UnitingCare Pancake Day News Issue 2, 2014

Issue 2, 2014

Your support in action in SA this year!

UnitingCare Wesley Bowden

Together, we’ve raised over $38,000 to support the work of UnitingCare organisations in South Australia.

Of the money raised this year, only 13.8% has gone towards administration and communication fees - all thanks to our sponsors.

Top and above: UnitingCare Wesley Bowden supports and celebrates people who are full time carers.

Photos by Michael Mullan

UnitingCare Wesley Bowden’s (UCWB) Carer’s Celebration Luncheon is an opportunity for the community to recognise the contribution carers make to our society. The luncheon is a unique experience where more than 100 UCWB registered carers are able to relax, be pampered and forget the challenges of their caring role for just a short time. It is also an opportunity for them to share their stories and experiences with other like-minded people.

Much of the care provided to older Australians is done by partners, family, friends or neighbours, and is unpaid. Research undertaken by the Government of South Australia’s Department of Health showed that “the majority of carers perceived that their physical and mental health was affected by their caring role.” The report also goes on to say that “After standardising for age and gender, carers scored statistically significantly lower than non-carers…..indicating worse self-rated physical and mental health.” There really is no doubt that our carers need and deserve a day out!With more than 5.9% of South Australians providing long term care at home for a loved one, there is no shortage of people needing this support!

-Tracey Taylor, Marketing and Communications Manager

UnitingCare SA GPO Box 2145, Adelaide SA 5001 P (08) 8236 4256

Seeds Care The Seeds Men’s Shedding Group were very excited about receiving the Pancake Day Grant to purchase a Mobile Workshop Trailer. The trailer will be equipped with tools and a compressor plus the ability to carry timber, etc. The group aim to meet the needs of people in the local community who, through financial difficulty, cannot afford a ‘handyman’. The men’s shed also help Habitat for Humanity projects, for example Brush with Kindness, which assists people who need general repairs and yard cleaning.

Many thanks to everyone who helped raise the funds to make this project possible. Sorry I do not have a photo to show you as the trailer is being made, specifically to be also used as a standard trailer.

-Robert Humble, Coordinator

F: (08) 8236 4290 E: pancakeday@sa.uca.org.au W: sa.pancakeday.com.au

working together to educate, support and care for people in South Australia

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide UCWPA’s Western Adelaide Homelessness Service (WAHS) helps people who need housing support, are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Each year, they respond to the needs of over 1,600 people - 60% are children aged 0 - 18 years. WAHS helps them to move into safe and secure housing, provides a range of ongoing supports including emergency assistance for people in crisis, case management and counselling services, tenancy and boarding house support and life skills advice.

Despite what many people think, homelessness doesn’t happen because of personal failings and it’s definitely not a choice. Often, homelessness is caused by factors outside of people’s control - families fleeing domestic violence, teenagers escaping abuse, individuals who lose their job, mortgage or rent arrears, poor physical and mental health and relationship breakdown can all be causes of homelessness. Other factors in our society that contribute to homelessness also include the lack of affordable housing and high levels of poverty. Last year over 1,100 people received food vouchers and bus tickets from WAHS. These people were couch surfing, living in overcrowded housing, and/or on the street. Many through no fault of their own.

“For us, the most important thing is to make sure that people who come to us for help are provided with food, shelter, warm clothing and ongoing support that meets their needs. We need to make sure that children in particular, are safe from harm. We know that there is no simple fix to stop homelessness but our hope in the future is for everyone to have a place to call home,” said Joe Gannon, WAHS Manager. This year, WAHS was a grateful recipient of Pancake Day funding that supported the provision of ongoing assistance for people in crisis - notably, food vouchers for people until they find safe and stable accommodation, and public transport tickets so that they can get to the support services they need.

-Alice MacFarlane, Marketing and Events Manager

Resthaven Mount Gambier “We were delighted to receive a grant from UnitingCare’s Pancake Day appeal. These funds will go towards creating a sensory room in the Bottlebrush Special Care Unit to benefit residents with memory loss and confusion. Items funded by the UnitingCare Pancake Day grant include resources purchased from Alzheimer’s Australia, lava lamps, and DVDs with sensory visuals, such as an aquarium, fireplace, rain forest scenes.

Sensory rooms can be of great therapeutic benefit to people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The gentle stimulation of the senses, sight, sound, touch and smell, can be soothing, improve mood, reduce tension and calm aggression.

Features of these rooms may include dimmed lighting and use of soft lighting effects, aromatherapy, and soothing visuals, sounds or music. They can have a positive influence on “Sundowners” syndrome and other effects of Alzheimer’s. We look forward to being able to offer this feature at our site and are keen to see the finished result. Thank you, UnitingCare!”

-Pamela Alde, Manager

UnitingCare Kapunda

UnitingCare Eleanora

“This is Sue Barnes our Trainer and Assessor at UnitingCare Kapunda demonstrating and facilitating our community training classes. Sue has been developing many new ideas based on community input and needs. We are very excited about the many ways we can now our community in the areas of computer training and digital media short courses. This has been made possible by the wonderful grant given to us by Pancake Day funds. Many thanks from all the team at UnitingCare Kapunda.”

-Sheena Tapping, Financial Counsellor

“The first photo shows staff member Lana Matthews in the kitchen with our newly purchased twin basket deep fryer courtesy of Pancake Day grant,this makes meal preparation a lot quicker and allows us to offer a wider range of food.

The second photo shows one of the beds with new manchester.

The third photo shows volunteer Tony Green with some of the bedding that we desperately needed and were able to purchase thanks to a generous Pancake Day grant.Eleanora provides accommodation for up to 26 people struggling with homelessness per night, 365 nights per year. Very grateful.”

-Andrew Morrison, Manager

UnitingCare Glenelg

“Mary’s Soup Kitchen runs each Tuesday evening from St Andrews by the Sea Uniting Church Glenelg and has been an integral part of the community for over 12 years. Mary’s Kitchen is very blessed to have wonderful partnerships with local traders, service clubs including Rotary and Lions and schools and is well known in the community for offering exceptional hospitality; nutritious, hearty and wholesome meals; caring and compassionate volunteers; a place of belonging and a listening ear. Neville, one of our guests, commented recently, ‘You make people feel positive when they leave.’ Through the provision of hospitality, creating community, reaching out with compassion and sowing seeds of hope, we endeavour to express love in both word and action. Thank you to Pancake Day for allowing us to get new aprons and caps for the volunteers. It makes a big difference.”

- Rev Adam Tretheway

UnitingCare Copper Triangle

UCare Gawler

“The volunteers of UnitingCare Copper Triangle appreciated receiving a Pancake Day grant to offer three more no-interest loans offered to families doing it tough.

“You may be wondering how a shedder can make a difference? The staff and volunteers here at UCare Gawler were spending a lot of time on proper destruction of confidential documents- time that is now better spent actually helping people.

‘Ted’ recently drove his three children to their Saturday sport at the Rec. Centre. After the game they returned to his 15 year-old car to find a flat tyre, which was no real drama for Ted. He had become used to solving all kinds of issues since becoming sole carer for his two lovely kids after losing his wife several years ago. But imagine his dismay when a friend helping him change the tyre pointed out most of his tyres were nearly smooth, probably illegal. How could he find the cash when his fortnightly sole-parent benefits barely stretched beyond day-to-day living costs, and his reserves had been used for back-to-school expenses?

Here is a picture of our new shredder and it is great to use. We save time because we can put in as many as 100 pages at once.

These kinds of unanticipated ‘bumps’ in the lives of those on low incomes can be made just a little bit easier to handle through no-interest loans. In the Copper Coast, partner organisations UnitingCare Copper Triangle and UnitingCare Wesley Country SA provide counsellors who can assist with budgeting support and write microcredit no-interest loans.

We are also looking for the right printer/copier/scanner so that our office is more functional than ever. Thank you, Pancake Day!” -Raelene Benier

Uniting in Care, Salisbury

“A distraught lady came into our office requesting food assistance. We gave her as much as we had including fruit & veg. She said she was very grateful. She then mentioned that the next day was her 4 yr old son’s Ted met the challenge by applying for a loan. Budget counselling showed birthday and he would be 5. She he could repay over the next 12 months. He was able to take his car into the mentioned that she wanted to buy tyre shop and hand over a microcredit cheque for the cost of 4 new tyres. him a backpack for his birthday so he could take it to school. We gave her 2x$10 Essential cards so she could buy him the backpack. She was thrilled In the last 7 years, UnitingCare Copper Triangle has invested $20,000 in the and gave us a hug and said “May God Bless You”. To our amazement the microcredit scheme, most of that coming from local Pancake Day profits next day she come into the office to show us backpack she had bought, and and grants from the Pancake Day Committee.” said she had enough money for a card & wrapping paper. So ‘A Big Thank

-Moss Potter, Coordinator You’ to Pancake Day Grants for our Essential Cards & Pharmacy Vouchers.”

-Aurora Gale

Are you ready for 2015?

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Thank you to our Event Partner:

Gold Sponsor

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Contact Us

UnitingCare Organisations You Can Help Support Clayton Church Homes Eldercare Helping Hand Aged Care Resthaven St Andrew’s Hospital UCare Gawler Ucount Support Services Uniting Communities Uniting in Care, Salisbury

UnitingCare Copper Triangle UnitingCare Eleanora UnitingCare Glenelg UnitingCare Kapunda UnitingCare Mount Gambier UnitingCare Wesley Bowden UnitingCare Wesley Country SA UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide

Ph: (08) 8236 4233 or 1800 060 543 Level 2 212 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 2145, Adelaide SA 5001 pancakeday@sa.uca.org.au sa.pancakeday.com.au

Register for UnitingCare Pancake Day 17th February 2015 Hold your event anytime during February or March

It’s easy! Call, go online or post this form to Pancake Day at the contact details above.

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