3 General Bridges Crescent Daceyville NSW 2032 T: F: sydney multicultural community services NEWSLETTER

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1 Settlement Inclusion Aged Care 3 General Bridges Crescent Daceyville NSW 2032 T: F: sydney multicultural community services NEWSLETTER info@sydneymcs.org.au DECEMBER 2013 SYDNEY MCS OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NEW NO.1A BUILDING CONTENTS Director Update SMCS Annual General Meeting..04 SMCS Building Launch SMCS Christmas Dinner.. 10 Pictured Above (left to right): The Hon. Guy Zangari, MP, Waverley Council Mayor Leon Goltsman, Independent Member for Sydney Mr Alex Greenwich, Ms Rosa Loria, SMCS Director, the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, and Cr George Glinatsis, Deputy Mayor Botany Bay City Council. Pictured Below: Rosa Loria, Chandrima Mukerjee (Committee Member), and guest speaker Mr Thistlethwaite at the Building Launch Ceremony. Family Law Clinic...12 Free Counselling Service...14 SMCS Programs.16 Free Services Available...17 Multilingual Home Support.18 Credits...20 SEE PHOTO GALLERY ON PAGE 5 WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2 ROSA LORIA, DIRECTOR I wish you all a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year period, and every success for As 2013 comes to a close I am delighted to report another very successful year for Sydney Multicultural Community Services. Last Wednesday 27th November was a monumental occasion as Sydney MCS hosted its 2013 Annual General Meeting, followed by the official launch of the new No.1A building at our premises in Daceyville. The AGM was attended by over 50 members of Sydney MCS, and our 2014 management committee members were elected. Congratulations to Alec Alexandrou, Magnolia Szabo, Katie Au-Yeung, Chandrima Mukerjee, our 2014 Management Committee Executives, and to Yvonne Viney, Marco Bet and Jo Fleet, our 2014 Management Committee members. I wish to thank the 2013 Management Committee for their support over the past year, and I look forward to working with our new committee during The Official No.1A Building Launch event was a great success, with over 80 participants present, including representatives from parliament, local government, CALD service providers, CALD networks, as well as SMCS members, management committee, staff and volunteers. Tania Krasinski, Randwick City Council did an excellent job as Master of Ceremonies, and we were honoured to have the Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, Member for Kingsford Smith, as our official guest speaker for the launch. Other members of parliament in attendance were The Hon. Guy Zangari, MP, and Mr Alex Greenwich, Independent Member for Sydney. Also present were Mayor Leon Goltsman of Waverley Council, and Cr George Glinatsis, Deputy Mayor of City of Botany Bay Council. The Launch of the new building is a significant milestone for Sydney MCS. The upstairs space has become the new office for our CALD Home Care Packages team, and we also have a much needed new room for meetings and training purpose. The additional space downstairs will be used for new services including respite services for carers, for the elderly and also for children and adults with disabilities. Thank you to all who attended the building launch for helping to make the event such a success. A special thank you also to our SMCS staff team for their assistance in organising the event ceremony and ensuring the proceedings ran smoothly on the day. I am proud to announce the release of the Sydney MCS 2013 Annual Report, which is available in hard copy at the centre, and can be downloaded from the Sydney MCS website. Hardcopies can be requested by phoning our front desk staff. In recent months, Sydney MCS has expanded its support services to include a new free counselling service for migrants and refugees. The counselling service has been implemented in partnership with two organisations; Barnados Australia and Therapeutic Axis in Glebe. We are excited to have this valuable service available to assist our clients. Appointments for the counselling service can be made by phoning our front desk staff. On behalf of our SMCS Management Committee, staff and volunteers, I wish all our partners, supporters, networks, members and clients a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year period, and every success for Seasons greetings! Rosa Loria Director 2 2 3

3 Congratulations Sydney MCS! Pictured above & below: Management Committee and Members at the SMCS 2013 Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday, 27th November 2013 at Sydney MCS premises at No.1 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville. Pictured above: The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, and The Hon. Guy Zangari, MP, with SMCS Director Rosa Loria and SMCS staff at the No.1A Building Launch on Wednesday, 27th November 2013 at Sydney MCS. Pictured above: The beautiful Poinsettia flower tree is planted in the garden bed at No.1A as part of the official ceremony to mark the launch of the No.1A building

4 Congratulations Volunteers! Pictured above: The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP with longstanding Sydney MCS Management Committee Member Ms Yvonne Viney. Pictured above: The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP with (top left) Director Rosa Loria and Master of Ceremonies Tania Krasinski, (top right) with SMCS Polish Seniors Group members. Pictured above: SMCS Members at the Ceremony. Pictured above: The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, presents Sydney MCS volunteers with a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of Sydney MCS

5 Thank you for your support! Pictured above (top): SSI and SMCS staff with performing musician James England. Pictured above: SMCS Members and SSI staff. Pictured below: SMCS Spanish Seniors Group and SMCS members. Pictured above: The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite, MP, and staff and members from SSI and local service proviers. Above right: Spanish Group hand made products on display

6 Merry Christmas & Happy New year! Pictured: Management Committee, staff and volunteers enjoy the Sydney MCS Christmas Dinner at Pasha s Turkish Restaurant in Newtown on Friday 22nd November

7 SYDNEY MCS / LEGAL AID NSW FAMILY LAW EARLY INTERVENTION CLINIC A FREE SERVICE FOR MIGRANTS & REFUGEES FREE FAMILY LAW SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE AT SYDNEY MCS Do you, or someone know, need assistance with a family law matter? Sydney MCS is excited to be delivering a new Family Law Early Intervention Clinic in partnership with Legal Aid NSW. The Clinic has been running for several months now and many clients have been successfully assisted so far by the team of professional lawyers from Legal Aid. Clients from a migrant or refugee background can receive free legal assistance with family matters including separation, divorce, child related matters, parenting arrangements, family conflict, domestic violence, property, and more. The Family Law Early Intervention Clinic can assist you with: - Separation, Divorce - Child related matters - Parenting Arrangements - Family Conflict - Domestic Violence - Property The clinic is held once per week (alternating Mondays and Thursdays) at the Sydney MCS Office, No.3 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville (Kingsford) NSW This free service is available to migrants and refugees residing in the Inner South East Sydney and Inner West Local Government Areas. Appointments can be made by phoning Sydney MCS on (02) Phone (02) to book an appointment

8 Do you need to speak with a professional counsellor? If you experience any of the following symptoms for more than one month, it is important to seek professional advice: Sydney MCS offers a free private Counselling Service for migrants and refugees. Our counsellors speak English, Bengali and Hindi. Difficulty concentrating Our experienced counsellors can help you and your family. Lack of enjoyment or pleasure Feeling low or depressed or anxious most of the time Irritation or excessive uncontrollable anger Mondays fortnightly: 12noon to 4.00pm Tuesdays: 1.00pm to 5.00pm Fridays: 9.00am to 5.00pm Marital problems Withdrawal from social connections or programs There is no shame in seeking help for your mental health. Feeling burdened with everyday tasks Thoughts about suicide or self-harming In Australia more than 50% of patients with mental health issues are from multicultural communities. Call us today on The SMCS Counselling Service is provided in partnership with Barnardos Australia Family Referral Service and Therapeutic Axis in Glebe. CALL US TODAY ON

9 CALD HOME CARE PACKAGES (CHCPs) Funded by the Department of Social Services, CHCPs provides flexible support to people from a CALD background who are at a hostel level of care and wish to continue living within the community. SMCS is funded to provide this service in Eastern and Inner West Sydney in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Maltese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Greek, Tagalog, Croatian and a small number of minority ethnic groups. CENTRE BASED DAY CARE (FRAIL AGED & DEMENTIA SPECIFIC) Our Centre Based Day Care Program for CALD Frail Aged and Dementia Specific is funded by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Family and Community Services, Ageing, Disability and Homecare. It is a respite program for frail aged Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Maltese, Polish, Spanish and multicultural (various) ethnic groups. MULTICULTURAL HEALTHY AGEING PROJECT (MHAP) Funded by the Department of Social Services, this program targets various ethnic communities to improve community knowledge and understanding of aged care services through the provision of translated information, referral to services and training community volunteers. The program provides cultural briefings to Aged Care Service Providers and develops sustainable partnerships. COMMUNITY VISITORS SCHEME (CVS) The Community Visitors Scheme is funded by the Department of Social Services in order to provide the opportunity for isolated Aged Care facility residents to receive a suitable voluntary community visitor. The Scheme is designed so that the resident has a special friend who speaks the language of the resident and visits no less than once a fortnight in order to relieve alienation and loneliness. SETTLEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM (SGP) Funded by the Department of Social Services, this program delivers settlement services for CALD migrants and refugees within their first five years of permanent residency in Australia. This includes assisting with information and linkages for new arrivals into mainstream services and the wider community; developing settlement plans and service delivery networks, and assisting migrant communities to organise, plan and advocate for their own needs. HUMANITARIAN SETTLEMENT SERVICES (HSS) Sydney MCS works in partnership with Settlement Services International (SSI) to deliver the HSS program. HSS assists humanitarian clients in their early settlement period in Australia. In supporting humanitarian clients to begin their new lives, the HSS program focuses on capacity building; building clients' confidence and ability to participate economically and socially in the wider Australian community; and equips them with the knowledge and skills they will need to access services in the future. POVERTY ALLEVIATION SERVICES Under our Emergency Relief Program funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), we assist people in financial crisis to deal with their immediate situation in a way that maintains the dignity of the individual and encourages self-reliance. Sydney MCS is also an approved agent to distribute EAPA vouchers, funded by the NSW Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability, and PAS vouchers, funded by Sydney Water. All Material Assistance Programs are designed to assist people who are financially disadvantaged and are having difficulty paying their home bills due to a crisis situation. LEGAL AID NSW - FAMILY LAW CLINIC Held twice monthly. Next clinic date is Thursday 19th December COUNSELLING SERVICE Bengali, Hindi and English speaking counsellors available by appointment. ENGLISH CLASSES Beginner and intermediate classes held every week. MIGRATION AGENT Immigration advice and assistance. Mondays from 8am to 12 noon. By appointment only. MULTICULTURAL WOMEN SUPPORT GROUP Last Friday of the month from 10am-12pm FILIPINO WOMEN SUPPORT GROUP Every Saturday at Sydney MCS in Daceyville. SETTLEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM - CASE WORK SERVICES FOR NEW ARRIVALS Are you a newly arrived migrant or refugee with permanent residency status? You may be eligible to receive free casework support and assistance from our SGP Caseworker. HOMEWORK SUPPORT PROGRAM TUTORING (Primary Level) Individual tutoring in all subjects: Maths, English, History etc. To enquire or book an appointment phone

10 MULTILINGUAL HOME SUPPORT PROGRAM AGED CARE IN YOUR HOME The Mul lingual Home Support Program can assist you with: Cleaning Home maintenance Light housework Laundry Meal prepara on Grocery shopping Personal care Showering/bathing Personal grooming Exercise programs Companionship Emo onal support we speak your language Our high quality care services can be offered in English, though we also specialise in care that is tailored to your culture and delivered in your language. Arabic, Spanish and Chinese are just some of the many languages we speak. Please contact us to to discuss your language needs. We are commi ed to enhancing qualityof life for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Our bilingual workers provide in home care that will help you in leading a happy, healthy and independent life. where we work We know Sydney through and through it s been our home for 30 years. We work with communi es and individuals in Sydney s Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and South East. If you re in this area too, we d love to hear from you. our pricing Please give us a call to discuss our current pricing, as this service is not subsidised by the government. Phone

11 Settlement Inclusion Aged Care sydney multicultural community services NEWSLETTER 3 General Bridges Crescent Daceyville NSW 2032 T: F: info@sydneymcs.org.au DECEMBER 2013 Contributions: Rosa Loria Editing and Proofreading: Eve Goonan Layout, Design and Distribution: Eve Goonan DISCLAIMER Information contained in this newsletter is believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication. However, changes in circumstance and/or policy development may impact upon its accuracy. SMCS is not liable to any person or organisation, whether in negligence or otherwise, for anything published or omitted from this publication. This publication is not professional advice. It is recommended that all readers should always obtain their own professional advice from relevant professionals. Views contained in this newsletter are also not necessarily related to the views or opinions of any of the government or non government bodies that fund the centre, including: - Department of Social Services - Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care - Any other Local/State/ Federal Funding granted for Sydney MCS projects. 20