Evolving News: September 2017 Edition

www.evolvehousing.com.au

September 2017

evolving news for evolve residents

School Holiday Fun Day Join us at the FREE School Holiday Fun Day on

McCulloch.

Wednesday 4th October at Blacktown International

The day is completely free and includes lunch, all

Sports Park from 11am-3pm.

activities, a show bag for each child and free parking at the venue. RSVPs close on 22nd September.

Activities will include a giant inflatable obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall, NRL games, visits from Cricket Australia and Netball NSW including a guest appearance from NSW Swifts star player Abbey

To register visit: www.schoolholidayfunday.eventbrite.com.au or call 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865).

Join the Residents Council and help us make decisions The Residents Council makes sure residents’ voices are being heard. They provide advice on decisions that affect residents and help put together programs, events and activities. Positions are available on the Council, which meets on the second Monday of every month. New members are always welcome! To find out more information or to sign up please call 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865).

Inside • • • •

Canberra Bus Trip to Floriade Christmas Party for residents Congratulations to graduate Baristas!

Spring Cleaning tips from Handy Andy • 2017 Tenant Satisfaction Survey • Good Neighbour: Betty’s Story • Get Recycling

Get Recycling!

Spring time is a great chance to give the amount of waste you produce a makeover! Here’s just a couple of tips to get you started.

Recycle: Don’t put plastic bags in your recycling bin, even if they’re biodegradable. Many supermarkets now have plastic bag recycling bins you can use.

Pro tip: Keep bags in your car for when you go shopping and refuse plastic bags offered by retailers.

Reuse: Empty bottles, glass jars and plastic containers can be used to store food in the pantry or freezer.

Reduce: Plan your meals. Only buy and cook as much food as you need. Food waste costs the average NSW household $1000 a year.

Good Neighbour Betty’s Story At 23 Betty has experienced more ups and downs than any young person should. Dropping out of

Pro tip: If you have leftovers you can freeze them.

Meat and vegetables will last 8 to 12 months, chicken 6 to 12 months and fish will last 3 to 6 months. Always mark on the container the date you put it in the freezer.

school at 16, she spent a few years couch surfing with nowhere to go. Betty was put in touch with Evolve Housing for Youth (EHY) and moved into an EHY property.

Having a permanent roof over her head was the stability Betty needed to help her finish school and

Avoid: Ask yourself before buying anything: “Do I really need this?” Not only will this cut down on future land fill but you may also save some dollars!

get her life back on track. After a lot of hard work with support from EHY, Betty completed her Diploma in Community Services and is now working to help others as a youth worker.

At Western Sydney Homeless Connect this year Betty advocated about the issue of youth homelessness and spoke to our local MP about what needs to be done to stop young people from falling into the cycle of homelessness.

To see news article go to: www.evolvehousing.com.au/Betty

www.evolvehousing.com.au/myevolve 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865)

Upcoming events

Handy Andy

For more go to: www.evolvehousing.com.au/events

As we say goodbye winter and hello to the warmer months this edition’s Handy Andy will be all about Spring cleaning!

Floriade Day Trip to Canberra Wednesday 20th September Cost: $20 (Payable over phone) There are only a few spots left to join us on our bus trip to visit the famous Floriade festival in Canberra.

The day trip costs $20 which includes a return trip to Canberra on a comfortable coach and lunch.

The coach will depart the Evolve office at 7am and return around 6pm the same day. For a fun and cheap way to visit Canberra’s most iconic festival call 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865) to secure your last minute spot.

Resident Christmas Party for 2017 Sunday 3rd December Cost: FREE The Resident Council will be hosting a Christmas party for all residents on Sunday 3rd December 10am-3pm at Carysfield Park, Bass Hill. The event is completely FREE for all residents and families and activities will include face painting, a giant slide, rock climbing wall, jumping castle, a reptile show, and even a surprise visit from Santa! There will be free onsite parking and a shuttle bus from Chester Hill Station from 9.30am.

To register visit: www.evolvehousing.eventbrite.com.au

or call 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865).

Here’s three tips to kick off your spring clean to leave your home feeling fresh for summer!

1 Make a check list of everything you want to 1. clean and assign a day e.g.

Monday: Kitchen – clean oven, range hood, floors and bench tops.

Tuesday: Bathroom - clean bench tops and tidy medicine cabinet.

Wednesday: Wash windows – inside and out.

Pro tip: Use white vinegar in place of expensive cleaners, for large windows fill a bucket with ¾ water ¼ vinegar.

Thursday: Curtains – vacuum or wash curtains.

Friday: Vacuum all floors and take any rugs outside to be aired.

2 Clear out your junk! If you have not used it in the 1. past year, you do not need it.

Pro tip: Why not donate any good quality items you do not use anymore to Vinnies or get together with neighbours to have a street garage sale.

Check out www.garagesaletrail.com for more information.

1.

3 Inspect your home for mould or water damage. If there is any mould, you can buy mould remover spray from the supermarket, which will work quickly to clean it up.

Pro tip: Keep bathroom windows open slightly when showering to improve the ventilation and stop mould from growing in the first place.

Got any questions for Handy Andy?

Email us at myevolve@evolvehousing.com.au

1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865)

Resident Baristas!

Anita (pictured right) is just one of our residents who completed the barista training course. In the first resident newsletter she received after moving into her Evolve home, Anita saw information on barista training.

She completed the course with flying colours and is now

Congratulations to our recent graduates of the barista training course.

employed with Darcy Street Project which she says has changed her life. “I love being here, I’ve really found what I love and what I want to do forever. I want to give back everything I got out of this course.” You can watch Anita’s full story at www.evolvehousing.com.au/Anita

Barista Training Monday 16th October - Thursday 26th October Cost: $20 If you are interested in becoming a qualified barista and getting real practical work experience to help you take the next step in your career, our next course will be run from 16th October - 26th October. The cost is only $20 for residents and includes training at Darcy Street Project café in Parramatta and at the Evolve Housing office in Parramatta.

“I love being here, I’ve really found what I To register for Barista Training go to www.evolvehousing.com.au/barista or call 1800 MY EVOLVE (1800 693 865).

love and what I want to do forever. I want to give back everything I got out of this course.”

Tenant Satisfaction Survey Thank you to everyone who completed the Annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey last month.

The Annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey is used by Evolve to help us improve our service to better meet your needs as our tenant. The survey is now closed for 2017 and the winners of the $100 Westfield vouchers have been contacted individually. Congratulations to all of our winners. The results of the survey will be released by the NSW Federation of Housing Associations in the next few months.

www.evolvehousing.com.au/myevolve