Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast May 2021 Newsletter 

Home Care Workers Needed - Spread the Word!  

We're looking for compassionate and qualified Home Care Workers to join our team in: 

• Sunshine Coast
• Moreton Region
• Gold Coast
• Tweed Region

Help care for seniors in your community and build a meaningful career in a growing industry. If this is you or you know of anyone who would fit this role apply here: https://www.mccgc.com.au/careers-with-cura/cura-cares-for-your-career/ 

Want to know more about working with us?

• Meet our team
• Find out about our benefits 
• See how we make life better

COVID19 Updates 

Please remember to stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 information by visiting: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/urgent-covid-19-update 

A list of the exposure sites are listed in the below link: 

https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/current-status/contact-tracing 

Phase 2a of the Vaccine rollout has commenced

We are now onto Priority Group 2a of the vaccine rollout in Queensland which includes adults age 50-69, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18-49, and other critical and high risk workers. If you are unsure of your eligibility, complete Queensland Health's 'Vaccine Eligibility Checker'. 

Translated resources available

Queensland Health has translated resources of their health updates in over 600 languages. Visit Information for multicultural communities – coronavirus (COVID-19) for the complete list of translations. 

Mahjong Monday's for Seniors 

We invite seniors (65+) to our CURA Wellness Centre in Ashmore to learn how to play Mahjong (麻將; Pinyin: májiàng).

Similar to the Western card game rummy, Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and luck. 

If you would like more information on our Monday Mahjong group, please contact Corinne on 07 5527 8011 or corinneb@curacares.com.au.

Want to know the rules prior to Mahjong Monday's? Please follow the below link. 

Meet Greet Eat - You Meet Us 

We invite you to join us on Tuesday June 1st for our next 'Meet Greet Eat' community dinner at our Wellness Centre in Ashmore. 

'Meet, Greet and Eat' is an event in which the community can come together to mingle, hear informative and engaging guest speakers and eat some yummy food!

For our June 'Meet, Greet and Eat' we are honoured to have our guest speaker Saga Selsby who is the Engagement Manager from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census. The Census provides critical information about the people in Australia and is the only national estimate of the prevalence of homelessness. 

Only 50 spots available - this is a COVID safe event. Please RSVP by Friday 28th May to Kevin at kevin@mccgc.com.au. 

National Volunteer Week 2021- Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd May  

What is Volunteer week?

It is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers. Throughout Australia, almost six million volunteers dedicate more than 600 million hours of their time to helping better the lives of others. 

Who are our Volunteers? 

Through both MCCGC and CÜRA we have around 100 volunteers that work with us in offering care, comfort, and support in our community. 

Look out for social media posts over the next few weeks for some awe-inspiring tales of our incredible volunteers.  

We want to thank our incredible volunteers for the vital role they play in MCCGC + CÜRA and their continued dedication to helping our multicultural community members. 

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 

2021 marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process.

What is National Reconciliation Week? 

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

Why do we acknowledge National Reconciliation Week? 

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

*Please use the respective links to learn more about these milestones in Australia's history.

If you have a lived experience, how can you get involved? 

The Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Taskforce invites service providers, people with lived experience of institutional child sexual abuse and their supporters to a forum to find out more information on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the National Redress Scheme.

What does it involve? 

This is an opportunity to provide feedback that will inform the Taskforce’s advice to the Queensland Government.

The guest speakers at the forum will include Mr. Robert Atkinson, Former Commissioner Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and Chair, Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Taskforce (Queensland).

Where? 

Novotel Hotel & Resort - 3105 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise.  

When? 

Friday 21st May 2021 - 9:30am for a 10:00 am start through to 3:00pm 

*Morning Tea and lunch will be provided. 

MCCGC Waves Forward - Career & Mentors Expo 2021 

Another year, another fantastic MCCGC Waves Forward Career & Mentors Expo coming up! 

On Tuesday the 18th of May at Keebra Park State High School the MCCGC is conducting their second 'Waves Forward' Expo that engages Pacific Islands and New Zealand Maori Youth with cultural awareness training and career workshops in schools across the Gold Coast.

The program explores Pacific Islands and Maori Culture and the impact of the Trans-Tasman Travel Agreement to increase cultural understanding and capacity in schools to guide the unique needs of Pacific Islands and Maori students.

Stay tuned for some photos of how the day went!

Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month 

Domestic violence in Australia affects many members of society and most people will have encountered it at some point in their lives, either through personal experience, social and business connections or through mainstream media.

1 in 6 Australian women and 1 in 16 men have been subjected, since the age of 15, to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or previous cohabiting partner.

Events and activities are held during the month of May each year to raise awareness of domestic and family violence and encourage involvement in the prevention of this form of violence in Queensland.

See here for community events and activities near you. 

The SARA Program - Gold Coast

The SARA program was established in 2017 and is the first specialized Domestic & Family Violence (DFV) service for women from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background on the Gold Coast.

Their highly qualified bilingual workers provide DFV crisis response as well as support and assistance with the following services:

• Telephone Information, Response, Counselling and Support

• Face to Face Information, Response, Counselling and Support

• Safety Planning

• Advocacy

• Practical Support, such as filling out the forms

• Information about your rights in Australia

SARA Program can refer women to the other services, such as:

• Safe crisis accommodation

• Women’s groups

• Immigration advice and support service

• Domestic Violence Court support

• Income support services

• Housing services

• Children’s and young people’s support services

• Migrant and refugee settlement services

SARA Program can arrange female interpreters, who speak your language.

All their services are confidential and free of cost.

Contact the SARA program on

Mobile:  0405 065 544

Email     intake@saraprogram.org.au

Member of the Month

Samway Counselling Services 

Welcome to some of our newest members, Wayne and Samantha from Samway Counselling Services- Counselling for Immigrants by Immigrants.

They both have lived experience of immigration, having been born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, before immigrating to New Zealand and then Australia.

They love meeting people from diverse cultural backgrounds and walking the road of 'settling in' with them. 

"Samway Counselling Services is an online counselling service, operating with a Christian worldview, that aims to create a safe, nonjudgmental space for our clients to talk, unpack and unload.  

One of our specialty areas is providing a counselling service for migrants to Australia.

At Samway Counselling Services, we understand that settling into a new country is not always easy. We acknowledge that immigration can bring with it psychological stress, frustration, isolation and other mental health challenges." 

Together we will:​

• Identify obstacles to integration
• Identify obstacles to belonging
• Explore coping skills and strengths
• Motivate resilience and optimism

To schedule an appointment or for more information visit www.samwaycounselling.com.au, email info@samwaycounselling.com.au or phone/text/Whatsapp: 0432 816 005

MCCGC Membership Program

Join the family and be part of the peak multicultural organization of the Gold Coast, support us to continue to make the community more inclusive and enjoy the Membership Program benefits.

Check out some of the awesome events coming up! 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Kombumerri People of the Yugambeh Language Region, and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and acknowledge their ongoing connection to land, sea, culture and community.

LINKS & RESOURCES

CÜRA is a branch of MCCGC (Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast Ltd) and specialises in providing tailored care services including CÜRA Kitchen, CÜRA Active Living, CÜRA Health & Well-being and CÜRA In-Home Support.  Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast  Ltd trading as CÜRA Community Services.