About Mamre

History

Established in 1982, Mamre is based in Brisbane, Australia. The name 'Mamre', came from a Hebrew word meaning 'mountain of friendship'. In 1983 the Charter was written to outline its principles and values. For the story of Mamre, see Genesis 18.

Christian Values

Mamre's values are Christian based. The Mamre Community has values, which strongly state the need to stand by marginalised people.

The Mamre Community tries to listen to and 'walk with' people with a disability and their families. Mamre intends to be a radical Christian community response to the expressed needs of families, rather than a professional service response.

Mamre continues to develop as families change and grow. As one parent said, "Mamre is shaped by the people it serves".

Mamre has learnt:

  • it needs strong positive values and clear policies;
  • the difference between 'the spirit of the law' and 'the letter of the law';
  • it is important to develop open and trusting relationships with families and that this takes time;
  • families prefer to work in partnership;
  • solutions can usually be found;
  • Mamre needs policy that give a framework for wise decision-making and which do not stifle the process;
  • consistent and strong leadership is vital;
  • it is important to learn from its mistakes; and
  • to involve people from the wider community.

Mamre aims to grow in wisdom about these matters and to continually improve its family support.