Community e-Brief | Merry Christmas

Thank you for your support over the year, we wish you and your families a happy and safe Christmas and New Year. This e-brief is a quick update on some of the things that have occurred or are occurring that may interest you.

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In this newsletter:

South Australian Premier, the Hon. Jay Weatherill visited Mount Gambier to address the community on concerns regarding the forestry sale. He also attended the ac.care office to meet a representative group of Limestone Coast community round table members. This was an opportunity for the members to raise their concerns directly with the Premier around homelessness, affordable housing and other social issues.

The members also raised their concern about the forestry forward sale and expressed the need to ensure the sale conditions are for the benefit of the community, local business and local employment.

Member organisations represented included: ac.care, Burrundies, Centacare, Community Health, Corrections, Country Health, Disability SA, Families SA, Housing SA, ICAN, Lambert Lodge, Pangula Mannamurna, Regional Development Australia Limestone Coast, SA Police, Victim Support Service

At this time of year the expectation of a happy Christmas with family and friends can highlight the loneliness and social isolation experienced by some people in our community.

We live in communities that fortunately have appeals, such as the Mayor's Christmas Appeal, Riverland Christmas Appeal amongst others, that share the generosity of donors amongst local charities. ac.care is very greateful for the donations we receive from these appeals. We also thank people who have donated goods and cash directly to ac.care.

Christmas office hours can be found on our web www.accare.org.au

Nominations are now open for 2012 recipients. You can download the guildelines and nomination form from our website.

Three young people received the Homeless Youth Resilience Scholarship at the beginning of this school year. This is a purely donor funded program and it is thanks to our donors that we can add value to our Homelessness Service programs.

Staff at a Ramco fruit juice company Crusta raised $7000 for local homeless and disadvantaged youth by growing giant pumpkins. The pumpkin-a-thon saw 42 Crusta staff, split into three teams, competing to grow the biggest pumpkin and fundraising for the scholarship.

Read more about the Crusta Pumpkin-a-thon on our web

Group Training Employment in Mount Gambier has reinforced its charter by making a $2K financial donation to ac.care's Homeless Youth Resilience Scholarship.

Read more about GTE's donation on our web.

Our annual report is available on the About Us section of www.accare.org.au or click here for a direct download.

Lynn Fisher, PA to our CEO, Rob Foggo, retired after 24 years service with ac.care. Given ac.care has now been operating for 25 years Lynn takes with her vast experience and knowledge, not just of ac.care but how community services have changed to meet community demand over the years. Lynn can still be seen at the Mount Gambier office though, helping on some specific projects.

We welcomed Amanda to the role of PA. Amanda returned to ac.care after an absence raising her family.

We identified a need for a booklet that explains the process one takes to become a foster carer when living in a rural area and produced "Help for your Foster Care Journey". You can download this from our website

If you would like more information on becoming a foster carer please contact our Foster Care team

Murraylands ............8532 6303
Limestone Coast ...8724 9211
Riverland .................8582 2344

Residents of Millicent and surrounding areas no longer need to travel to Mount Gambier to access an extended range of Services SA services.

The local community can now access more Services SA services, including:

EzyReg
Motoring
• Pay a fine
• Drivers and licences
• New and young drivers
• Vehicles and registration
• Buying and selling a vehicle
• Disqualification notices and demerit points
Boating and marine
• Boat operators, licences and permits

For more info on the Millicent Community Centre please visit our web.

To contact the Millicent Community Centre call 8733 4270. (Services SA Customer centre is available 8am to 6pm daily phone 13 2324)

For further information of Service SA please visit www.sa.gov.au

New Year's Eve ac.care Kids Fireworks

We are again supporting the kids fireworks at Mount Gambier's new year's eve celebration at Vansittart Park 9pm.

More info on the Facebook page of Mt Gambier Community Events or their blog.

Early notice - for your diary - Help Build the Bridge

Date: Friday 17th April 2012
Time: 12 noon for 12.30pm start
Where: the new Garden Square (Main Corner Development), Mount Gambier

Successful businessman, company director, corporate advisor, Chancellor of Flinders University and Director of Foodbank Australia Ltd – Mr Stephen Gerlach AM - will be the keynote speaker at the Building a Bridge Luncheon. The event will be a unique opportunity to hear a high profile speaker who will inspire you, your professional colleagues, friends or family and to enjoy the ambience of the new Main Corner development. The Building the Bridge Luncheon will raise funds for ac.care’s homelessness services in the Limestone Coast.

To purchase luncheon tickets:
Contact Barry Maney Group Phone (08) 8721 3400 (credit cards welcome)
To make a cash donation:
Contact ac.care Phone (08) 8724 9211

Workshops

Blast Off for kids living with parental separation

Personal Success Coaching

Our website contains the latest Events and Workshops

ac.care is currently raising funds for:

Aboriginal creches - Minya Porlar & Gerard
Barker Cottage - foster family holidays in Victor Harbor (completely donor funded)
Financial Counselling - increase services to more remote communities
Homeless Youth Resilience Scholarship (completely donor funded)
Extra services for children and youth in a variety of programs

Iocane and Internode recently supported us with generous donations towards our Barker Cottage project.

Please visit our web for donation options or email anne@accare.org.au for more information

ac.care is a registered Charilty Licence, Number CCP1186 and is an Australian Taxation Office Deductible Gife Recipient DGR 900 153 951

Our Community Resolve e-Brief will complement our printed Community Resolve newsletter, with quick updates on news from our programs, partners, events or community issues.

If you would still like to receive our printed Community Resolve newsletter please email care@accare.org.au with your details.

You can subscribe to our e-newsletters by visiting our website or emailing care@accare.org.au

Limestone Coast Community Round Table

Christmas

Homeless Youth Resilience Scholarship

Annual Report

Farewell to Lynn Fisher after 24 years

New book "Help for your Foster Care Journey"

Extended services for Millicent Community

Events and Workshops

New Year's Eve ac.care Kids Fireworks

Early notice - for your diary - Help Build the Bridge

Workshops

Yes! I would like to help my local community

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