Neighbour News “When everyone is included

everyone wins." Jesse Jackson

A strong community is built on

inclusion, participation,

communication, kindness and

mutual respect. The theme of this

newsletter is inclusion and how we

embrace it at Neighbour Aid.

Inclusion is creating conditions that

celebrate differences - race, gender,

gender expression, age, sexual

orientation, class, religion, health,

stature, educational level, physical

and mental ability, personality traits,

thought and expression, and other

human and social differences.

Inclusion is like being at home in

someone else’s home rather than just

being a guest. As a guest in

someone’s home the minimum

expectation is to be treated

respectfully. Receiving an invitation

to “make yourself at home” gives the

feeling you are part of the family.

Single Aged Care Quality Framework

The Australian Government recently

announced its continued

commitment to high quality care for

older Australians by delivering a

Single Aged Care Quality

Framework. Previously, there were

four sets of quality standards and four

Charters depending on the type of

aged care service being delivered.

From 1 July 2019, these were

replaced by the new Aged Care

Quality Standards and Charter of

Aged Care Rights, which are set in

law.

Aged Care Quality Standards

explained

The Quality Standards apply to all

Australian Government subsidised

aged care services. The Quality

Standards clearly define what good

aged care should look like. They

make it easier to check that people

receive good care.

Good care is not about 'ticking

boxes'. It's about caring for you and

your individual needs.

Most people know what good care

feels like. The staff and volunteers are

friendly and respectful, and they

respond to your particular needs.

You are listened to and cared for by

people who know their jobs. You

have people to talk to about the

things that matter to you. The

organisation providing the care is

well-run.

The Quality Standards are built on

the foundation that recognises the

importance of a consumer’s sense of

self. They also highlight the

importance of clients being able to

act independently, make their own

choices and take part in their

community. These are all important in

fostering social inclusion, health and

well-being.

Clients invited to sign the new

Charter of Aged Care Rights

The new Charter of Aged Care Rights

is easy to read and focusses on high-

level client rights. It explains what

clients, their families, carers and

representatives can expect from an

aged care service. All aged care

services are required to support

clients to understand the new

Charter. We have provided two

copies of the new Charter with this

newsletter (one copy for you and

one copy for you to sign and return

to us in the reply paid envelope).

Please send this back to us after you

have read the new Charter. If you

need help to understand this call us

on 9799 5099. The Government

encourages clients to sign the

Charter to acknowledge they have

received it from Neighbour Aid. It is

not compulsory for you to sign the

Charter. Your services are not

affected if you choose not to.

Allison Yee-Brogan

General Manager

Inside:

1. Welcome

2. In the Garden

3. 5 Senses Garden

Workshops

4. Our Volunteers

5. Outing Highlights

6. September

Outings

7. October Outings

8. Social Support

9. Client Corner

10.Our News

11.Our News

12.Photo Gallery

Edited by:

Anne-Lee Hakkennes,

Marketing and

Development Specialist

Spring

2019

Issue 102

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In the Garden & 5 Senses Garden Workshops

Recently I attended a thought provoking

training session on LGBTI awareness. LGBTI is an

acronym for those in the community that

identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender

or Intersex. The session was about creating

better conversations and improved social

engagement with our older LGBTI community.

Inclusion is a powerfully positive word. In a

world that is more and more divided we can all

do more to make people feel safe and

welcome.

We have begun working with the Rivendell

School as part of our Garden Aid program. The

School is a joint initiative between the

Department of Health and the Department of

Education for kids not attending mainstream

school due to a mental health disorder. Our

program offers a beautiful circle of support

between garden client, Neighbour Aid staff,

teachers and of course the kids.

From one of the students participating:

I volunteer for Inner West Neighbour Aid every

week in the garden. I found the first job

rewarding and fun, mainly because we talked

to the client, Valerie quite a lot and built a

good relationship with her. Valerie’s stories

were especially fascinating. She enjoyed

chatting and sharing her stories with us. I feel

like I am contributing and learning more about

the local community by doing these jobs.

I love working with Inner West Neighbour Aid

because I get to meet so many interesting

people of such diverse backgrounds. When I

was young, my mum always used to say to me.

“The world would be a boring place if

everyone was the same”. Student Volunteer

Roman Deguchi, Garden Projects Coordinator

September and October Workshops

All workshops are held at the 5 Senses Garden

Rhodes Park, Concord West

Mondays 11am-1pm

Lunch is provided

Workshop cost $5 (client) $15 (family/friends)

Client transport (if needed) $10

Open to all Neighbour Aid clients

Call 9799 5099 to book

Monday 2 September -

Cooking Class with Nonna Saitta, Risotto

Nonna Saitta was born in Librizzi, Sicily and

grew up in the beautiful Isole Eolie, an island off

the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy.

Nonna Saittai will show us how to make a

traditional pumpkin risotto. Get all the tips and

tricks to creating this classic home-style dish the

traditional way. This will be an authentic

experience, where the customs, traditions and

culture shine through the ingredients, the act of

cooking and the food itself.

Monday 9 September – Spring Garden Tour

Spring is wondrous

time to see

gardens; they are

at their most

glorious, so come

along and discover

some of the

beautiful private

gardens of

Concord. It will be

a fun and inspiring

day as we meet

the owners sharing

their gardens. We

will end the Garden

Tour with lunch at the 5 Senses Garden.

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5 Senses Garden Workshops

Monday 16 September – The Sharing Project

We’ll be returning to the

popular Sharing Project,

where we bring along a

few of our favourite

things: songs; family

treasures; recipes;

photos; stories. We will

also hold a book, seed,

cuttings and produce

swap. Plus there will be live music on the day!!!

Feel free to just bring yourself if you prefer. The

team from Home Based Therapy (Concord

Hospital) will also be sharing information about

the services they provide. This includes a range

of specialist therapies available to you; such as

physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition

and speech therapy.

Monday 23 September –Succulent Workshop

Learn how to propagate and create your own

living art with an assortment of succulents.

You’ll be able to choose your own succulents

and arrange them in a pot. Turn these easy-

care and beautiful plants into a tabletop

sculpture, to brighten any corner or create a

focal point in your garden.

Monday 14 October –

Cooking Class with Nonna Saitta, Pesto

Come and make pesto, the Sicilian way, with

Nonna Saitta. The sweet fragrance of basil in

the warm air is synonymous with spring; in fact,

it is the taste of spring! Pesto literally means “to

pound”, releasing the full aroma of the basil

leaf, a true celebration of the season. Pesto

originates from Genoa and goes as far back

as the Roman Ages.

Monday 21 October - Spring Garden Tour

The second instalment of the 5 Senses Garden

Tour! Spring is wondrous time to see gardens;

they are at their most glorious, so come along

and discover some of the beautiful gardens of

Concord. It will be a fun and inspiring day as

we meet the owners sharing their private

gardens. We will end the Garden Tour with

lunch at the 5 Senses Garden.

Monday 28 October – Indoor Plant Workshop

Ever fancied having your own indoor plant

jungle, full of lush green rainforest plants?

Indoor plants are not only beautiful but good

for your health, they release oxygen and

absorb carbon dioxide, purifying the air and

removing harmful toxins. After this workshop,

you’ll be on your way to creating an indoor

plant oasis with confidence.

Book today

Our workshops are very popular so make sure

you book early. Call 9799 5099 for more

information. We look forward to seeing you

there.

Natalie Ciccio, Garden Team Leader

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Our Volunteers “There is an incredible value in being of service

to others.” Elizabeth Berg

Promoting a sense of inclusion is close to my

heart. Feeling a sense of inclusion changes

throughout our life. We will often find times

where our sense of connection to the

community changes due to our circumstances

changing. This may be for many reasons

including: relocating, changing work or places

of study or when we take time off from working

or retire.

Everybody’s journey is unique which is why I

thought it would be nice over the next few

newsletters to include a volunteer’s personal

experience of volunteering.

Queenie is with us as

part of the Social

Work Placement and

shares her

experience of being

involved with Inner

West Neighbour Aid.

“I believe that to be

truly successful and

fulfilled in life, you

must be in balance

with everything and

part of that balance

is being of service to

other people. It has always been my passion to

help other people especially the elderly and I

feel very blessed and privileged that I was

allocated Inner Wester Neighbour Aid for my

field placement. Doing my field placement with

Neighbour Aid has been one of the best and

amazing experiences I have ever had in my

entire life.

Deciding to study in Australia was one of the

hardest decisions to make, and studying here

has been very challenging. But I consider it as

life changing especially when I started my

placement with Neighbour Aid. Working here

has not only given me a sense of fulfilment but it

helps me find one of my purposes in life, and

that is to help other people especially the

elderly. Being able to help other people around

me especially Neighbour Aid’s clients has

opened my eyes to the world and helped me

become a better person. This experience has

taught me to be always kind, respectful,

understanding and caring not just to clients and

staff, but to other people as well.

The best part of doing my placement is seeing

the joy of every client I interact with. It feels so

fulfilling to see how thankful and happy the

clients are whenever you help them. I will

always consider this experience as memorable

and treasured. I will never forget how this

experience has taught the skills I needed in my

future career and the life lessons that this

experience has imparted to me. Indeed,

working with Inner West Neighbour Aid is truly a

beauty.”

Queenie, Student Volunteer

Volunteer Survey update

We recently sent out our bi-annual volunteer

survey to our volunteers asking for their

experience of volunteering with us. Thank you

to volunteers who provided us with their

feedback. We will publish details of the survey

in our next newsletter.

Rochelle Self, Volunteer Coordinator

5

Outing Highlights

Spring has well and truly sprung. Check out

some of the highlights below and join old and

new friends on some of our wonderful outings.

There is something for everyone.

Flower Power

Monday 9 September (West) and

Monday 23 September (East)

Join us when we visit the new Flower Power at

Milperra. Stock up on plants and don’t forget

to bring your own bags for your purchases.

Paddington Reservoir

Monday 16 September (East) and

Monday 30 September (West)

Join us for a walk around Sydney’s historical -

Paddington Reservoir. It operated as a water

reservoir between 1866 and 1899, it was

converted into a stunning sunken garden in

2006.

Seniors & Disability Expo

Friday 13 September (All areas)

Visit this exhibition to help you plan and make

choices about your life now and into the future.

There is information about products, service

providers as well as lifestyle and technology

options.

Koala Park Sanctuary

Wednesday 9 October (East) and

Wednesday 16 October (West)

Get close to the friendly Australian animals in a

peaceful native rainforest environment.

Scuro Espresso

Monday 21 October (West) and

Monday 28 October (East)

Try Scuro Espresso a new café in Canterbury

specialising in South American food and treats.

Lara Allen, Social Support Worker

A reminder: Our outings fill up fast. To avoid disappointment please call the

office on 9799 5099 and put your name on the waitlist as soon as you receive

your calendar. Outings are confirmed prior to the event.

6

7

8

Social Support

Welcoming clients from all backgrounds

As I sat by Coogee Beach enjoying a lunch

outing recently, I noted that in our group were

clients from Australia, Egypt, Greece, New

Zealand and Italy. They shared stories of their

journey to Australia and how life and

opportunities have come their way. The

adventure continues for many of them.

The adventure of getting out and meeting

new people or reconnecting with friends they

haven’t seen for a while helps reduce social

isolation. That first step is the biggest and from

then on it gets easier. Clients spoke about their

friends whom they have met through Neighbour

Aid and how they support each other through

life and challenging health issues.

Now in its sixth year, our clients who participate

in the Ashfield Boys High School Program

welcome a new

group of Year 10

students each year.

The program assists

clients living near

Ashfield with their

basic shopping needs

and connects young

students and clients

with the wider

community. Clients

share their stories with

the students and we

always know how the

students’ sporting teams are going.

Our volunteer dog walking program connects

dog loving volunteers with clients who are not

able to walk their pets often. Volunteers share

with clients what’s happening out there and

how their pup enjoys connecting with others.

Our Volunteer Home Visiting Scheme connects

clients who are not able to access the wider

community for reasons such as: mobility, vision

impairment or lack of confidence to a

wonderful volunteer. These regular visits keep

clients in touch with what is happening and

some robust discussions are had.

Jackie Walters, Social Support Coordinator

Saturday Social Group

“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful

change can be”

Being a part of the community and exploring

new activities is always in our mind when we

create the calendars. In July the Saturday

Social Group participated in the monthly ‘Drop

in & Draw’ at the Art Gallery of NSW. Our lovely

host, Tarik did a great job explaining the art

piece which the group then interpreted in their

own way. We discovered some secret artists on

the day!

Watching this group and everyone else that

attends the wide range of outings share new

experiences together and encouraging each

other to have a go reminds me how important

Neighbour Aid is for our community.

Emma Torres, Social Support Worker

9

Client Corner

What’s growing in the 5 Senses Garden

veggie beds?

Our Vegepods (raised veggie beds) grow

seasonal herbs and vegetables for the benefit

of clients and the community. Our goal is to

promote healthy eating and a love of

gardening and growing your own food.

During winter in the 5 Senses Garden, we have

grown lots of herbs and vegetables.

For the past several weeks, the Garden Aid

team have been worried about the

performance of our seedlings in the Vegepods.

No matter what we did, they refused to grow

and continued to look sickly. In an attempt to

get things growing, one of our volunteers

brought in a bag of quality potting mix and

replaced some soil in one of the pods. It

became clear from the result (healthy growing

seedlings) there was something wrong with the

rest of the soil.

We tested the level of acidity of our soil, as soil

acidity affects plants’ ability to absorb nutrients.

Even the most fertile with lots of compost and

manure, if too acidic, will lead to plants not

able to absorb elements including calcium and

magnesium. And, if the soil is too alkaline, the

plants will miss out on iron, boron and

phosphorus. Soil acidity of pH 7 is considered

neutral, 5 is considered too acidic and 8 is

considered too

alkaline for most

plants.

Our Vegepod soil

was ph. 8.5 (see

picture left). It was

too alkaline for the

plants to absorb

enough phosphorus,

a key element in the

production of

healthy roots. Therefore our soil had to go!

On 12 July, the 5 Senses Garden received a

donation of premium potting soil and enough

seedlings to restock all of the Vegepods.

With the help of our fortnightly Working Bee

volunteers, we changed over the soil and

planted out the new winter seedlings. Our

current crop includes:

Onions, Shallots, Leeks, Chives, Broccoli,

Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Spinach, Rainbow

Char/Silver Beet, Bok Choy, Mazuma, Rocket,

Lettuce, Parsley, Coriander, Thyme, Oregano,

Sage, Curry plant, Carrots, Broad Beans, Celery,

and Garlic.

Clients who have attended our workshops have

really enjoyed sampling the garden produce.

Come visit the 5 Senses Garden or book in for a

workshop. We look forward to seeing you there.

Stuart Blundell, Garden Team Leader

Share your stories, recipes, jokes and artwork

We love sharing your stories and achievements.

If you have something you can share in our

Client Corner we would love to hear from you.

Please call us on 9799 5099 to find out more.

Jokes of the day

Patient: "Doc, I can't stop singing, 'The Green,

Green Grass of Home.’"

Doctor: "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome.”

Patient: "Is it common?”

Doctor: "Well, 'It's Not Unusual.’"

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love, and

got married.

The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception

was excellent.

Try these jokes out on family and friends. Kindly

provided by our volunteer Clive.

10

Our News A Very Merry Xmas Breakfast - 25 December

Inner West Neighbour Aid will hold a special

event ON Christmas Day for the first time. We

believe in creating a strong community, a

place where people come together and

belong.

If you will be celebrating Christmas alone this

year we would like to be your ‘back up family’

at our Very Merry Christmas Breakfast at the

Canada Bay Club. It is our pleasure to spend

the morning with clients who are unable to

spend the day with family or friends. This event is

generously sponsored by the Canada Bay

Club. Places are limited and transport will be

provided. If you would like to know more please

contact Jackie on 9799 5099.

Annual General Meeting

With the 2018/19 financial year behind us, we

will present our financial result and the success

of our programs and new projects at our

Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 23

October.

Inner West Neighbour Aid is a membership

based organisation, governed by a

Constitution. If you choose to become a

member, the fees contribute to our services

and enable us to provide more services to more

people.

Please call Indah on 9799 5099 if you would like

to pay your annual Membership fee of $20.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on

Wednesday 23 October 2018. An invitation,

agenda and minutes from last year’s meeting

will be mailed to people who paid membership

for the 2018–2019 financial year. The purpose of

the Annual General Meeting is to present our

audited financial reports and a report on our

services for the 2019 financial year.

Westfield Local Hero Finalist

Congratulations to Jackie Walters who is one of

six finalists for the Westfield Local Hero Award.

Jackie was nominated for her amazing work

with our intergenerational programs and

supporting our Inner West Neighbour Aid

community. Community voting will determine

the final three successful Westfield Local

Heroes for Westfield Burwood, who will each be

awarded a grant of $10,000 for their affiliated

organisation. Good luck Jackie. You are

already a hero in our eyes.

5 Senses Garden Award

Congratulations to our

Garden Team. The 5

Senses Garden won the

Asset Management and

Infrastructure Initiatives –

Projects under $1.5

million Award at this

year’s Local

Government Awards

Dinner.

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Our News

Michael Wohlfiel has well and truly settled into

his new role at Help at Home and is available to

provide quotes on services to help you stay

safe at home, including window washing, fixing

sliding doors, hinges and locks, flat pack

furniture assembly, cleaning of council

garbage bins, small repairs around the home

and of course lawn mowing and gardening.

We are also looking into gutter cleaning

services, please call us to register your interest.

Please tell your family, friends and neighbours

about our new Help at Home service. This

service also caters for people who are unable

to access government funded programs.

Funds from Help at Home support Inner West

Neighbour Aid. By choosing Help at Home, you

are making a difference in our community.

Contact Michael on 9799 5099 for a quote or

further information.

Return and Earn

We are excited

to be raising

funds with

Return and Earn.

If you deposit

eligible bottles/

cans/containers

at the Briars Club depot (14 Ian Parade

Concord), you can choose to donate funds to

Inner West Neighbour Aid between 27 May – 25

August 2019. Please tell family, neighbours and

friends. What a great way to help both our

community and the environment.

Thank you!

We are grateful to the following organisations

for supporting our projects through club and

council grants. Your generosity enables us to

continue to support older people and people

with disability in our community.

Photos

If you would like to order a photo from a

workshop, outing or exercise session you

attended with us please call Emma on 9799

5099. There will be a small charge per print.

In Memory

We have received news the following clients

have recently passed away. Our heartfelt

wishes go out to their family and friends. They

will be missed by the Inner West Neighbour Aid

community: Ellan Jean Mitchell, James

Howard, Carmen Lovrovich, Joan Hutchinson,

Carmelo Coluccio, Saverio Cipri, David James,

Maree Stratton, James Rajanayagam, Rolf

Bosbach, Braebourne Edema, Alwyn Nelson

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Photo Gallery