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UnitingCare West is committed to achieving justice, hope and opportunity for all, and works to support and empower in particular those most in need in the WA community.  It is a not for profit community services organisation and part of the mission of the Uniting Church in Australia and UnitingCare national network.

We are delivering  creative and innovative programs and services in several locations covering the Synod of Western Australia (the geographic area south of Broome.) Our aim is to locate our services where people most in need can easily access them.

The agencies that formed UnitingCare West have been serving the community of Western Australia since 1830 and touch the lives of many thousands of families and individuals each year.

UnitingCare West Launches its Winter Appeal

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UnitingCare West’s Annual Winter Appeal for 2009 was launched on 11 June by The Hon. Justice John McKechnie. The launch show cased photography from Year 9 Wesley College students which depicts a Social Justice message.

UnitingCare West is the major community services organisation of the Uniting Church supporting families and children in Western Australia.

Chief Executive Officer of UnitingCare West, Mr Chris Hall said, “We are currently seeing the numbers coming to our services rise three fold with the biggest demand being for assistance with rental payments, 70% of the Emergency Relief delivered in the past three months has been for this.”

“We are also turning away a growing number of people week by week as the recession starts to bite deeper and we do not have the resources to assist” said Mr Hall.

“We need to raise at least $200,000 if we are to continue helping those most in need in our community this winter,” said Mr Hall.

The sad fact about the world’s economic crisis is that people who were financially comfortable are finding themselves struggling to pay the rent or buy food for their children.

“We are all under pressure in regards to our finances, said Mr. Hall. “However it is more imperative than ever that as a community we continue to keep sharing to assist people in greater need than ourselves.”

“The fact is that at UnitingCare West, we are seeing unprecedented numbers of West Australians facing homelessness and disadvantaged, said Mr Hall. “Thousands of families and individuals are being left behind – many of the victims are children, many are the so-called working poor,” he said.

This winter, UnitingCare West will provide practical assistance and emotional support to ease the burden for many West Australian families and individuals. By donating to UnitingCare West’s Winter Appeal you will help UnitingCare West to provide thousands of emergency food parcels, blankets and other forms of much needed assistance.

UnitingCare West Partners with Schools to Strengthen Service Learning

On the 4th of May 2009 the Honourable Robyn McSweeney MLC Minister for Child Protection; Community Services; Seniors & Volunteering; Women’s Interests launched UnitingCare West’s School Teacher’s Booklet at a function held at Penrhos College. The booklet is a resource designed to assist schools to work in partnership with UnitingCare West to strengthening Service Learning opportunities for students from kindergarten through to year 12.

UnitingCare West’s mission is to support, serve and empower those most in need.

As part of our work we are committed to advocacy on behalf of those we work with, taking a leading role in raising awareness about injustice and oppression in our community, and to taking action to influence social change.

“By working with schools to strengthen Service Learning we hope to create long term benefits for our community and for its vulnerable people, as the students move onto adulthood taking their social justice learning and values with them” said Wendie Wilkie, Chair of the UnitingCare West Board.

The development of the booklet was supported by the Sangora Education Foundation. It is currently being piloted with the Uniting Church Schools and may be distributed more widely in the future.

Pictured above: Chris Hall CEO UnitingCare West (left), Hon Robyn McSweeney MLC (centre) and Wendie Wilkie Chair of the UnitingCare West Board (right) pose with students from Penrhos and PLC

UnitingCare West, announced as successful tenderer

Fran Tilley, Executive Manager Mental Health & Disability Services

UnitingCare West has been announced as a successful tenderer for the provision of the Federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FAHCSIA) Personal Helpers and Mentors Program.

This program is part of the implementation of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental Health. The Personal Helpers and Mentors Program assists people with severe functional limitations resulting from a severe mental illness to manage their daily activities and access a range of community, social support, accommodation, health, welfare and employment services.

UnitingCare West has been granted three sites:
• Clarkson / Upper North District
• Joondalup / Upper North District
• Scarborough / Lower North Metropolitan District.

Services will begin in these areas once the recruitment of staff is completed.

Victorian Bushfires

The Victorian Bushfires have caused destruction and utter devastation for hundreds of people. UnitingCare have set up a Bushfire Disaster Appeal, please click here to make a donation. Nothing is too small, every little bit counts.

UnitingCare West Announced as WA charity for the Mirvac Foundation

From left: Chris Hall (CEO, UnitingCare West) & Evan Campbell (CEO, Mirvac)

Mirvac recently launched UnitingCare West as the inaugural WA charity for the Mirvac Foundation.  This national Foundation brings alive Mirvac’s commitment to social responsibility through a company- matched staff giving program and employee volunteering.

The Foundation’s role through the generosity of Mirvac and its employees is to support the much needed community work that helps build a better future for countless Australians.

Mirvac has nominated Homelessness as its Foundation theme in 2008.   UnitingCare West and Mirvac have a positive history of working together.  Both organisations are therefore looking forward to the exciting opportunities created by the Mirvac Foundation.

Together we aim to complete three projects:

• The renovation of a group home for homeless men who are preparing themselves to move to their own independent accommodation.
• The creation of household tenancy kits for people who have a psychiatric disability.
• The delivery of workshops to equip people experiencing homelessness with skills to better enable them to obtain housing and avoid eviction.

These projects have been specifically designed by UnitingCare West for the Mirvac Foundation in WA.  They will enable Mirvac and its employees to directly and positively assist local people experiencing homelessness.

UnitingCare West extends its thanks to the Mirvac Foundation and Mirvac employees on behalf of our community and those experiencing homelessness for their compassion and commitment.

For further information or to find out more about business-community partnerships please contact Wendy Palmer, Business Development Manager on 9355 9113 or wendy.palmer@unitingcarewest.org.au.

UnitingCare Australia

Please click here for UnitingCare Australia www.unitingcare.org.au