Wednesday, 20 May, 2020
Community Contributions

28 May is LGBTI Domestic Violence Awareness Day - #ImHereForYou is the 2020 event that aims to raise awareness of Domestic Violence (DV) in LGBTIQ+ communities

First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) have developed COVID-19 guidelines for ethical decision-making for First Peoples living with disability

Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) has produced a website by and for women and girls (15+) with disability with real stories from around Australia

The latest issue of National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) magazine, Partyline, has a focus on climate change and rural health - the next issue out in June will focus on COVID-19 and rural health

Spotlight on you
Julie Quirk

Position: Case Manager/Support Worker

Organisation: Women's House at Sacred Heart Mission

Email: [email protected]

Q: What is your favourite part of the job?

A: I personally love the face-to-face contact with our clients when they present to the Women’s House. I love the interaction and listening to them and discussing their needs and supporting them on their journey.

Q: What has been one of your proudest moments?

A: Last year I was awarded one of the Sacred Heart Mission Citizenship awards for outstanding work. This award is peer nominated. I was proud to receive on behalf of the fantastic team I’m part of.

Q: How has COVID-19 affected your day-to-day work?

A: Face-to-face services are limited but we still offer advocacy for those in need of emergency housing. We are offering food hampers to the vulnerable and food vouchers for those who find that they are unable to cope financially.

Q: Once the pandemic is over, will you continue to use measures implemented during COVID-19?

A: I feel that the hygiene measures that we are all taking now and use of social distancing will remain in my life for a very long time.

Community Conversations
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre,
still open for support

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) is continuing to provide people seeking asylum with emergency food, shelter and access to medicine and medical care. ASRC are also running a campaign to extend COVID-19 support to protect refugees and people seeking asylum.

Support the ASRS campaign
Ask Izzy sees highest usage in four years

The current pandemic has seen unprecedented use of the Ask Izzy tool right across Australia, resulting in the highest levels the service has seen in its four-year history. Food and emergency relief services have continued to be the most requested search category as the community has felt the economic impact of the pandemic. They have broken down the latest data to show how COVID-19 is affecting the way people in need are searching for help.

See full overview of Ask Izzy COVID-19 data
National Volunteer Week 2020

This National Volunteer Week Volunteering Australia ask you to thank the millions of volunteers around Australia. Volunteers work tirelessly to support our communities. It’s important to say thanks for the enormous contribution they make each and every day and recognise their commitment, during what has been a challenging year for all Australians. You're invited to put your hand up and thank the volunteers around Australia by waving with a special smile of appreciation. Upload a photo of your wave to social media using hashtags #NVW2020 and #waveforvolunteers. Volunteering Australia is committed to supporting Australia’s volunteers and the volunteering community and has published two policy papers outlining the key issues regarding COVID-19 and the volunteering sector.

Click here for more information
Helping disadvantaged children during this crisis

During this COVID-19 pandemic, children growing up in poverty have faced even greater challenges. The Smith Family helps to break the inter-generational cycle of disadvantage by supporting the education of children and young people living in poverty. The education charity has launched its 2020 Winter Appeal to raise funds to deliver ongoing educational support and online literacy and numeracy programs for children in need. This support will help ensure that young people who are already disadvantaged won’t fall even further behind because of the additional challenges and disruption COVID-19 is causing to their learning. 

Click here for more information
HESTA announces winners of Nursing and Midwifery Awards

Winners of the 2020 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards were announced on 6 May as part of the highly anticipated annual celebration of leadership and professional excellence to improve patient outcomes. Monash Health nurse Tania Green has been crowned 2020 Nurse of the Year for her championing of patients with cleft and craniofacial conditions. Queenslander and Griffith University alumna Cassandra Nest received the prestigious Midwife of the Year award for her work to improve culturally safe maternity care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the Gold Coast. Ovarian Cancer Australia was awarded Outstanding Organisation for its support for women affected by cancer. The three winners will each receive $10,000 to be put towards further education or professional development.

See overview of HESTA's awards
 
Community Sector Events
  • ACOSS is hosting a free webinar event which will discuss moving forward, not snapping back: the JobSeeker Payment beyond COVID-19 - May 21, 2020 - click here to register
  • Social Ventures Australia is conducting a webinar that will highlight risks and opportunities for people facing disadvantage beyond COVID-19 - May 21, 2020 - click to register
  • During Reconciliation Week, join Bruce Pascoe and Verity Firth in discussion on food, housing, agriculture and sustainability, and what modern Australia could learn from the rich knowledge of the oldest continuing living culture on earth - 29 May, 2020 - click here to register
  • Justice Connect has created a series of free webinars to help with the issues not-for-profit organisations are facing today -Multiple dates available - see here for full program
  • The Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) are hosting a webinar to discuss helping people in your community living with mental health challenges - June 10, 2020 - click here for more information and to register
  • ACOSS and Jobs Australia, hosted the Faces of Unemployment Webinar on 29 April, with the recording now available here
Community Sector Resources
  • UTS is mobilising staff and students to volunteer their skills and time to support community and not-for-profit organisations. EOIs for volunteers can be submitted here.
  • The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has released Talking Telco, a series of guides to help Australians understand how to connect their phone and internet services and how to get help when things go wrong.
  • SNAICC have compiled a number of resources to help better understand the impacts of COVID-19, and help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, carers, and families get through this difficult time.

  • 1800RESPECT have developed the Disability Support Toolkit which lists resources for front line workers supporting people with disability who have been impacted by violence and abuse. The Toolkit is a result of the Disability Pathways Project, which aimed to improve responses for people with disability who have been impacted by sexual assault, domestic and family violence.

  • Justice Connect have created a full suite of free resources so to help community organisations support their volunteers. Click here to see the list.
  • Anti-Poverty Week is developing briefings to inform policy and advocacy work, including: a briefing on how to talk about poverty and COVID-19, a briefing on the impacts of the pandemic on vulnerable populations, as well as a briefing on poverty, unemployment and COVID-19.
COSS Corner
The latest news from State and Territory Councils of Social Service

Want to know what it takes to be an effective board member? Trying to get across what your role entails? Looking for same examples of what good governance looks like though a crisis? TasCOSS' debut episode of their Take Me To Your Board (TMTYB) podcast explores the best options for not-for-profit organisations dealing with the current crisis. Listen here!

A new economic modelling report commissioned by NCOSS and NSW homelessness and housing peaks cites investment in social and affordable housing as critical to NSW’s COVID-19 recovery. Released on 14 May, 'Supporting Economic Recovery in NSW' makes the case for the NSW Government to invest in social and affordable housing as the best policy to grow jobs, assist SMEs, maintain household wealth, and look after the most vulnerable.

QCOSS is presenting a series of six free webinars to help manage your financial wellbeing. From 19 May, weekly webinars will take place from 12:00pm – 1:00pm, spanning topics such as energy hardship, managing household energy and water bills, managing debt and much more. Click here for more information and to register.

ACTCOSS has welcomed the recommendations by a major ACT inquiry into planning and urban renewal as an opportunity to better engage with diverse members of the Canberra community on development in the Territory. Read our media release.

SACOSS has been making the case for tax reform in SA’s post-pandemic recovery. With state finances battered by COVID-19 restrictions, they are arguing that the taxation base should be examined as part of recovery. Abolishing stamp duty on homes and introducing a land tax would be a good start, says CEO Ross Womersley in an opinion piece in InDaily. Read here.

WACOSS has rescheduled their conference 'Finding ground: Building a better way together WACOSS Conference 2020' to the 26-28 October. The conference will be a space to explore the crossroads the WA community service sector, and wider society, currently find themselves, and navigate the challenges and create pathways for a better future. More information here.

NTCOSS are excited to note the Return to Country program returned 1,400 people to their homes in remote communities, a feat accomplished by Larrakia Nation and Tangentyere Council. This crisis has shown how essential community services are to the lives of so many people and how those in the sector have been able to lead and collaborate so clients come first.

Members in the Media
'Boosted JobSeeker is barely enough as is. Cutting it again would be cruel'

Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasey Chambers has written an oped discussing why cutting the JobSeeker payment again would be cruel. 

Read more
'Closing the gap: Aboriginal groups say coronavirus should not delay new targets'

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation CEO Pat Turner says COVID-19 shows how important the closing the gap reforms are.

Read more
'Childcare Govt support could be ending sooner than anticipated'

Samantha Page, Director, Early Childhood Australia discusses changes to childcare support.

Listen here
 
Member Tweet

@cosboa joins @ACOSS & FECCA to call for the #JobKeeper to be extend to temporary visa holders.

Great leadership from the small business sector.#auspolhttps://t.co/ysyQ2RdZ4E

— FECCA (@iFECCA) May 15, 2020
 
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We recognise the right of all First Peoples around the country to self-determination.

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