ACON and the Wollongong Art Gallery are proud to announce an evening in Wollongong, celebrating Pride Month and intergenerational queerness as we hear the stories from some of our elders.
Date and time Fri., 17 June 2022 -6:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEST
Location- Wollongong Art Gallery – 46 Burelli Street Wollongong, NSW 2500
Tickets $20
Applications are now open inviting organisations and members of the community to submit details of the Pride Month events they are planning to deliver.
This calendar will work in a similar way to the online Seniors Festival calendar of events.
Please share this link far and wide to get the message out.
Here’s the link: Pride Month | Wollongong City Libraries (nsw.gov.au)
Three worksops have been put together for delivery online (via Zoom) throughout April and May for young people aged 14-21, examining the rise of racist/hateful fake news, misinformation and conspiracy theories and how that intersects with things like power and privilege.
The workshops will provide young people with the skills and tools to be able to identify fake news and conspiracy theories and enable them to have conversations with their peers and take meaningful action.
As well as gaining important and relevant skills young people will also receive a $60 Westfields voucher for attending the workshops.
This project is funded by Multicultural NSW and led by All Together Now in partnership with Headspace Camperdown.
Workshops are open to young people throughout all of NSW.
Vaccinations and booster shots
If you are 18 years and older and it has been more than three months since your second COVID-19 vaccination, now is the time to get your booster shot.
With COVID-19 circulating widely in the community, it’s more important than ever to ensure you maintain the high levels of protection against serious illness. Widespread vaccination can also help break the chain of transmission and protect those who are at higher risk during this challenging time.
Bookings can be made at NSW Health vaccination clinics, GPs, pharmacies and Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs).
Information sheets
View information on vaccines for children aged 5-11 in 74 languages.
Rapid antigen tests (RAT)
Anyone who receives a positive rapid antigen test is now required to register with Service NSW.
Registering via the Service NSW website or app is mandatory and most importantly will ensure you are linked to health care support and advice based on your COVID-19 risk of developing severe illness.
If you or someone in your family can’t register online, please call Service NSW on 13 77 88. If you require a free telephone interpreter, call 131 450, say the language you need in English and ask the interpreter to connect you to Service NSW.
More information on using a rapid antigen test and what to do if you test positive can be found in 15 languages here.
Monitoring for symptoms and getting tested
Managing COVID-19 safely at home
View videos in:
Other important support and information
Shellharbour City Council’s Cultural Treasures Multicultural Festival is on again from Monday 14 March to Friday 18 March 2022 to celebrate the region’s wonderful cultural diversity.
The event will include small workshops and performances over Harmony Week, held in various locations at the Shellharbour Civic Centre.
NB. Careful consideration will be taken to respond to NSW Public Health requirements and Covid safety plans at time of event.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) are open for groups or individuals who would like to provide an activity, performance, storytelling, craft workshop, food or information stall.
EOI Link: https://tinyurl.com/Shellharbour
Facebook Event link: https://fb.me/e/4wakNUBJT
Opportunities where ACON can assist in the goals you are setting out to achieve this year include:
There are also FREE resources which can be provided for your service such as sexual health packs and information, mental health resources and other information on projects which will be announced throughout the year.
Josef Garrington – Community Health Promotion Officer
Regional Outreach, Illawarra and Southern NSW
Pronouns: he/him
Direct: 02 9206 2113 | Switch: 1800 063 060 | Mobile: 0437 651 752 | Fax: 02 9206 2069
Address: ACON Sydney, Gadigal Country, 414 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Email: jgarrington@acon.org.au | Website: acon.org.au
Employment Rights Legal Service.
This is a service that focuses on migrants and vulnerable workers. Their website has this brochure in 23 community languages.
They would like to hear suggestions for translations needed. Burmese? Kinyamulenge? If requested, they can print and send out paper copies early next year.
They are based in Redfern but the bulk of their work is done via phone 9-5pm with interpreters. They welcome a shared casework approach with services if that works best.
The issues they are seeing most at present involve dismissals, work hours being reduced after lockdown, mandated vaccines, and discrimination matters. They often investigate further with a single complaint to see if there is a systemic issue with a whole company or organisation.
Although the bulk of their work is providing legal advice and community education, they also work on law reform, and would welcome case studies to support this.
Sharmilla Bargon is the ERLS coordinator so she is the best one-stop shop if you have questions, please email her on coordinator@erls.org.au.
If you would like ERLS to come and chat to your team, email Sharmilla to set up a convenient time. Or I’m happy to invite them to IRIF next year if there’s broad interest.
Afghan-Australian Community & Settlement Support grant program is now open!
The Afghan-Australian Community and Settlement Support grant program supports Afghan-Australian and other community and grassroot organisations undertaking critical work to welcome and support people recently evacuated from Afghanistan.
Through an open competitive process, the program provides grants to organisations to facilitate positive settlement outcomes for newly arrived Afghan people.
Two grant rounds will be held between November 2021 and June 2023. Grant round one is now open, and applications close on Thursday, 23 December 2021.
Join us at one of our information sessions as we answer questions about the application process, deadlines, and assessment criteria.
Click on the links below to register for one of the information sessions at the following dates and times :
December 7, 12:30 PM AEDT
December 14, 5:00 PM AEDT
Format: Virtual Zoom Meeting
Applications will be accepted via an online submission form on Afghan-Australia Community & Settlement Support website.
To apply or for more information on the program, please visit: https://www.aacassgrants.org.au
The grant program is administered by Migration Council Australia.
ACON has been supported by Multicultural NSW and partnered with multicultural LGBTQ community groups to provide assistance to members of LGBTQ multicultural communities who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Eligible community members from multicultural backgrounds will receive fruits and a non-perishable food hamper to provide some needed relief towards the upcoming festive season.
The hampers are distributed at the ACON office or delivered by ACON staff and volunteers.
Pick up (Surry Hills) or Drop off dates:
Tuesday 7 December and Wednesday 8 December, between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
The registration will be closed on Friday 4 December.
If you’re in need of food assistance, please fill the form via this link
SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS FROM ASIA PACIFIC
Dubbed as Sydney’s first multilingual and intercultural Christmas song album, this project showcases the diverse, creative multicultural and multilingual communities in Sydney. Supported by the City of Sydney’s Matching Grant program, this project features eight vocalists, Kiarateuila Lattimore (Samoa), Peter Lazaro (Indonesian), Jinky Marsh (Filipino), Kumi Matsuda (Japanese), Loma Schaaf (Tongan), Radhika Sukumar-White (Tamil), Ruci Tuiwai (Fijian) and Cynthia Su (Mandarin).
Join us for a special celebration of Christmas in the Asia Pacific, of unique sounds and stories in the launch of a groundbreaking community music album project!
Date: Friday, November 26, 2021
Time: 8.00pm – 9.00pm (AEDT)
BOOK ONLINE: bit.ly/SoundsChristmasAsiaPacificLaunch
PRE-ORDER: bit.ly/SoundsofChristmasOrderForm
WEBSITE:https://linktr.ee/SoundsChristmasAsiaPacific
Producers: Kevin Bathman & Benjamin Oh
Musicians: Jeremy Koay, Peter Lazaro, John Hoac & Grace Song
Assistant Producer: Bibiana Peter
Audio Engineer: Karna K. (Million Masters) Illustrator: Freda Chiu
Illawarra Interagency 