December 2024

This Christmas Blue Sky Community Services' Groundworks Youth & Family Hub has been selected by local web design agency Coast to be the beneficiary (on behalf of the young people in the Coffs area we work with) of their Creative Coffs Christmas Gift Drive. The mission of the drive? To spread the magic of creativity by supplying vulnerable children and teens in Coffs Harbour with art supplies that inspire imagination, growth, and expression.

Coast agency staff are passionate about nurturing creativity. They know how much art can shape lives, offering both therapeutic benefits and an outlet for personal expression. This Christmas season, Coast is calling on clients, local creatives, and the wider community to join them in bringing the joy of creativity to those who need it most. Coast will match the gifts donated, so for every gift received, another gift will be added.

Why art supplies?

Art supplies are more than just materials for young people, especially those facing hardships - they’re a pathway to self-expression, healing, and growth. Whether it’s a blank canvas that invites new ideas, a sketchbook that captures dreams, or vibrant paints that bring imagination to life, the gift of art supplies is the gift of possibility.

The act of creating can be a powerful form of therapy, allowing kids and teens to process emotions, develop problem-solving skills, and gain confidence in their unique talents. For many, it can even ignite a lifelong passion for creativity leading to exciting career opportunities in the arts.

A gift with impact

This year, as part of the Creative Coffs Christmas initiative, Coast is calling on the community to donate art materials such as sketchbooks, paints, brushes, pencils, graphic pens, posca pens, and other creative supplies. 

With these simple gifts, Coast aims to brighten the holidays for local youth who may not otherwise have access to these resources. The hope is to inspire a generation of young creatives to explore their artistic potential and pursue their dreams.

The team at Coast is dedicated to giving back to the community and has long supported young people by offering work experience placements and participating in local school career days. By providing local students with real-world insights into the creative industry, they hope to open doors and encourage them to see the possibilities of a creative career.

How you can help

We invite you to donate to the Creative Coffs Christmas Gift Drive. It’s easy to get involved:

1. Drop off donations: Bring art supplies to the Coast studio at 2/11 Murdock Street, Coffs Harbour (near Coffs Central). Donations will be accepted Monday to Friday until Tuesday, 17 December. Please contact Jena at Coast directly if you’d like to make an after-hours drop-off. 
2. What to donate:
   • Creative arts gifts for children aged 2-5, 12-16 and 17-24
   • New and unused art supplies such as:
     • Sketchbooks
     • Journals
     • Paints
     • Oil pastels
     • Brushes
     • Pencils, pens, Posca pens
     • Modelling clay
     • Canvas
     • Easels
3. Make a virtual donation: If you can’t donate physical items, you can make a monetary donation to help us purchase supplies on your behalf. Donate via the Coast website.

Coast has partnered with Groundworks Youth & Family Hub to ensure all donations are distributed to local children and teens, making their holiday season brighter and more colourful.

Give something extra special this holiday

The holiday tunes are on. Gatherings and parties are filling our calendars and if you’re looking for a life-changing gift this season, book a blood donation.

For those who have donated this year, your generosity gave someone more time in the present moment, more laughs and moments to cherish – thank you.

And just like the rest of the year, the need for blood doesn’t stop over the holidays. Lifeblood often sees a drop in blood donations over Christmas and New Year and relies on donors to help meet demand.

A blood donation this season could support someone through surgery. More moments that matter. Your generosity would be life-changing.

The need for blood doesn’t stop and Red Cross Lifeblood's new campaign is a reminder that we each have a priceless gift within us that could change lives.

How can you or your team get involved?

1. Donate between 25 November to 5 January and get a limited-edition festive bandage by Melbourne artist, Kat Macleod. Book a group donation soon as a year-end activity! Check if your organisation offers VOLUNTEER LEAVE.
2. Share pictures of your life-giving celebration and festive Lifeblood bandage by tagging #lifebloodau
3. Encourage your staff and team to donate over the holidays, especially between 24 December and 5 January. We rely on the generosity of donors to help support our blood supply during this time. 

Some donor centres will still be open on Christmas and New Year’s Day. To find your nearest donor centre and learn more about opening hours visit the Lifeblood website.

On Friday 6 December from 12pm to 1pm (AEDT), SNAICC – National Voice for our Children is hosting a live webinar to share key insights, findings and a deep dive discussion on service transition to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. A panel of speakers will unpack how the ACCO sector needs to be further empowered with resources so they can meet the needs of children and families, and the role of non-Indigenous organisations in this transition. 

The annual Family Matters Report examines government actions to address the over-representation and the outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection systems. This year’s report highlights Aboriginal-led solutions, featuring three case studies from community-controlled organisations that provide culturally safe wraparound services, ensuring children grow up strong in family and connected to culture and kin. The report also presents recommendations to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. Key areas for action include increasing funding for ACCO-led prevention programs, empowering Aboriginal communities to control decisions affecting their children and implementing national standards for the Child Placement Principle.

You will hear from: 

• Catherine Liddle, CEO, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children 
• Associate Professor Paul Gray, University of Technology Sydney 
• Theresa Simpson, CEO, Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan 
• Melanie Briggs, Senior Balaang Manager for Birthing on Country, Waminda 
• Jamie Crosby, CEO, Families Australia 
• Tabatha Feher, Chief Advisor – Public Affairs and Advocacy, Life Without Barriers 

We invite you to join us for on Friday 6 December for an engaging online discussion on the 2024 Family Matters Report.

Follow the link on the day to tune in live: Family Matters Webinar

Join ThIS Training for a one day, Vicarious Trauma and Resilience Workshop LIVE online.  Designed for practitioners, managers and organisations, this training will help in understanding the impacts for those working with those who have experienced significant trauma and for practitioners who are faced with traumatic materials in the course of the work.  The training will also cover organisational responsibilities protecting staff relative to psychosocial hazards workplace changes and in keeping with WHS legislation.  Ideal for managers, team leaders and supervisors, and those who work in health, housing, foster-care, education & community services, participants will learn about the factors that cause vicarious trauma, and that enable vicarious resilience.  

Learning outcomes include:

• Understanding Vicarious Trauma and its signs and causes
• Impact of stress on an individuals functioning
• Differentiate between vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout
• Recognise the signs of vicarious trauma in self and colleagues.
• Develop practical tools to build resilience and mitigate risk of vicarious trauma for individuals and organisations.
• Understand the WHS changes and new organisational requirements for protecting workers from psychosocial hazards in the workplace
• Recognise the importance of professional boundaries in building a robust and resilient workforce
• Understand the role of individual, interpersonal and organisational strategies in building resilience and minimising harm

Training is $300 per person + booking fee.  Visit here to book: Online Vicarious Trauma & Resilience Training

When: Thursday, 12th December 2024

Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm AEDT

Where: Online

Keep an eye out for these colourful inclusion boards in hospitals and community health centres across the Mid North Coast Local Health District! The boards have been developed as part of Blue Sky Community Services' Enhancing Inclusion in the Health System project, with the QR code taking the scanner to important information and resources that support inclusion in the health system for people with disability. You can check out these important resources on the Blue Sky Community Services website.

Mission Australia has announced that the Psychosocial Support Program for Youth is officially open in Port Macquarie, Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour and surrounding suburbs.

 The following services are able to refer, so please get in contact if you have a relevant referral.

• Healthy Hub Connect – Each Youth Enhanced Service
• Local Health District
• Medicare Mental Health Centre
• Headspace
• Schools
  
• Referral Process:
• All referrals are sent to our intake and admin assistant who checks eligibility and correct consents have been signed. Please note we need client consent to continue with the referral.
• The referral is then tabled at weekly intake meetings where program suitability is determined. If suitable the young person will be allocated to a Youth Wellbeing Coordinator
• The Youth Wellbeing Coordinator will then make contact with the referrer and young person.

We look forward to working with you all and assisting your young people through their wellbeing journey.

For more information visit the Mission Australia Psychosocial Support Program webpage.

Local housing support workers and the Child and Family Interagency groups across the Mid North Coast, recently formed working groups to create localised resources. These flowcharts help guide community service workers and volunteers through the process required to support families experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

The flowcharts break the process into five steps - Safety and Services, Shelter, Situation, Support and Self-Care (5 Ss). Local support services are highlighted throughout.

There is a version available for each of the following regions: Coffs Harbour, Nambucca Valley, Bellingen, Kempsey, Port Macquarie Hastings and Mid Coast (Taree/Forster/Gloucester).

The resources are beneficial for workers in organisations where housing support is not their core business, however, they support customers who may also be experiencing challenges with securing or maintaining housing. This assists the worker to maintain a holistic and supportive approach to families and foster relationships and trust. 

Head to the Blue Sky Community Services website to learn more about the 5 Ss and to download the latest versions for each region.