Community Services successfully operates programs for all age groups, from Preschoolers to Elders. Annual highlights, such as holiday programs, sporting carnivals, and NAIDOC week, demonstrate the team's commitment to providing culturally safe programs and fostering community connections.
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For more information regarding any of the Community Services Programs we offer, please contact our Community Services Manager.
Jenna Bamblett
P 5527 0084
RECENT ACTIVITIES
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Breakfast Club
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Lunches with school students
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LAECG input
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School support Primary/Secondary
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Tutoring
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Holiday Program
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Scholarships
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Job applications
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Resume writing
Our Building the Dream program focuses on engaging with youth to build up their confidence in a number of areas.
This includes helping youth with resume writing and job applications and ensuring that we have a space for children and youth to complete their homework.
We want to continue to encourage the development of aspirations for further education and/or employment, develop goal-setting skills, build resilience, and create hope and aspirations for their future.
Register for our Building The Dream program.
The Youth Mentoring Program (Karreeta Koornong Maar) aims to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in maintaining good health, fostering confidence, and strengthening their identity and culture.
The program focuses on enhancing life skills, building relationships, and facilitating access to education, training, and employment opportunities for young individuals.
Register for our Youth Mentoring program.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
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Drop-in Centre Driver’s License assistance
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Year 12 acknowledgements
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Short courses
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Learner hours assistance
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Mentor/Mentee catch-ups
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NAIDOC Youth Formal
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Young Luv Workshop with Djirra
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Treaty Yarns
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Youth Boxing sessions
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Music Workshops
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Marram Nganyin Youth Camps
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Personal Training sessions
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Koorie statewide sports carnivals
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Holiday Program
This program provides Cultural engagement with community with a strong focus on the importance of reviving language, strengthening identity and ensuring our community has a strong connection to country.
RECENT ACTIVITIES
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Dance group support
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Cultural Strengthening sessions
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Cultural camps
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Junior Ranger program
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NZ Cultural Exchange
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NAIDOC activities
Our Bupup Balak Wayipungang has gone through a review and our Koori Preschool Assistant (KPSA)’s are now known as Wayipungitj’s.
Their main focus is about supporting families with young children transitioning to school, promoting
inclusion in Kinders, ensuring services are culturally safe and supporting the engagement of Koorie children and their families in Early Childhood services.
WILLARN PLAYGROUP
Playgroups are run throughout the year and are supported by the KPSA's and Oz Child - Portland. Playgroups are ran in Heywood and Hamilton and have had a number of visiting services such as Maternal and Child Health and a Speech therapist.
Willarn Playgroup is runs Heywood and Hamilton during the school terms.
RECENT SUPPORT
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Transitioning from Kinder to School support
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Kinder visits
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Koorie Resources
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Holiday Programs
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NAIDOC week activities
The Elder Care Support Program is designed to connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and older people in our community with the services and supports they need and accessing the MyAgedCare portal for packages and correct level of support.
The ECS Team consists of:
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One Team Leader who can assist our Elders with accessing the MyAgedCare portal.
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Two connectors who work alongside, provide activities, and have relationships with the Elders in both the Heywood and Hamilton Communities.
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Maintenance Crew who assists with garden and general maintenance to our Elders homes.
SUPPORTING OUR ELDERS
All Elders activities are for both Heywood and Hamilton Elders with transport available. The aim of our Elder Care Support program is to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders with culturally appropriate supports to assist and maintain their independence at home and within the community.
We provide culturally appropriate support services to Elders over the age of 50 who are eligible for our services based on their current needs.
Maintaining our Elders independence and providing activities to support their social, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing are our goals.
PROVIDED ASSISTANCE
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Domestic assistance
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Garden maintenance
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Goods, equipment and assistive technology and some limited personal care
RECENT ACTIVITIES
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Elders care support, individual and group
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Aged care and disability summit (Melbourne)
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Bus trips
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Group lunches
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Birthday celebrations
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Winter hampers
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Christmas hampers
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NAIDOC Elders Luncheon
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Women’s Group
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Arts and Craft
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Singalongs
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Music concerts
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Op-Shop trips
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Jodie Lovett
Elder Care Support Team Leader
P 5527 0000
Aunty Ros Pevitt
Heywood Connector
Jacqui Primmer
Hamilton Connector
Our HACC program works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under 50 with a disability, we support participants to engage in programs and offer social support when needed.
The primary aim of the Family Centred Approaches program is to provide a service model and delivery that empowers and further strengthens Aboriginal families with an individual member at risk of or engaged in the justice system.
The program caters to the whole family with assessments and supports tailored to strengthen families in a way that is culturally responsive, safe, and trauma-informed.
This program is a pilot program where we get to "think outside the box" to work with families. We are excited to be part of this program and can hopefully provide some great feedback and results on how to work with vulnerable families.
SUPPORT OFFERED
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Family assistance
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Client Support
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Care team meetings
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Men's Group/support
The Local Justice Worker Program aims to improve justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by helping clients successfully complete their community correction orders and providing support for any justice-related issues.
Our Men's Shed has been popular lately, providing a space for clients and the community to engage in woodworking and other crafts.
CLIENT ASSISTANCE
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Corrections support
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Fines Day
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WDP assistance
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LAJAC
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RAJAC
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Prison visits/support
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Client support
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Return to community support
NEW FAMILY CONNECTIONS
In October 2022, we received a referral from the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT). There was a client, who was 69 years old who thought he was an only child, and non-Indigenous. He had been contacted by the Carlton Football Club, asking if they could interview him about his Dad, as he was the first Aboriginal person to play for the Carlton Football Club. He said “Aboriginal? Am I Aboriginal?”. This is when he contacted the KHT, to investigate more about his heritage.
After some initial investigation, we discovered that his father had a family before marrying his mother. His father and previous partner had 5 children, so he has two sisters and three brothers, as well as about 120 nieces and nephews. Three of his siblings had passed away before he had found out that he was Aboriginal. Our Bringing Them Home Worker organised for him to meet with his brother and his wife, and then his sister, and some of his nieces and great nieces.
We showed him Lake Condah, including the birthplace of his father, and looked at other sites of significance. The Elders had morning tea with him and his family so he could make that local community connection. We are currently in the process of organising a family reunion for the whole family.
CLIENT ASSISTANCE
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Assistance with Confirmation of Aboriginality
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Family tracing & connections
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Return to Country
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Repatriation assistance for Stolen Generation clients
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Training & conferences
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Sue Lovett
P 5527 0000
To start exploring your family connections, fill out our Intake Form
The program aims to provide clients with support, advice & access to culturally appropriate mental health services for individuals & families affected by the 'Stolen Generations’, acknowledge & provide assistance to the First-Generation members who were directly removed, adopted, fostered, made wards of the state and institutionalised in separation from their families, communities, culture and country.
The main focus for the BTH worker has been training, networking and upskilling in family tracing and connections. Sue has completed her Diploma of Counselling through VACCHO and is currently studying Certificate IV in Stolen Generations, Family Research and Case Management.