The latest at SCARF July 2021

July 12, 2021

By now you have no doubt heard the news that the SCARF members have confirmed our merger with MCCI Ltd at the extraordinary General Meeting held June 30. The real work now begins as we transition 15 years of operational relationships and procedures into a new entity. Regardless of how familiar we are with MCCI as a partnering organisation many facets of the way both organisations operate will take some adjustment. It is an exciting challenge and I am looking forward to discovering new opportunities for SCARF services as we begin to work together more closely.

At the end of June we said goodbye to two staff members. Cherie has moved on from her role as administration assistant with SCARF to another role within a local not-for-profit organisation. Cherie was an enthusiastic team player who put into place administrative processes that we will be thankful for in the years to come. Sitara, who joined us as the family case worker was a warm, friendly team member who always went the extra mile to support the SCARF community.

I encourage everyone to stay safe and follow the public health advice as we confront this new strain of COVID. At this stage physical meetings and in person service delivery is not possible and we will just have to wait and see how long the lockdown rules will impact our service delivery.

Be sure to follow NSW Health guidelines, get tested, and get vaccinated as soon as you can.

Ian Jarman
A/CEO

UPDATES & NEWS

ONE THE ROAD AGAIN: SCARF PURCHASES NEW L2P CAR

The L2P program is designed to assist learners from refugee backgrounds to become independent, safe and informed drivers.

In order to deliver the L2P driver mentoring program, SCARF relies on support from the wider community. However, with limited funding available, continuing the program with a 19-year-old vehicle had become a challenge.

We are therefore excited to be the recipient of the Stronger Communities Programme grant. The funding from the grant has enabled SCARF to purchase a new vehicle to support the continuation of the L2P program.

Under the conditions of this type of grant, not-for-profit charities must be invited by their local MP to submit applications. Sharon Bird, local MP, has been a long-time supporter and her role as patron has helped us realise many opportunities. SCARF’s success in receiving this funding is due to Sharon’s passionate and robust support for our application.

SCARF relies on the wider community to deliver our L2P program and without our volunteers, who work tirelessly within SCARF, opportunities and programs like this would not be possible. If you are interested in joining SCARF as an L2P driver mentor, please email volunteer@scarfsuppport.org.au.

VOTE EVERY DAY DURING JULY TO HELP SCARF WIN $2000

SCARF has been nominated in the #GreaterIllawarra community funding program.

Help us win $2000 by voting for us below. Voting is simple. Select the arrow below the SCARF summary and your vote has been cast.

You can cast one vote per person per hour. Voting closes Saturday 31 July.

VOTE NOW

YOUNG MULTICULTURAL WOMEN TO “LEAD THE WAY”

60 young women from multicultural backgrounds will take part in ‘Lead the Way’, a new collaborative youth leadership initiative funded by the Multicultural NSW COMPACT program which will support and develop the next generation of community leaders in the Illawarra.

SCARF will support the youth initiative, which is led by the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) in collaboration with the Office of Sport, who delivers The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award under license in NSW, and the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre.

“I learned so much from these amazing women. They told me that I should never give up and always keep trying,” says Zahra, who would like to get into construction and discussed her career options with women mentors from various industries at a networking session at Wollongong Youth Centre recently.

The term two activities of Active Connections including Body Balance sessions on Tuesdays and Walking for families on Fridays finished at the end of June.

To celebrate the final week of term two we held a bike riding workshop. It was a wonderful session, and included 31 participants of all ages. It was enjoyed by children and adults alike; we are hoping to have more bike riding sessions in the near future.

Thank you to all Active Connections volunteers and participants for their amazing help and support.

We are planning to start the term three on Tuesday 20 July (if COVID allows) by continuing to run Body Balance sessions at Beaton Park Wollongong. We hope to see you there.

SCARF CASE WORKER ACHIEVED GREAT RESULTS

Under the Multicultural NSW – COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant for Vulnerable Temporary Visa Holders and Specialist Migrant and Settlement NGOs funding, SCARF recruited and employed an experienced family caseworker with extensive CALD community experience in October 2020.

The family caseworker, Sitara, was responsible for coordinating referral, requests for assistance (triage), and providing case managed support to SCARF community members and their families assessed as having complex needs or requiring additional support. She also supported the allocation and delivery of services provided by trained SCARF volunteers across a range of SCARF social inclusion programs such as the befriending program.

Sitara said, “I loved working as a family caseworker because it is so rewarding being able to support community members reach their fullest potential. The most rewarding part of this job for me was when I managed to find a solution that worked for the community member. I will forever be grateful to SCARF for helping to make this possible for me.”

SCARF acknowledges that this program was directly supported by funding from the NSW Government.

SCARF AWARDED YOUTH ACTION PROJECT GRANT

SCARF is proud to announce that we are recipients of the Youth Action Project Grant Scheme, developed by the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) and the Australian Government Department of Health. The grants were developed to improve outcomes for young people with a focus on transport, mental health, employment issues, and on recovery efforts in response to COVID-19 and the Australian bushfires.

This grant will go towards addressing employment barriers faced by young refugee entrants. We have already made a start by hosting speed networking series that connect former refugees aged 15-24 to local employers, helping refugee youth to build professional connections and social capital.

We will also be running educational workshops on resume and interviews tips and Australian workplace norms and matching participants with employment mentors.

Thank you to FYA for their support.

COMMUNITY STORIES

Growing up in Kabul under Taliban rule, Shahira wasn’t allowed an education. Today, with a degree in literature and a Master in Business, Shahira has accomplished things that were never a possibility for her while living in Afghanistan.

Shahira recently won the Healthy Earth Art Competition by Red Cross and Illawarra Multicultural Services and she also recently took first place in the Adult Essay/Short-Story Category of the Illawarra Multicultural Services (IMS) Refugee Week Writing Competition 2021 which was was held in collaboration with the South Coast Writers Centre (SCWC) and the Australian Red Cross.

Shahira spoke to Lindsay McDougall at ABC Illawarra about her life growing up in Afghanistan and the limitations on women’s education that have led her to value her education here in Wollongong.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

We are thrilled to announce that Janice will be taking on the role of the Let’s Chat volunteer coordinator starting shortly.

Janice has been volunteering with SCARF since February this year, after having retired from her career as an accountant last year.

Not only has Janice been a reliable and regular face at Let’s Chat on Fridays, but she has been helping behind the scenes with our online database, a huge job that we are very, very thankful for.

Janice comes to SCARF having previously befriended a family on their settlement journey through IMS. She enjoys the connection and community spirit that comes with volunteering at SCARF and is excited to get started.

Please join us in welcoming Janice.

THANK YOU TO EDMUND RICE COLLEGE, WOONONA LIONS CLUB AND BROKEN DRUM CAFE

Thank you to the Edmund Rice Advocacy (ERA) for Change from Edmund Rice College who ran a sleepout fundraiser for SCARF on 9 June. The 25 students from Edmund Rice College raised over $2400 to go towards SCARF programs and services.

Thank you to the Woonona Lions Club who generously donated $1000 to SCARF during June.

And last but not least, thank you to Broken Drum Cafe who take part in the SCARF donation tin program. Last month they collected over $70 through the program.

EVENTS

BUNNINGS FUNDRAISER BBQ 8 AUGUST NORTH WOLLONGONG

We are excited to announce we will be doing a Bunnings fundraising BBQ for the first time in two years. We will be at Bunnings at North Wollongong on Sunday 8 August.

Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Location: Bunnings, North Wollongong, 205 Gipps Street
Cost: $2.50 per sausage sizzle, $1.50 per drink

Volunteers will cook sausages, serve food & drinks, collect money and talk about SCARF to hungry customers who want to know more about us. Come down to Bunnings and support SCARF, and tell your friends!

Come along, support SCARF and post a pic on social media to get your friends along.

SHOP THE SCARF SHOP

Buy a KeepCup, Champions of Welcome tote bag, pack of gift cards or a Champions of Welcome shirt in 2021. Our website is now taking online payments; we accept PayPal and credit card. Your order can be posted to you at the standard rate or you can collect from Balinese Spice Magic,130 Keira Street Wollongong, during the following times:

Tuesday	4:00–9pm
Wednesday	4:00–9pm
Thursday	4:00–9pm
Friday	4:00–9pm
Saturday	4:00–9pm

The following sizes are in stock:
Women: S, M, L, XL (red, charcoal and orange)
Men: M, L, XL (red, charcoal and orange)
Youth Tee: 10, 12,14 (red)
Kids Tee: 6,8 (red)

100% of proceeds from our merchandise and gifts go to SCARF to support refugee entrants rebuilding their lives in the Illawarra. Where possible, we work with local manufacturers and keep single-use plastic to a minimum.

SHOP NOW

BECOME A REGULAR SUPPORTER

Do you support the work that SCARF does? A gift of $40 a month will provide refugee entrants in the Illawarra with access to the services that will help them overcome the barriers they face and lead fulfilling lives here in our community.

Settlement in Australia does not guarantee a happily ever after, but SCARF takes the first step in achieving this. We offer friendship to build a sense of belonging and the support, services and tools that lead to independence and empowerment.

DONATE NOW