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

Position: Case Manager/Support Worker

Organisation: Women's House at Sacred Heart Mission

Email: [email protected]

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

• 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

• 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.

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

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

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

@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