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The team at AMCS have had a very busy quarter, particularly as we farewelled Elizabeth Drozd after 24 years service, and welcomed Maryanne Tadic as our new CEO.
We hope you enjoy some of our Q2 highlights and take a moment to get to know Maryanne, from our Q&A chat.
We encourage you to share our news with friends and colleagues and if you would like further details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We Farewell Elizabeth Drozd OAM
In June we had a staff farewell for Elizabeth Drozd who has retired after 24 dedicated years with AMCS.
Heading off for adventures overseas with well-deserved rest and relaxation for a couple of months, upon Elizabeths return, we will schedule an event at Millennium House where friends of AMCS can gather. We plan to celebrate her retirement and her dedication to the Multicultural and senior communities in Victoria.
Elizabeth was recently interviewed by Alex Jacobs from Hello Care and was given the opportunity to tell us what she has planned for her next chapter. For a very insightful summary, click here
We Welcome Maryanne Tadic, CEO
We are delighted to welcome and introduce our new CEO, Maryanne Tadic.
To get to know Maryanne, we sat down and asked her a few quick-fire questions.
Q. What is your ‘elevator pitch’?
A. I’ve worked in the Community Health sector for over 20 years and have spent the last decade as a Senior Executive navigating multiple reforms including Carers, NDIS, Health Promotion and now Aged Care. I thrive on leading individuals, teams, and organisations to grow and become the best version of themselves and am intrinsically motivated by values in social justice and equity, much of which is driven by my own lived experience.
Q. What are you most proud of, from your career history?
A. I’d have to say leading my previous organisation to be successful in the 2020 Commonwealth Carer Gateway reform. It wasn’t just the growth and increased scale of services that made me proud, it was the implementation of an innovative consortia model with six other community, health and welfare agencies across Victoria, all of which were existing providers in the Carer sector. It was a unique opportunity; bringing together the majority of existing providers to deliver a shared model and vision in an otherwise increasingly competitive environment. Working with organisations who had such depth of experience and expertise, and harnessing these strengths to create a powerful collective impact where the client (or Carer in this instance) benefits, was an incredibly rewarding experience.
Q. Why did you choose to work in this industry?
A.I knew very early on that I wanted to work with people, in a caring profession of some kind. I initially wanted to study Nursing, but since I’m uncomfortable at the sight of blood, I opted for a Health Sciences Degree instead. I enjoyed working in the Population Health space, creating change at a systemic and policy level, and also enjoyed leading and growing people and teams which led me down the path of my Master of Public Health studies. Working in the not-for-profit sector and particularly for, and with, communities who most need advocacy and support feels like such a natural alignment for me. I can’t imagine doing a job where I didn’t feel purposeful in making a positive change for others.
Q. What sets AMCS apart from others in the same field?
A. It’s the fact that AMCS lives and breathes its values and our unique commitment to working with Multicultural communities that stands out for me. I have always been a staunch advocate of equity – it is a core value that remains front and center in everything I do. I believe every person should be afforded the same opportunities regardless of cultural background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, mobility, or financial circumstances. My parents were also migrants to Australia and I was fortunate to have grown up in a multicultural community, however I was privy to the many challenges and inequities they and other migrant communities faced. The fact that AMCS caters specifically to the needs of Multicultural Communities and works to eliminate barriers is what attracted me here and what sets us apart from the rest.
Q. Do you have a CALD background?
A. Yes, I do. My parents and two brothers migrated here on 13th March 1969 from the former Yugoslavia, or more specifically Croatia. I was the only person in my family born in Australia with English as my first language and have always been cognisant of the privilege that brings.
Q. If you could be a superhero, who would it be?
A. Wonder Woman – I love that she is a social justice warrior and epitomises gender equity in a unique context
Q. What’s your favourite sports team?
A. I’m not a huge sports fan but do enjoy tennis and international football (also known as soccer!)
It’s Competition Time Again: Art Against Ageism 2024
We are excited to announce that our Art Against Ageism competition will be heading into its fourth year. Having grown from 52 entries in 2021 to over 250 in 2023, we have found the enthusiasm for people to enter has grown each year.
For those unfamiliar with our competition, the objective is to use art as a platform to promote inclusivity and celebrate the beauty and diverse capabilities and mindset of senior people in our community. We aim to combat ageism and break the negative stereotypes.
This year we invited organisations to sponsor our competition because as a not-for-profit organisation, running the initiative comes at a cost. We are delighted to announce the following organisations who have generously contributed:
- Elder Rights Advocacy
- Merri Health
- Carers Victoria
- Language Loop
We have a total of 12 cash prizes and all prize winners will have their art featured in our annual calendar which is shared with our Home Careclients for Christmas.
Stay tuned on our social media channels and our website page for more information. Theopening date for the competition will be later this month.
If you are able to share news of our competition to your network, we would appreciate your support.
AMCS History Book – Hot Off the Press
Another project that has seen a lot of planning, archive searching, and writing is our AMCS History Book which celebrates 40 years of Care, Support and Empowerment..
Researched and written by Jacques Boulet and Jennifer Borrell, our recently published book is hot off the press and we are extremely proud.
Telling the story of our organisations roots from 1983 – 2023, we hear of the foresight of our founding members. Forty years ago, they established a professional support agency for the Polish community in Victoria which included the largest number of refugees/displaced persons of any migrant community that has arrived in Australia to date.
There are many people who have been integral in the vision of this book becoming a reality and we would like to make mention to Elizabeth Drozd OAM and Professor Desmond Cahill OAM for their significant contribution.
If you would like either a hard copy or digital copy of our 132 page book, please email marketing@amcservices.org.au to make your request.
AMCS Appreciation: Compliments to Annarita, CHSP Lead
Receiving compliments from our clients and their family members is always special and greatly appreciated by the AMCS Team. We take the opportunity to share this very special mention to our Annarita, CHSP Lead and thank Romika for taking the time to contact us:
To AMCS Management,
I would wholeheartedly like to thank Annarita for looking after my father since the very first time we joined your company.
She’s helped me and my father through many difficult changes in our lives, providing much needed support. Her kindness, patience, ability to emphasis and connect on a human level to her clients means a lot.
She has great knowledge in what she does and finds solutions that caters for even the most difficult clients.
My father along with myself would really like to appreciate Annarita and acknowledge her.
Thank you Annarita for making a big difference in our lives.
Please make sure she is rewarded as without her support our life would not be the same. She’s an absolute GEM ✨
Kind Regards
Romika
AMCS Volunteer’s Incredible Journey: Bringing Joy and Connection to Aged Care Communities
Sheren Senada, our team leader of the Volunteer Program, is delighted to share a story about one of her much-loved volunteers, Robert. Robert, who has been working with us as a volunteer for the past 3 years, has had an incredible journey and made significant contributions to the aged care community.
Robert’s journey began in Brisbane, where he volunteered for different charities at various events such as the Gold Coast Marathon, Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, Starlight Foundation, Cancer Council, and others. While working, Robert could only volunteer on weekends. However, after retiring in 2019, he decided to dedicate more time to making a positive impact through volunteering. n 2021, after moving to Melbourne with his wife, Robert began exploring volunteer opportunities where they could truly make a difference. They found an advertisement on the Seek Volunteer website seeking Italian-speaking volunteers for the Australian Multicultural Communities Services to visit aged care residents. Read more
Update from Volunteer West
Natalie has finished her time with Volunteer West at the end of June. We’d like to take the opportunity to give her a big shout out and thank her for all her hard work this year. She’ll be missed, but we’re very excited to see her grow in her new role with AMCS!
Some highlights since the last update. We had the pleasure to present at the Volunteering Victoria State Conference in June. Our talk was titled Capturing Knowledge to Drive Inclusive Practice: Co-design with CALD Groups and examined our work on the Culturally Inclusive Volunteer Toolkit. It was presented with researchers from Victoria University and a co-designer from Afri-Aus Care.
On the 15th of July we celebrated NAIDOC week with elder Helen Farquhar at Braybrook Community Hub. The event began with a smoking ceremony and traditional performances by Kooramye Cooper . Then Helen ran some traditional arts and craft activities before sharing a Wotjabaluk Dreamtime Story of Tchingal the Giant Emu.
At the halfway mark of the year our Volunteer Support Services have hit 1000 referrals! This is 12 more than we did for the whole of 2023. A big thank you to Phuong for leading this effort and to our volunteers Daniel and Kushal who have been incredible. If you’re looking for a volunteer role, or would like support with finding volunteers, contact us at vss@amcservices.org.au
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-focused care that AMCS provides, please let us know. We would love to have a chat and suggest a care plan that will be suitable for their own personal needs.
Millennium House Community Centre Update
We know that renovations have their setbacks and with a project as big as Millennium House, we have certainly had a few challenges along the way which have delayed the completion.
We anticipate that we can begin using the Multicultural Community Hub in the next 2-3 months.
AMCS was generously gifted this substantial community asset, Millennium House, by the previous owners, the Polish Association of Kingsville and Ladies Auxiliary (PAKLA),for redevelopment. We thank our generous donors to date and are grateful for any further donations, no matter how big or small.
We are looking forward to creating many memorable events for our community within the new space.
For further information, click here