It has been encouraging to see so many Victorians rolling up their sleeves for a COVID-19 jab recently.
Message from the Chairperson
I hope we can continue at this pace over the coming weeks, and give ourselves the best chance of helping families to reunite, children to return to school and businesses to open up again, while limiting hospital admissions.If you don't have an appointment for your vaccination yet, please keep trying with your GP or book online here or check out the new pop-up sites near you. If you do have an appointment, please make sure you show up to your appointment and get the protection you need for yourself, your family and your community.
Last week, the VMC co-hosted a Lebanese community forum about the current COVID-19 outbreak. It was a spirited discussion and I thank everyone who took part. In that forum, we committed to hosting a dedicated Q&A session for the Lebanese community focusing on COVID-19 vaccinations. We will be doing that Tuesday 14 September evening from 7 pm. Please join us to hear from medical professionals and practitioners, who will answer any questions you may have.
We’ve also been continuing our support to the Afghan community, advocating to State and Commonwealth levels of government. We’ve highlighted some incredible work in the community, including Gula Bezhan and the Afghan Women’s Association’s work with CQV, in which she was recently interviewed by Virginia Trioli for and given a shout out by the Premier for her incredible efforts.
Don’t forget this week to have a say in the future design of Victoria’s Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Services. The Department of Health needs feedback from people with lived experience of a mental illness or psychological distress, and families, carers and supporters from Victoria’s diverse communities. Online focus group will run 14 – 23 September 2021. Click here to register.
In other mental health news, there have been some exciting announcements made Tuesday 14 September of a further commitment from the Victorian Government to support diverse communities by providing 20 new pop-up community mental health services.
Don’t forget grant opportunities that are open now, including Scanlon Foundation's Community Grants (which closes this Friday 17 September) and the grants between $5k and $100k that are currently available through the Victorian Government's Multicultural Communications Outreach Program.
Elsewhere in this week's update, you can give your thoughts on how to help young Victorians live healthier and more active lives in a new survey by VicHealth. We also want to alert you to some scams you should be on the lookout for, suggest you consider booking an eye test, and give a final reminder about an information session introducing the Refugee Group Mentorship Program.
Take care and stay safe.
Viv Nguyen AM, Chairperson
Vaccine information session tonight
The VMC, in partnership with the Department of Health, the Islamic Museum of Australia and the Australia New Zealand Lebanon Chamber of Commerce and Industry invite you to attend a community forum for the Lebanese and broader Arabic Community to answer your questions about COVID-19 vaccination.The session will take place 14 September 2021 from 7 pm to 8.30 pm.
You can join the session via Zoom here or livestream it through the VMC Facebook page.
Help young Victorians get active and healthy
What would support Victorians aged 0-25 to better connect, be active, and enjoy food that’s good for them and the planet?If you’re a young Victorians aged 18-25 or a parent of kids, health promotion foundation VicHealth wants to hear your reality and your ideas to build a healthier future together.
Share your experiences about being active, connected and healthy by filling out this quick survey.
Watch out for these for these current scams
It's a sad fact of life that there are people who seek to take advantage of the trust and goodwill of others for financial gain. Technological advances are helping scams are become more convincing, so it's important we all report scams when we suspect we're experiencing them. Below are two scams currently circulating.Unaccompanied Children from Afghanistan
There is a scam circulating by phone regarding 300 unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan currently in quarantine in Melbourne. This is a scam. Please tell your community members that this is a scam and not to provide personal or banking information.
Visa Videos in Your Language
Watch out for visa scams, where scammers tell you there are issues with your visa status or immigration paperwork. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from a government agency telling you that you will be deported unless you pay a fine, hang up. If you have doubts about the legitimacy of a visa you hold, you can check your status at VEVO. You can report scams to ScamWatch.
Information about visa scams is available in
Fostering Connections presentation for multicultural communities | 22 September 2021 | 6 pm
The VMC has invited Fostering Connections to present to multicultural and multifaith leaders about the needs of children, young people and families in their community, and discuss how foster care might fit in.Support the Refugee Group Mentorship Program | Thursday 16 September 2021 | 1.30-3pm
Community Refugee Sponsorships Australia (CRSA) are expanding their Group Mentorship Program, after a successful trial last year.The program offers an opportunity for local community groups to provide practical support and friendship to newly-arrived refugee households in Australia while our borders are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CSRA have also been running online public information sessions for you to gain a better understanding of the program and to find out if it’s right for you.
When was your last eye health check-up?
It is estimated that over 230,000 Victorians aged 40+ currently live with vision loss, a figure forecast to increase by 33% by 2030 unless action is taken.While many eye conditions have no symptoms in the early stages, 90% of vision loss is avoidable or treatable if it’s identified early. The most important thing to support that early intervention is regular eye testing of at-risk populations.
Eye tests can be arranged directly through an optometrist or by speaking with a GP, and are often covered by Medicare.
Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and refractive error are the main causes of blindness and vision loss in people aged over 40.
Vision Initiative works with its partner organisations to deliver webinars and resources that are designed to respond to the needs of health professionals and organisations who care for and support people at risk of vision loss.
The have multilingual resources and videos available in 10 languages including Arabic, Burmese, Cantonese, Dari, Greek, Hazaragi, Italian, Mandarin, Tamil and Vietnamese.
Coronavirus hotline
- Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398 (24 Hours).
- Interpreting service: If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
- Testing locations: Find a testing location near you.
- Triple Zero: Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.
- Coronavirus in-language information
MORE:
Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC)Address: Level 3, 1 Macarthur Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9651 5901
Email: contact@vmc.vic.gov.au
Website: www.multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au