COVID-19 Fresh Food Drop-Off
A big Thank you to our regular donors, BRMC team and Salvation Army volunteers who bring fresh vegetables and fruit every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to the Ballarat Welcome Centre. Fresh food deliveries go out every week through a contactless delivery service to households in financial hardship and isolation.
Cultural Competency Services
BRMC has reviewed and enhanced our Cultural Competency Training services. Thank you to Kate McInnes, consultant and Mina Abdolmaleki, BRMC Community Development Officer, for leading this project.
In August we trained 14 community members from migrant and refugee backgrounds in cross-cultural competency and facilitation. This amazing group of people will now be able to co-facilitate BRMC’s training alongside our staff. As always, BRMC works in partnership with migrant and refugee communities to champion their perspectives, knowledge and expertise. We are thrilled to now be able to offer best-practice training that focuses on community members’ lived experience, practical knowledge of what works and personal stories.
If you are interested in our cultural competency services or wish to refer an organisation, group or workplace for training (delivered online as needed), please contact eo@brmc.org.au.
Good Governance Program
Free, flexible and customised mentoring support is offered to community organisations through the Good Governance program including web-based support. We are building our mentor networks and their capacity to work more effectively online. A webinar, Building Stronger Communities during COVID-19, was attended by community organisations and mentors across the three sites – Ballarat, Mildura and Albury.
We have a waiting list. If you are interested in seeking governance support for your association, please contact Sara on s.kaur@brmc.org.au.
Diversity Homework Club
The Diversity Homework Club team packed and delivered learning kits for their member students and families on 19 August. The students received chapter books, journals, lapboards and reusable masks in their customised kits. Their sunny smiles sure brightened the rainy day!
Throughout August, the homework club students read stories on ‘kindness’ and wrote poems, songs or stories and created art. Here’s a poem written collectively by Nyamar, Nyaduor, Jiech, Maker, Lul and Chudier:
Kindness is caring for others
I try to help them in any way I can
Nice to help my sister with her Maths
Don't fight because that’s not kind
Nice in school is always great
Everyday my friends would help me especially if I'm sad
Smiling is showing kindness
Sometimes we help cook, clean rooms, sometimes I do all the dishes
Which can take a long time, they all love it when I've helped.
The Diversity Homework Club has been nominated for the My Education Awards – Regional category. A huge ‘thank you!’ to the students, families and tutors for their team spirit and for making this happen.
School’s Out! Workshops
The BRMC Diversity Homework Club is now offering students free after-school and school holiday creative cultural workshops. During COVID restrictions, School’s Out! Workshops are delivered online via Zoom, for two hours on Tuesdays and Fridays during school term and then for three hours from Tuesdays – Thursdays each week of term break. Materials for each activity are delivered to the students’ homes.
To sign up, contact Diversity Homework Club Coordinator Sarabjit Kaur, s.kaur@brmc.org.au.
For further information, contact School’s Out! Coordinator Deborah Klein, d.klein@brmc.org.au.
Community Volunteers: Migrant English Program
The program continues to deliver English tutoring to clients across Ballarat, Beaufort, Ararat and Horsham. We have also been able to assist tutors and students with digital support through equipment, digital training and support. A huge thank you to all the community volunteer tutors who spare no efforts to bring language learning and smiles to many in the safety of their homes.
Social Support, including Senior Services
We continue through COVID-19 restrictions to connect with people through our Meals and Activity Packs for 140 Seniors across Ballarat and surrounding areas. Our Activity Packs have included art supplies, meditation colouring books, jigsaw puzzles, spring bulbs, herbs and potted plants to face masks and pantry staples, as well as printouts of helpful government safety guidance and resources. While the Seniors miss our group face-to-face activities, they are delighted with the visits from the team.
If you know someone who may benefit from BRMC services, please contact Teresa on 0417 109 052 or email teresa@brmc.org.au.
Meet members of our Social Support Groups
Rita and Tony Danko
We became BRMC members four years ago when we moved house from Melbourne to Ballarat and have enjoyed the monthly Tucker, bus trips and other activities organised by Teresa and Co.
Unfortunately, Tony has not been well and 18 months ago he was moved to PS Hobson Residential Aged Care in Ballarat. I continued to enjoy the activities of the Multicultural group on my own and made many good friends there.
Then came corona virus. I was still permitted to visit Tony even though restrictions applied. Life for me was pretty lonely until the Social Support Team came to the rescue bringing food and activity packs. One of the BRMC’s Activity Packs contained a set of paints, brushes and canvas, enticing to an ex painter.
“Shall I paint again?” My little house is already wall papered with my many previous paintings.
“Will I remember how to paint?”
“What shall I paint?”
These were all questions running through my mind.
Finally I decided to paint some flowers. I presented these to Natalie on her next visit. Thanks to the gift of paints from BRMC, I restarted a long forgotten skill and love of painting and the COVID-19 isolation became bearable.
Read Rita and Tony’s full story: www.brmc.org.au/social-support-members-rita-and-tony-danko
Check out Rita’s autobiography for sale on Twilight Market Online: https://twilightmarket.brmc.org.au/collections/rita-danko/products/niina
