December Newsletter 

In this edition of our monthly newsletter:

A message from our CEO Shane Klintworth

 MCCGC AGM & Board Updates - Welcome Rebecca and Mercy 

Members of the Month -  Islamic Women's Association of Australia (IWAA)

Work Towards Testimony - How Gabrielle found work here in Australia

University of Queensland - Recruiting participants for an exciting research project

Youth Advisory Group - 2022 Wrap Up 

...and much more! 

Wow! What an incredible year we have had. There has been amazing change, we have come through COVID (again), and we have continued to grow the organisation in the most difficult of circumstances.

We have continued to build our connections within the community and provider network while remaining focussed on serving our diverse customers. We have said farewell to some amazing people from MCCGC/CURA and welcomed new and dynamic members to our team.

We have achieved all of this whilst keeping a smile on our face, our heart full of love, and with a singular purpose of making the world a better place for those that we serve, whether they be a refugee seeking protection from persecution, or an older Australian striving to live independently and with dignity in their own home, or a community group seeking to build connections, celebrate their culture and create opportunities for their families, you have all been a part of this remarkable journey and touched the lives of many.

MCCGC is very fortunate to have such a wonderfully talented and committed team, supported by our amazing volunteers, members, peers and community. I would like to wish you, your family, and those that you love and care for a joyous end to 2022. For those of you that have an opportunity to have some down time, be sure to take some moments to reflect, relax, and recharge. Reflect on our good fortune and all that we have to be grateful for. Let’s get ready to move into 2023, commit to continuing to learn, to share, care and support one another. The year ahead is full of potential, promise and opportunity. I am excited by the possibility of contributing to positive change and I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Wishing you a festive season filled with love, health, and happiness.

Go well.

Shane

Nerang Neighbourhood Centre has released their annual Christmas Event Guide for 2022. 

If you or a loved one are in need of some community spirit and connection this Christmas please reach out to any of the organisations listed below. 

Annual General Meeting

Thank you to all our members, community, board and staff who attended our Annual General Meeting for 2021/2022!

All our Board members were successfully re-elected to serve another term as directors on our Board.Our Board of Directors are volunteers who generously give of their time, skills and expertise to drive our strategic direction and we are truly grateful for their involvement and contributions over this year.

It was wonderful to reflect upon the last year together and have an opportunity to catch up before the holidays. We are grateful to have your continued support and look forward to working with you all in 2023!

Our Annual Report is now available on our website for you to read. We've had a big year and we're excited to share our highlights with you!

An update on our board

MCCGC Board of Directors are committed to the adoption of ethical and behavioral conduct in all areas of its responsibility and authority. In doing so, Board members are bound to the principles and practices of the organisation. We are very proud to have such a highly skilled and passionate Board members here at MCCGC. 

We would like to introduce the newest members of our Board - Rebecca Pacy and Mercy Bosha! 

Rebecca Pacey - Director

Rebecca has held senior executive roles in the resources, IT, professional services, and aged care sectors.  She has a diverse background in leading strategy, business transformation, digitalisation through technology and in her passion for people and culture. Rebecca is currently the Executive Director of People & Corporate Services at Infinite Care, a national residential aged care provider.  She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion and through her leadership likes to ensure that CALD interests are considered in all people related decisions.  Rebecca has worked across multiple Asia Pacific countries, held global roles, and lived in a number of countries outside of Australia.   

Mercy Bosha - Director

Mercy has a Master of Nursing degree and has worked as an advanced clincial nurse and lead RN in different specialities for almost two decades. She is a credentialed Nurse Practitioner with a special interest in gerontology and emergency. Mercy has worked with First Nations and CALD communities. Mercy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors' Foundations of Directorship program. 

Islamic Women's Association of Australia (IWAA)

Islamic Women's Association of Australia (IWAA) is a not for profit community service organisation that provides support to the community in Aged Care, settlement support services, disability support services and community development through receipt of funding from State and Federal Government.

When was the organisation established?

The organisation was established in 1991 as the Islamic Women’s Association of Queensland (IWAQ) the organisation has been operational for over 30 years and is now a national organisation – The Islamic Women’s Association of Australia Inc (IWAA) - with offices in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne.

Who does IWAA support?

IWAA supports individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds. Over 90% of IWAA clients were born overseas in non-English speaking countries. IWAA is funded to provide support under:

Aged Care

• Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP),
• Home Care Packages (HCP) program for those over the age of 65,
• Queensland Community Support Scheme (QCSS)
• Salam Respite Cottage provides respite to clients and their carers

Disability support services

• IWAA is funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide disability support on a national basis.

Settlement support services

• IWAA is funded under the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program in Brisbane South, Logan and Sydney (South West, Inner South West and Paramatta) to provide settlement-related information, advice, advocacy and referrals to relevant support services.

Community development

• In Brisbane South, IWAA is funded under the Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) program to promote social and economic inclusion, particularly within the Muslim community.
• Sakina Refuge is a women’s domestic and family violence refuge that provides support to women experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV)

If you are wanting to contact IWAA please use the channels below:

Email: admin@iwaa.org.au

Phone: (07) 3208 6333 | 1800 004 922

Fax: (07) 3208 6933

Work Towards Testimonial

How Gabrielle found work here in Australia 

Work Towards is MCCGC's free government funded program aimed at increasing employment opportunities for underemployed and unemployed refugees, migrants and international students.

The Work Towards Employment Hub helps participants work on their confidence and achieve their goals. It's a flexible program and our team works one on one to provide tailored support based on each person’s unique needs.

Watch our Work Towards Support Worker Maria Camila walk us through how Gabrielle found work here on the Gold Coast!

For more information on Work Towards, click the button below. 

We're looking for more people to join our MCCGC & CÜRA team and support community across Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Moreton, and Tweed! 

We're currently hiring:

• Quality Support Officer - Part time >> Apply Now 
• Wellbeing Health Officer - Full time >> Apply Now
• Roster Officer - Full time >> Apply Now 
• In Home Domestic Workers Gold Coast - Casual >> Apply Now
• Home Care Workers Gold Coast – Casual  >> Apply Now 
• Home Care Workers Tweed Shire – Casual >> Apply Now 
• Home Care Workers Sunshine Coast – Casual >> Apply Now 
• Home Care Workers Moreton – Casual >> Apply Now 

Please share these opportunities with your networks! 

Recruiting participants for an exciting research project

MCCGC has partnered with academic researchers at the University of Queensland and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia in successfully obtaining funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project Scheme. The 3-year research project Integrating Community and Family Aged Care for Diverse Australians aims to support older Australians from CALD backgrounds to age well at home and in their communities. This ARC project is aligned with MCCGC’s strategic plan to provide culturally responsive and tailored care to meet the diverse needs of older CALD Australians. MCCGC is committed to incorporating the project’s findings in our training programs for care providers.

We are currently recruiting participants for Study 1 that aims to understand aged care experiences from the perspective of older CALD people through interviews. The participants will be provided with a $30 Coles gift card, as a token of appreciation for their participation in the study.

If you are interested in participating in the study either as an individual person aged 65 or over, from CALD backgrounds, living at home and receiving some level of community care support, or as a community service provider, please contact Professor Shuang Liu via email at shuang.liu@uq.edu.au or phone 07 3346 8242.

MCCGC Youth Advisory Group meets once per month to connect with like minded individuals, champion advocacy for young people of multicultural backgrounds & learn new skills!

2022 YAG Wrap Up & Goals for 2023 

Throughout the last six months YAG have had many opportunities to upskill individually and as a group. They have represented MCCGC at events, networked with community leaders, had round table discussions with government representatives, and engaged with multicultural organisational representatives. The Youth Advisory Group has also MCed Meet, Greet, Eat community dinners and supported planning, activities and co-hosted MCCGC’s Friendship Day event partnering with the Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre.

But it hasn’t stopped there. Towards the end of the year, members of the group were invited to deliver four Cultural Identity Training workshops to over 100 Miami State High School students sharing lived experiences, overcoming culture shock, and giving advice as to how others can support newly arrived people in Australia. 

The group's goals going into 2023 are to improve their public speaking, become better informed about our local First Nations groups, become more involved in the Gold Coast multicultural community, and continue to support Cultural Identity training in Gold Coast primary and high schools. More recently, YAG had the opportunity to be an instrumental part of the planning and design of a Youth and Community Connection Project Pilot that we are hoping to implement into the community in mid next year.

Watch this space in 2023!

What's new? 

YAG members Adam and Leila presented a 2022 wrap up for our Twilight Multicultural Mixer event earlier in the month. The pair reflected on the year that has been, with the formation of YAG, the progress the group has had, and goals leading into 2023. 

At Arcadia College, YAG member Janine alongside SETS Support Worker Majid engaged students from all cultural backgrounds to participate in activities that explored identity, supported awareness and promoted prejudice reduction. The power of storytelling was used to build empathy, inclusivity and encourage action in the school community. 

At the beginning of December we hosted our last official MCCGC Youth Advisory Group meeting for 2022! We had a few members off to formals and end of year celebrations, so we made the most of the smaller group by discussing our personal development goals leading into 2023!

Hope you can recognize the abbreviation YAG are spelling out…we have a clue at the end to help!

Want to join our MCCGC Youth Advisory Group? 

Do you know of or are a young person (18-25) wanting experience in a NGO? Do you identify as being from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background?  As a volunteer you can help to advise MCCGC, a peak regional multicultural body, to support better services for young CALD people on the Gold Coast. 

What's in it for you? 

• Professional development 
• Have an edge over others when pursuing your career 
• Ensure the voice of CALD young people are heard. 
• Paid work opportunities 

There are many unique opportunities to get involved.  

Contact us on cams@mccgc.com.au to get involved! 

Join for free today!

We are inviting local organisations and businesses that provide services in other languages to list for free in our new Multicultural Services Directory. Please share with any local businesses/services you know. 

What is the Multicultural Services Directory? 

It's a free online database that allows anyone to search by language, service or key words to find and connect with Gold Coast organisations that speak their language. We want to make it easier for multicultural communities to access services in their language while promoting diverse providers who offer services in languages other than English.

Please share far and wide with your networks as we want as many local Gold Coast service providers to register so it can be a great resource for the community.

Our Community Development team does some amazing things in and around our community so we thought we'd share their adventures with you each month.

See a bit of what we got up to!

Thank you to all community leaders, service providers and government representatives for attending our Twilight Multicultural Mixer last night at TAFE Queensland Robina Campus. We celebrated 2022 wins, networked with old friends, made connections with new ones and celebrated our Gold Coast cultural diversity! 

To see more photos from the night, click here. 

Our CAMS Officer Candice hosts English Immersion Classes out of Palm Beach every Tuesday.

The class took their lesson outdoors to change the environment and farewell long term member Leila who is moving back home to Belgium.

The class played games, shared food, and plenty of laughs in the beautiful Palm Beach Parklands.

Leila shared that her ‘Australian family’ had became so much more than just a place to learn English but a place to feel connected and build roots when each day can seem challenging in a new country.

We are always happy to welcome new students to our classes!

Join us on Tuesdays from 10am-12pm for English practice, friendships and connection at Palm Beach Community Space -26 Eleventh Ave.

Contact us via cams@mccgc.com.au

Towards the end of November a few of our team alongside YAG members Tamana, Adam and Henriette attended Multicultural Families Organisation Inc. annual Leaders of Global Change Dinner at Southport Sharks.

530 Gold Coast community members from 92 different countries speaking around 120 languages gathered together to reflect on the notion of being a ‘leader of positive change’.

Thank you for having us MFO! The night was an incredible success

A few weeks back CÜRA hosted Australian Chinese Women's Federation Inc members for a seniors morning tea to discuss their options when receiving help in the home.

As a token of thanks to MCCGC & CÜRA, Shanghai Artist and Australian Chinese Women's Federation Inc member Mr. Ding presented us with an incredible watercolour painting of two rabbits - as 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.

Thank you Mr. Ding and Australian Chinese Women's Federation Inc members!

We had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Dharam Bhugun for the launch of his new book, 'Managing Differences in Intercultural Relationships and Parenting' in our Wellness Centre. 

We began by chatting about MCCGC and the services we offer, then Dr. Bhugun presented a synopsis of his 20+ years of psychosocial research, mainly on the dynamics of intercultural relationships.

Dr. Bhugun then presented the main subjects addressed in his book; the challenges, rewards, strengths, and resources intercultural couples bring to their relational and parenting dynamics.

An informative afternoon had by all!

Christmas Teatime in London
“A Christmas tea is a not-to-be-missed treat in the midst of shopping at Harrods and ice skating at Somerset House. Try Claridge’s, the Ritz, or smaller boutique hotels like Montague on the Gardens. Each tea room has its own flourish for the occasion, but you can often find carolers singing, mince pies mixed in among tea cakes, and festive blends of tea that make the season a bit brighter.” –Lauren Bryan Knight, creator of the Aspiring Kennedy blog, London

 A Candlelit Historic Home in D.C.
“Many Washingtonians might choose the lighting of the national Christmas tree as the emblematic holiday tradition in D.C., but I look to a different ‘Washington’ for inspiration. Candlelight holiday tours of America’s first president’s home, Mount Vernon, transport you to Christmases of the 18th century. Visiting always resets my frenetic, holiday demeanor to a slower more pensive and, I think, more appropriate, state of mind.” –Jean Newman Glock, director of global relations for Connoisseur Travel, Washington, D.C.

Beating A Hollow Log in Catalonia
“The Tió de Nadal is typical in Catalonia at Christmas time, but not in the rest of Spain. Imagine the little ones of the family, and even adults, with a stick in their hands beating a hollow log, tió in Catalan, while singing traditional songs and praying for it to ‘defecate’ gifts. Tradition dictates that, before beating the tió, all the kids have to leave the room and go to another place in the house to ask the tió to deliver a lot of presents–making the perfect excuse for relatives to do the trick and put the presents under the blanket while the kids are praying. It is such a funny gathering.” –Sonia Graupera, Barcelona-based travel writer

 Massive Ice Sculptures in China
“The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is the one true winter event that China offers to the world. Harbin is interesting as it is situated in northeastern China in Heilongjiang province, which was formerly Manchuria. The Russians really developed the city in the 19th century as part of the Siberian rail line, so it has a strong Russian atmosphere. Winters are long and cold, so a tradition of ice carving developed. I first visited in 1991 and loved it. There are the ice sculptures [at the festival], of course–which are now beyond belief in terms of intricacy, size, and themes–but there is also sledding, tobogganing, ice hockey, and polar bear swimming competitions. This cross-cultural mishmash of a romantic Russian winter [is] lots of fun.” –Gerald Hatherly, director at Abercrombie & Kent Hong Kong

A Living Crèche in Puglia’s Grottoes
“The presepe vivente, nativity scene, is a much older and more meaningful tradition than the Christmas tree in southern Italy–and the one in Pezze di Greco is a unique and exciting example. Apulian people lived in caves, or grottoes, up until the modern era to avoid being seen by invaders. About 20 years ago a group of locals decided that they could use the caves as a setting for a live performance of the nativity. This has turned into a non-profit organization [comprised] of more than 400 volunteers from the village–a very large chunk of the population. People dressed up as farmers from the olden days bring in animals and put olive presses, stone ovens, and carpenters back to work producing food and artifacts–all in grottoes. The very last grotto represents the nativity scene. The site is open to the public for several days around Christmas each year.” –Aldo Melpignano, owner of San Domenico Hotels, Puglia, Italy

Traditional Winter Foods in India
“During winter, the cuisine of local Kashmiris changes to heavy stews of goat meat, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, lotus stems, and other winter vegetables. Families sit around a fire and hand huge pots of such stews back and forth for hours.” –Soumya Goswami, chef de cuisine at The Oberoi, New Delhi

Fusion Media Production is screening HIJO AJA KA KURA The Movie for all Nepalese-speaking communities on the Gold Coast - the film also has English subtitles

Friday 23rd December

6:20pm

Event Cinemas Australia Fair - Australia Fair Shopping Centre Marine Parade, Southport

Book tickets here: https://bit.ly/3HCDr0Q

Staying healthy in the heat

It is important to stay healthy in the heat. There are simple ways to keep cool.

Keep cool

Keeping cool and your temperature down is the first step to remaining healthy during the heat.

To keep cool:

• drink cold drinks and eating smaller cold meals such as salads and fruit
• wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes made from natural fibres like cotton
• stay out of the sun
• plan your day and avoid being in the heat between 11am and 5pm
• put wet towels or cool packs on your arms or neck
• take cool showers or baths or put your feet in cool water
• limit physical activity, like household chores or exercise, to early in the morning when it is coolest.
• If you must go outside, apply sunscreen, wear a wide brim hat and sunglasses and take water with you

Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water and staying well hydrated keeps you healthy during the heat.

To stay hydrated and check your hydration:

• drink plenty of water regularly even if you don’t feel thirsty
• check the colour of your urine – if it’s pale, you’re drinking enough
• talk to your GP about how much water you should drink in hot weather, especially if they normally limit your fluids
• avoid alcoholic, sugary or hot drinks including tea and coffee which can make dehydration worse
• carry water with you if go outside
• stock your fridge with cold water and freezer with ice

Work Towards Program

Workshop Updates 

To register for this FREE event use this link: https://bit.ly/3Dpj9Ek 

If you have any questions about the program or want to book into workshops, please email worktowards@mccgc.com.au.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we operate, the Kombumerri people, the Gubbi Gubbi people, the Jinibara people, the Turrbal people, the Quandamooka people and the Bundjalung people. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging and extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and acknowledge their ongoing connection to land, sea, culture and community.