(03) 9689 9170
With the great work and growth that AMCS has continued to achieve over the last 40 years, we would like to share our News & Views on a quarterly basis. The aim is to be a quick read – ensuring that you are current with all the initiatives we are engaged in, plus developments and plans we have for the future. We encourage you to share our news with friends and colleagues and if you would like further details, we are only too happy to tell you more
Announcing the Retirement of Elizabeth Drozd, CEO of AMCS
Elizabeth Drozd, our dedicated and passionate CEO, has announced her retirement after more than 20 years with AMCS. We would like to take this opportunity to recognise and celebrate the unwavering service that Elizabeth has given to our organisation and the leadership that has resulted in the outstanding growth and achievements of AMCS, during her tenure.
Being recognised for her tireless and determined commitment to the Community Service sector in 2023 with an Order of Australia (OAM), we are extremely appreciative of the committed service that Elizabeth has given to AMCS and the broader Polish and Multicultural communities in Victoria. With Elizabeth’s leadership and determination, AMCS is achieving it’s mission by improving the lives of so many senior Victorians by providing care, support and empowerment.
With a departure planned in June this year, we look forward to celebrating the successes that Elizabeth has been an integral part of.
Multicultural Dementia Care & Support Centres already making a positive impact
We have recently added Dementia Care and Support Centres to our range of community support initiatives, with no cost to attendees. Within a short space of time, the feedback from carers and their loved ones is extremely positive and more centres are opening on a demand-basis.
The aim of the Centres is to recognise and assist both the carer and their loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia. Appreciating that the carer faces many practical and emotional challenges in their role, the Centres assist by empowering carers through education and wellbeing sessions and enabling them to meet other carers and share experiences and ideas. They have the opportunity to meet in a friendly and safe environment and to receive mentoring support from experienced professionals.
Thanks to the support of the Victoria Government’s ‘’Staying at Home’’ funding, there is no cost to attend the centres. A delicious morning tea and lunch are also provided and AMCS can also arrange transport if required.
Carer feedback includes, ”It’s a great place to meet other carers and share experiences. It’s a safe place where you can learn and laugh. I don’t feel alone anymore”.
Click here for further information.
Millennium House Update
AMCS was generously gifted this substantial community asset, Millennium House, by the previous owners, the Polish Association of Kingsville and Ladies Auxiliary (PAKLA), to redevelop the centre.
The Millennium House Community Centre has been the home and focal point for the Polish community of Western Melbourne since the early 1960s. It has served the Poles of Melbourne as well as other culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities for many decades. Many thousands have used its main hall and have fond memories of significant life events being celebrated there.
With such an asset that already has a rich cultural history, our vision has been to expand on it’s solid foundations and provide a multicultural community hub that enables us to support people from multicultural backgrounds including seniors, newly arrived migrants, refugees, women, young people, and children.
We could not have progressed thus far without the generous donations from a number of organisations including the Gandel Foundation, West Gate Neighbourhood Fund, and the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund who have assisted in the substantial cost of renovating the building and developing facilities that will be widely used by the multicultural community of Victoria.
We are excited to see our dream becoming a reality and completion is scheduled for mid-2024 (Melbourne weather dependent of course!). Stay tuned for further updates!
Again we thank our generous donors to date and we are grateful for any further donations, no matter how big or small.
Click here for further information and how to donate.
Support Worker Spotlight : Marco Baeza
AMCS acknowledges the incredible passion and dedication from our Support Workers and Volunteers. Our clients value the personalised care they receive and particularly when they have cultural needs.
– Meet Marco Baeza: Our Dedicated Support Worker
Melbourne has been my home for the past 15 years, after living between Sydney and Santiago, Chile. In 2021, I chose to become a Community Worker, and following my graduation, AMCS provided me with the chance to refine and grow my abilities as a Support Worker. In this role, I’m fortunate to work alongside and serve incredible people.
Being empathetic is key in this job, as it helps me understand and connect with the experiences of our community members.
Recommend a Friend to AMCS
As a not-for-profit organisation, we are extremely grateful to receive new clients who have been recommended by existing clients, family or friends.
If you know of anyone who would benefit from the friendly and culture-focussed care that AMCS provides, please either get in touch with their contact details so we can call them, or simply recommend them to us. We would love to have a chat and suggest a care plan that will be suitable for their own personal needs.
Introducing our new Health & Wellness Check for Clients
Recognising that a visit to the doctor is not always a simple exercise and monitoring pre-existing medical conditions is very important, we are introducing a Health & Wellness Check service for our HCP clients.
In the comfort of a client’s own home, one of our wonderful qualified nurses will visit and provide either a full nursing assessment or regular maintenance checks, tailored to the particular needs of the individual.
The cost of this service can be offset by the client’s Home Care Package funds and the comprehensive check will provide reassurance, early detection, and important monitoring of pre-existing medical conditions.
For further details, clients can chat to their Support Worker or call our Melbourne office: 9689 9170.
Just launched: AMCS Your Care Portal
We are excited to announce the launch of our innovative digital client portal – AMCS Your Care. From a smart phone or tablet, our HCP clients can now receive reminder notifications, ensuring they are always current with their care worker appointment schedule.
With permission, up to two people can have access to the portal e.g. mother (client) and daughter (next or kin) and included in the portal, information includes the client’s HCP Package Budget and Monthly Statement.
We are currently working on the Care Plan to be available and this will be available soon!
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES: Social Support Groups for Clients & Carers
‘’Community’’ is a strong focus for AMCS and we continually strive to develop and provide social support groups for both our clients and their carers. With the generous assistance of funding and grants provided by the Victorian Government, we are able to offer social and education groups in different areas including:
- Multicultural Social Support Group- Melbourne’s Western Region
- Eastern European Social Support Group- Melbourne’s Western Region
- Chinese (Cantonese) Social Support Group – Geelong Area
- Multicultural Social Support Group – Geelong Area
- Arabic Social Support Group – Melbourne’s South- East Region
- Sri Lankan Social Support Group – Melbourne’s South-East Region
Update from Volunteer West
To start 2024, Volunteer West have been busy running an inclusive co-design project in partnership with Brotherhood of St Laurence. Over a series of three fortnightly workshops, we have sought to break down barriers for volunteers with a disability by engaging people with a lived experience and connecting them with volunteer organisations. The sessions have resulted in some incredibly rich discussions and participants have worked together to develop a set of shared actions to improve outcomes in the sector. The learnings gained from this process have been extremely informative and will be used to shape best practice volunteering. If you would like to learn more about these outcomes, we are running an online session on 3rd April. Email volunteerwest@amcservices.org.au to RSVP.
We’ve also been hard at work on our Volunteer Referral Services where we connect people in the community to volunteer opportunities. We’ve already connected 340 people in 2024 and look likely to improve on our mark of 988 referrals in 2023! If you’re looking for a volunteer role, or would like support with finding volunteers, contact us at vss@amcservices.org.au
Social Gardening Café for Carers
Our newest FREE community initiative is a Social Gardening Café for Carers which is held at the AMCS Multicultural Dementia Centre in Narre Warren South.
As the perfect addition to the diverse mix of activities and community engagement that are part of the AMCS Multicultural Dementia Care & Support Centres, carers can enjoy gardening sessions, professional gardening consultations, and other social activities. A delicious morning tea and lunch is provided, with seeds and plants provided to participants. In a friendly and supportive environment, this is a great opportunity for carers to connect with other carers and share experiences and ideas.
AMCS acknowledges the generous support of the Victorian Government and Carers Victoria.
Plans are underway to launch Social Gardening Cafés’ at the AMCS Multicultural Dementia Care & Support Centre in Craigieburn and Duke Street Community House in Maribyrnong.
Click here for further information.