’ll make your heart sing to see how appreciative people are about the little things we take for granted. It will make you the happiest person in the world seeing how happy you’ve made them.
Are there any particular groups you would recommend?
I would recommend the Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, The Smith Family and the Cat Haven. I’m a big advocate of cats and there’s a big feral cat problem here and I try to help out the small organisations like 9Lives because they track feral cats and sterilise them.
Where do you think your charitable nature comes from?
From my parents. My mum is still working with Doctors Without Borders even though she’s 81. My dad was with United Nations, so we travelled to a lot of different countries and wherever we went, he taught us to be thankful for what we have. I started working at soup kitchens at the age of six and during Christmas we would often deliver items to people in need.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
I’m trying to organise a place where I can feed the homeless or anyone in need. But it must be somewhere that I feel comfortable setting up and I’m looking into that at the moment. Possibly Fremantle as that is where I currently do most of my deliveries.
What do you think the solution to homelessness is?
Mental health and addiction are the key problems, so the solution needs to start at the grassroot level because the cycle starts when they are kids. Often, they’ve run away from home and start on a downward spiral from there.
How did you find the process of having your portrait painted?
I don’t really like having my photo taken and I’m definitely not one for selfies. But Jana really made me feel comfortable.
What was it like seeing your portrait for the first time?
During the sitting I was so busy chatting to Jana’s sister-in-law Jean. We got onto the topic of child trafficking in Cambodia, so I was full steam ahead and getting frustrated with the situation, so I think Jana depicted my emotions well.
Your portrait certainly captures your passion. Is there a message you’d like to share?
I would like everyone to get involved and just start helping one person in the community. Donate school supplies or if someone wants to play footy, pay their membership for the year. It will improve the whole community, then the state and eventually the whole country. It starts with one person. You don’t need a big organisation or fundraising to just start small.