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Annual Report Cover Image: Harley Rose 2019-2020 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:32 Page 2 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:32 Page 3
Contents
History, Mission & Vision
President’s Report
Racheli Naparstek – A Participant’s Story
CEO’s Report
Daniel and Joshua Szwarc Memorial Scholarship
Program Overview
The Access Team
Dani Mahemoff – A Volunteer’s Story
Highlights of the Year
David James – A Participant’s Story
Accountant’s Report
Hillary Malkinson – A Volunteer’s Story
Acknowledgements
Partner With Us
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History,
Mission &
Vision
History Vision Access Inc. (Access) partners with people The Access vision is for the full inclusion of with disabilities to achieve goals in areas that people with disabilities as valued and are important to us all – education and contributing members of our community. Our employment, social connectedness, health and values as an organisation are: fitness and hobbies and passions. We do this inclusion by recognising that mainstream approaches • The of people with disabilities in the wider community; are often not ideally suited to differing abilities and thus try to find more creative, supportive • Excellence in delivery and standard of and personalised solutions to encourage services; greater success. We also recognise that often, the barriers faced by people with • Innovation in finding creative approaches which promote confidence and skill building; disabilities have little to do with their actual ability and more to do with • The empowerment of people with societal misconceptions. Accordingly, Access disabilities. works towards ‘demystifying’ disability, fostering belonging and helping our community appreciate the value of diversity.
Access was formed more than 30 years ago by parents of children with disabilities who believed their voices (and those of their children) were not being heard. What originally started as an advocacy group transitioned into service provision as parents felt that the needs of their child were not being met, especially in the Jewish community and in the ‘post-school’ stage of their children’s lives.
Today, Access focuses primarily on meeting the challenges faced by those with disabilities as they move on from the more prescriptive and supportive framework provided by the education system.
Mission Working within a Jewish cultural context, our mission is to promote the rights and interests of people with disabilities, empowering them to maximise their potential and participate as equal citizens in Zac Chester making Okonomiyaki with Australian society. Nitza Marom during his 1:1 Cooking Skills program
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The Access year commenced with programs in full swing and an expanded participation rate, President’s thereby extending our impact to participants and their families. Our Annual General Meeting in August 2019 saw us welcoming new Board Report members and it was business as usual, or so we Vicki Factor thought, until the early months of 2020 announced the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic and its pernicious effects, wreaking havoc across the entire world. Shortly prior to the first lockdown in March, Access was able to successfully conduct our Annual Charidy Giving Campaign resulting in an injection of much needed funding to ensure the delivery of our programs in the coming year. Once again our matching major donors and the community at large demonstrated their support for our important work in changing the lives of people living with disabilities. As luck would have it, Access was one of the last organisations to conduct a campaign before restrictions were introduced, making close physical proximity a distant memory. With the growing threat of the spread of Covid-19, the third week in March saw us take the painful decision to suspend all physical programming to ensure the safety of our participants, staff and volunteers. Given the critical need for continued social connection for our participants this decision was particularly heartbreaking as we contemplated the potential effects of isolation on our disability population. Our staff moved quickly to stay in regular contact with our participants, their families and our volunteers as we deliberated on how Access could best respond to the crisis. I am so very proud to report that Access staff, already under the stress of potential job losses and fear of the pandemic, banded together immediately and to use a current buzzword, “pivoted” to online programming to meet our ongoing requirement of service delivery. A suite of new programs was developed to suit online training and as I write this report, Access has in place a robust and creative spread of online opportunities that allow our participants to learn new skills and connect with their co-students, volunteers and Access staff. Access Online has received a great deal of positive feedback from participants and families and it may be that going forward to a post pandemic future some of these programs can be maintained for those who prefer online delivery.
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Certainly, Access Online has enabled us to bring conferred in recognition of community groups in in new participants who reside out of our the City of Glen Eira who have significantly catchment area and who would otherwise be contributed to the local community. unable to physically attend our regular classes. We are now looking at funding opportunities As we witness the universal changes that this which would allow us to scale up online pandemic has brought, I can assure the programming to extend our reach into the community that, despite the challenges, at community going forward. Access some things never change: the dedication of our Board and staff, the continued support of Whilst the current focus since March has been our loyal volunteers and above all the resilience centered on the Covid-19 pandemic, the months displayed by our participants, for whom we prior to the crisis were focused on a number of continue to work tirelessly. These things give me initiatives and achievements for which we are also great comfort as we move forward in this justly proud. Apart from the increase in uncertain time and I look forward to the ongoing participation which I have previously referred to support of everyone who appreciates the value in my introduction, and highlighted in our CEO of Access in our community. report, Access ran our popular Weekly Pop Up Café that received over 1000 visitors and put a spotlight on the abilities of our participants to engage in and deliver hospitality services. The general enthusiasm and joyful vibe that was created by the weekly experience of people coming together for a meal in our café was palpable and I look forward to the time when the Pop Up Café again becomes a regular fixture on our calendar. The Access Bakery program continued the sale of biscuits and some specialised catering as did the Access Espresso program, where our trained and in-training baristas prepared hot drinks to a standard that would make any barista proud. By directly engaging with community members in the Pop Up Café and in the sale of hot drinks and baked goods, customers become much more cognisant of the ways in which people with disabilities can be trained and skilled in an employment context and add value to organisations in the hospitality field. Our CEO’s report has also highlighted the ongoing and new collaborations with other organisations across a number of projects this year. These partnerships are an important part of extending our impact both in the Jewish community and the wider community as well. Collaboration facilitates the exchange of ideas, increases our community engagement and expands opportunities for our participants. We are determined that these projects continue, notwithstanding the challenges of the pandemic, and indeed we will continue to actively search for new projects in the coming months. Recognition for the ever increasing impact of our services and community engagement came earlier this year with Access being the recipient, jointly with Impact, of the City of Glen Eira’s Hugh McNab at our 2020 Charidy Campaign Community Group of the Year. The award is
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Racheli has been a participant at Access for approximately six years and has taken part in the Racheli Hospitality, Life Skills, Art Studio and Healthy Me programs. She is currently attending the Access Naparstek Online 1:1 Cooking Skills and World Travel Wednesday Programs. A Participant’s Story Racheli is a kind, friendly and extremely caring person, who connects well with people and loves to socialise. She joined Access to meet new people, be part of the community to gain and develop skills to become more independent. Racheli also loves theatre, dancing, acting, singing, playing the piano and cooking. She loves spending time with her family and friends and has wonderful knowledge of Jewish culture and traditions that she often shares with the group. Through Access, Racheli has gained knowledge in many areas, such as money handling, customer service, cooking and helping to run a restaurant. Racheli is proud to be able to apply what she has learned at Access to her jobs outside of Access. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Racheli was working at the Malthouse Theatre, the National Theatre, Chapel Off Chapel and a local falafel restaurant. In addition, Racheli has also developed friendships and an understanding of everyday tasks such as using public transport and budgeting money. Racheli’s independence has grown immensely. She is very confident in her domestic abilities and during the Access Online Cooking Program, it is clear she knows her way around her kitchen! Racheli presents the meals she makes beautifully and is proud to show her friends and family her achievements. Racheli likes to take initiative and is always happy to help others.
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Access started 2020 with full programs, additional staff to support this, a new program CEO’s Report ready to be launched and reviewing Sharon Malecki opportunities for growth and expansion of services. We were also on track to secure premises from which to run our weekly Pop Up Café. This changed mid-March when, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were forced to close programs overnight. We were devastated because at Access everyone knows each other by name and cares about each other’s well being and there was a lot of concern as to what this situation would mean for participants, families, staff and volunteers. However, in true Access style, we didn’t dwell on the negatives for long and looked to turn this challenge into an opportunity. Based on research and feedback from participants, it became clear that simply moving our physical programs online would not work so we developed a new suite of programs which remained true to Access’ values but which better suited online skill development and engagement in complex times. Thus, Access Online was born. With the success of the pilot term and feedback about how important our services were in helping participants, families, volunteers and staff to manage their lives in this crisis, we further developed our Access Online programs for the new financial year. The Term 3 program schedule of Access Online is even more robust and will support participants in both capacity building and skill development as well as lower intensity opportunities for personal growth, improved mental and physical health, social connection and meaningful engagement. All programs have been newly created or redeveloped specifically to support participants in keeping their independence, employment and personal development goals front of mind during the pandemic and further restrictions. Thus, the impact of providing Access Online has been clear and multi-faceted with ripple effects throughout the lives of not only participants but also families, staff, volunteers and the community.
Above: Margaret Langley & David Ekman at Chabad Malvern ShabbatTogether Collaboration Annual Report 2019-2020 7 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:32 Page 10
Our Covid-response would not have been with Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre possible without the mammoth effort made by and Zionism Victoria, the inclusive, inter-faith the Access team who have given so much, often creative spectacular ‘Kululoom – Sing Together in addition to their own personal Covid pressures, Concert’ with St Kilda Hebrew Congregation and to develop and roll out these essential and the global Jewish disability inclusion project unique services. They deserve far more Shabbat Together with Chabad Malvern and appreciation and recognition than they receive Elwood Shule. and I feel privileged every day to work with a team of such dedicated and productive staff as Excitingly, we also launched a new joint well as wonderful volunteers and in partnership partnership with C Care (an organisation which with an engaged Board. Thank you all. re-purposes food for those in need and offers social connection for those who are isolated) While I write this with Covid front of mind and whereby participants enrolled in the Access with a view to the future, it would certainly be Introduction to Commercial Cooking course did remiss of me not to highlight our achievements some of the food preparation for C Care meals of the eight months prior to the pandemic, from which were then delivered to community which we continue to draw strength and members experiencing food insecurity. inspiration and which will continue to inform the Participants expressed how bolstering it was for basis of our work, even if we must build it a little them to be able to gain new skills while knowing differently moving forward. that their work was making an impact on others. This connection to community and This year, we had a 55% increase in individual understanding by participants that while the participants and a 41% increase in enrolments community supports them, they are also and 150 families were directly impacted by our important and contribute meaningfully to the services. We were also thrilled that 26% of community is one of the drivers of our work and participants we worked with regularly this year our commitment to celebrating ability in our undertook new challenges outside of Access community. including further study, volunteering, work experience, supported employment and open Finally, perhaps our biggest collaboration employment. pre-Covid was our Charidy crowdfunding campaign through which we partnered with Thanks to the generosity of the Szwarc family, we generous matching donors as well as the launched the Daniel and Joshua Szwarc Memorial community to ‘close the gap.’ It was this Scholarship for young people with disabilities investment in disability from our matching and presented the inaugural scholarship to Zevi partners as well as hundreds of donations from Glasman. the community which ensured that we were in Our Weekly Pop Up Café continued until the end a position to respond when Covid hit. I take of 2019 with over 1000 visitors. We also sold this opportunity to thank you all again - your over 3000 packets of biscuits produced by the investment was always going to make an Access Bakery program through four retail outlets impact but none of us quite realised at the and Access Espresso baristas made over 1700 time just how critically so this year. hot drinks. These numbers aren’t just about Our Covid response, however, has required a delicious food and drink, they represent far greater budget than we planned for this thousands of community members whose year as well as for the year to come. Given understanding of disability is now a bit clearer as the impact of Access pre-Covid and well as skill building and opportunities for especially since Covid, it is clear that we participants to get closer to their goals. must find the support we need to continue We continued our dedication to partnerships and responding to this crisis and move beyond collaboration as an essential path to increasing it. The physical and mental health and in our impact and advocacy. We were pleased to many cases survival of the participants we share our expertise and support participants to work with as well as other Access share theirs through Jewish community stakeholders depends on it. As does our discussions regarding food rescue and disability community’s commitment to ensuring as well as wider discussions about the NDIS and people with disabilities are not the development and delivery of disability ‘abandoned’ in this crisis. studies at TAFE. May we all experience good health and have We worked on collaborative projects across a everything that we need during these wide range of areas including joint fitness unprecedented times. programs with Maccabi All Abilities, an environment-focused community garden project
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In July 2019, Access awarded the inaugural Daniel and Joshua Szwarc Memorial Scholarship Daniel and for a high school student living with a disability in the Melbourne Jewish community.The Joshua Szwarc scholarship covers the cost of an Access course of the applicant’s choice, allowing them to have a taste of options available to them post-school. Memorial The scholarship was formally presented to Zevi Glasman at the Access Inc. Annual General Scholarship Meeting in August 2019. The Daniel and Joshua Szwarc Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Daniel and Joshua Szwarc, who in 1985 and 1984 respectively, lost their battle to Canavan’s Disease. In their honour, this scholarship is aimed at giving a young Jewish person with a disability the opportunity to invest in their future as well as inspiring the community to continue to strive for the betterment of the lives of children and young people with disabilities Zevi is a 16 year-old student who attends Yeshivah College. Thanks to the scholarship, he participated in a term of personalised 1:1 Healthy Cooking Skills sessions, with Hospitality Program Coordinator, Jacqui Elaluf. During these sessions Zevi and Jacqui concentrated on skill development techniques in a commercial hospitality environment. Upon starting the classes, Zevi was apprehensive to attempt many new tasks but with encouragement and creative approaches, his self-confidence grew from week to week. Jacqui says, “it was a pleasure to see Zevi taking initiative and increasing his speed and accuracy.” Access Inc CEO, Sharon Malecki explains, “this scholarship is such a special and meaningful way to honour the memory of Daniel and Joshua, whilst at the same time giving a young member of our community the opportunity to start exploring their post-school options and the path they wish to pursue. Thank you to the Szwarc family for choosing Access for this partnership.”
Left: Zevi Glasman during one of his Healthy Cooking Skills programs with Program Coordinator, Jacqui Elaluf, and support worker Avi Winner, as part of the Szwarc Scholarship
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Access runs training courses aimed at building confidence and skill while helping participants to Program gain practical experience. These programs are generally focused into three streams of learning – Access Hospitality, Access Life Learning and Overview Access Health and Leisure. Pre-Covid, these programs were run onsite at Access and in the community. Since Covid, Access has continued to run a suite of training programs known as Access Online, with a continued commitment to practical skill-building and community engagement, through an online platform. Below we share some of the highlights of the year from our programs pre-Covid as well as a summary or our pilot term of Access Online.
Access Hospitality
Access Hospitality consists of a suite of programs including: Access Bakery, Access Espresso, Front of House, Healthy Cooking Skills and Introduction to Commercial Cooking. Access Bakery The Access Bakery comprises a training program and work experience enterprise where participants make Kosher, hand-made biscuits to sell to the community. Biscuits are available for purchase from selected retail outlets, wholesale from the Access office and through catering orders. Participants have the opportunity to experience working in a commercial kitchen, develop their baking skills, literacy and numeracy skills and working together as a team. In addition to producing its eight regular biscuit lines, the Access Bakery has expanded its annual product range for special events throughout the year, with items such as honey cakes for Rosh HaShana, Rocky Road for Pesach and ANZAC biscuits for ANZAC Day. Additionally, the Access Bakery has held stalls at community events, including the Yom Ha’Atzmaut festival, the Ha’Bayit Festibayit Chanukah festival, and the Saltpillar Theatre and the Emunah Purim Spiel. Along with our passionate weekly volunteers, the Access Bakery is supported by corporate volunteers from the National Australia Bank (NAB). Access Espresso The Access Espresso Barista Training Program provides an in-depth practical and theoretical learning path to becoming a barista. The eight- week course was custom developed by Access to cover everything from the history of coffee to business operations. In addition to the theoretical
Left: Donna Cohen preparing a 10 Annual Report 2019-2020 Poke bowl in Healthy Cooking Skills Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:32 Page 13
component, each week participants practise boost confidence. Week-to-week, participant making a range of different hot drinks. Once progress is noticeable through their increased participants have built their skills and confidence, understanding of the preparation process and they have the opportunity to take orders from their confidence in helping each other in the neighbouring organisations, thus, ensuring that kitchen. Participants enjoy sharing their meal by the time they have finished the course, they preparation stories and photos to showcase what have experience serving real customers. For the they have learned in class and their successes. year after the course, participants are invited to They also receive copies of the recipes used so undertake work experience opportunities on the that they can practise at home. Access Espresso coffee cart when they become In the first half of the financial year the Healthy available. This year participants honed their skills Cooking class introduced a successful and at a range of community events, private functions entertaining ‘Around The World’ curriculum and at our Pop Up Café. whereby participants learnt about the geography, The Access Espresso Coffee Enterprise is proudly politics, sports, culture and food of a different supported by Gandel Philanthropy, the Breville country each week. As part of this program, each Group and the Grosman Family Foundation. participant made a meal that related to each specific country. Front of House Introduction to Commercial Cooking The aim of the Front of House course is to enhance the skills and confidence of participants The Introduction to Commercial Cooking course interested in pursuing employment extends participants’ skills beyond domestic opportunities, particularly in the hospitality field. cooking, to learn basic food preparation skills This year, the course consisted of three different useful for gaining employment in a commercial modules with participants learning about cooking environment. The course is also catering services before moving on to the café beneficial for participants who wish to practise element, and finalising the year with industry and refine their food preparation techniques for visits to a variety of hospitality environments. All personal use. In the first half of this year, the food modules have a real-life work experience prepared in the Introduction to Commercial Cooking program was used at our weekly Pop Up component with the catering class engaging with Café and for our catering services as part of the local businesses to provide lunch-time catering Front of House course. In the second half of the while the café class ran our weekly pop-up café. year, the food prepared in this program was The Front of House course covers a wide range part of our new collaboration with community of hospitality skills in an intersecting manner and organisation, C Care. Participants had the thus, it is a prerequisite for all Front of House opportunity to experience commercial cooking in participants to have previously completed bulk through preparation of ingredients, cooking, another Access Hospitality program. packing, and labelling. These meals were then Healthy Cooking Skills distributed by C Care later in the week to those experiencing food insecurity in the community The Healthy Cooking Skills Course was established after discussions with participants led us to understand that learning this skill was an unmet need. Due to its popularity, it is offered twice a week. Each session hosts up to six participants and is supported by our dedicated volunteers. The first hour of the class consists of a theory component, which focuses on key skills in the kitchen. The second hour of the class is a practical component with each participant making a delicious and nutritious meal to take home. Learning to follow a recipe and gaining knowledge of cooking utensils, cooking techniques and making healthy food choices supports participants to build their skills and confidence in the kitchen and take greater control over their independence and personal health. Over consecutive weeks, similar dishes are taught in different forms to reinforce skills and
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Access Life Learning
Access Life Learning includes the Life Skills program as well as two new programs currently under development - Access Civic and Access My Hood
Life Skills The Life Skills program focuses on empowering individuals through skill development. In 2020, Access launched a revised day-long program with an increase in practicality and greater focus on independence. This was done by creating a more structured program which split the day into three learning modules: Financial Independence, Independence Through Making Choices and Independence in the Home. This change in the program saw participants advance their understanding of the responsibilities of owning a credit card and accessing ATMs, booking appointments, making weekend arrangements, healthy cooking, supermarket shopping and laundry and bed making.
Access Civic is a small group-based initiative that focuses on obtaining and maintaining meaningful volunteer roles in the community whether it be Health for leisure, skill development or as a pathway to employment. Access Civic was scheduled to be & Leisure launched in May 2020 but was postponed due to program closures as a result of Covid-19. Access Health and Leisure includes the Art Studio, Healthy Me and Drumming programs. Access My Hood is a small group-based initiative currently in development. It will explore how to Art Studio access local services – everything from joining a The Art Studio program supports participants to library or gym to finding a restaurant and booking creatively express their individuality and achieve a birthday event. their artistic potential. Participants gain experience working with different fabrics, techniques and media to improve and develop skills. In addition to developing art techniques, the Art Studio also explores learning through art.
This year, there was a focus on nature and the environment, with some ambitious and fruitful projects incorporating team-work and individual creative expression. Toward the end of 2019, the theme of the Art Studio was “Our Precious Earth”. Participants created two puzzle-style artworks, where participating artists worked on their individual pieces which each made up part of a larger, group work. This resulted in two impressive trees made up of paper quilling and fabric poking. A moving poem was written by the group to accompany the tree artworks. There was also a focus on garden-inspired artwork by way
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of upcycling plastic bottles to make colourful Healthy Me flower sculptures which later decorated the The Healthy Me program gives participants the Access Inc planter boxes in the Beth opportunity to explore fitness and nutrition Weizmann Community Garden. through a range of activities in order to promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Many of the A specific highlight of the year was the activities are based in the community so that Luna Park Mosaics exhibition in participants gain an understanding of local December, which brought together options available to them. friends, fans and family with a sense of pride and warmth to showcase This year, through visiting numerous gyms in the the Luna Park themed mosaics area, participants were able to meet and work previously created by Art Studio with a variety of trainers and gain knowledge of participants. This event was a great how to get to local gyms. Gym sessions such as accomplishment for the Artists and spin classes, cardio workouts and workouts using for Access. weights, provided a great range of experience.
Access Art Studio participants wrote Through Krav Maga, Lawn Bowls and Personal the below poem to complement Training sessions at Vision PT Caulfield, their tree-themed artwork: participants exercised in a fun environment and gained confidence through movement, training, Left: Racheli Naparstek, Michelle Deutsch, stretching and toning. Healthy Me participants Meir Belnick and Nitza Marom at Chabad also experienced sessions focused on group Malvern Collaboration for ShabbatTogether exercises classes such as Sh’bam and Body Balance, BaiLa Latin Dance and body percussion.
Participants also spent time learning about “Tree of Life” nutrition, making healthy choices and maintaining by Access Inc Art Studio Artists a healthy diet. October 2019 Access Drumming Imagine a world with no trees. No shade, Access Drumming supports participants to no fresh air, no life, quite dark... No food, musically express themselves while also aiming bad mood, less colour. to enhance social connectedness, coordination, teamwork and communication skills. This year, But just one seed can start to grow a tree with the inclusion of guitars, xylophones and house and shelter, connection to earth and keyboards, a new palette of sound was added to Venus, fire and life, with people with the range of instruments available for happiness, love, smiling and laughter. spontaneous music making. With rhythm being the foundation for establishing connectedness, Possums climb trees and owls live there our enthusiastic volunteers inputted innovative too... magpies, tigers, koalas, kangaroos... strategies to engage and assist participants to monkeys and elephants all use the trees also explore melodic expression. and also live in the zoo.
With their families and ours, our family trees grow... through the seasons, creating story-telling and myths and games... like climbing the branches and playing piñata.
Providing protection and shade from hurricanes and rain and the sunshine… we are so grateful that you give us oxygen, fruit, flowers, leaves, paper, music and LIFE.
Thank you to the trees.
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Access Online Press Release
“During these strange and trying times everyone at Access has been amazing, thank you.” – Sandra Chester.
These are not words we take lightly at Access. When we realised we would have to suspend physical programs due to Covid-19, we were devastated because at Access everyone knows each other by name and cares about each other’s well-being. However, in true Access style, we didn’t dwell for long and looked to turn this challenge into an opportunity.
Thus, Access Online was born. Based on research and feedback from participants, it became clear that simply moving our physical programs online would not work so we developed a new suite of programs which remained true to Access’ values but which better suited online skill development and engagement in complex times.
While we knew continuing services online would be important for participants, we have been overwhelmed by the messages we have received outlining the positive impact Access Online has had. For some participants and their families, disability has magnified the current challenges and as the Ruschinek family put it, “Access Online has been a very creative way to help feel they still belong and haven't been abandoned.”
Access is also about community and a key tenant of our programs is engaging with the community both for participants to gain real-world experience and to demystify disability.We were thus honoured to be this year’s joint recipient of the City of Glen Eira’s Community Group of the Year Award. We have continued this commitment with guest presenters joining our online sessions to share, connect and grow. At the same time, seeing the familiar faces of our amazing volunteers has assisted with continuity and it has been wonderful for participants to recognise that now as much as ever, their involvement with Access contributes to the lives of others as it does their own.
As we move towards re-introducing some onsite programs, we will have to again reinvent our model as we did with Access Online. This is exciting but also costly and the continued support of our community will be essential as we find ways to ensure we celebrate ability in our community despite this crisis.
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Support Groups
Parent Support Group Our Parent Support Group is run by volunteers Michelle Feiglin and Felicia Batten, both of whom are dedicated to providing advice, information and comradery. This is a peer-to-peer group that meets once a term, sharing experiences and knowledge. Most sessions include a guest speaker.
Access Minis Access Minis launched in 2016 as a parent support group for families who have young children with disabilities. Parents can share their experiences, gain information and develop connections in a supportive and caring environment. Access Minis is run by volunteer Menucha Cooper.
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The Access Team
Board of Management
Having the appropriate team of people collaborating and drawing on their diverse range of experiences, skills and knowledge is fundamental to our ability to operate effectively, efficiently and successfully.
President: Vicki Factor Vicki practised as a Solicitor for sixteen years before retraining in the field of Architecture and Design and until 2019 ran an architectural practice with her late husband, Michael. She continues to work in the architecture field. Vicki is currently the Honorary secretary of Australian Friends of Yad Vashem, which she joined in 2012. She is a former Mount Scopus College Parent Association member and United Israel Appeal Volunteer. Vicki joined the Access Board in 2014 and has been President since 2015. She is also the current Co-President of the Access Foundation.
Vice President & Secretary: Ella Kohn Ella is currently the Vice President of Access Inc as well as a volunteer in the weekly Access Pop Up Cafe and Front of House program. Working hands-on with participants and building strong relationships with them is a strength of hers and seeing them each week is certainly a highlight for her. Ella studied a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies at Melbourne University and directed and taught at Yeshivah Brighton kindergarten for six years. She also worked as a mentor/assessor at Holmesglen University helping students to become teachers.
Treasurer: Renny Rychter Renny joined the Board of Access in 2019. He is an accountantwho runs his own successful consultancy business. Renny brings vast and varied experience to the organisation and has been a keen observer and supporter of Access for many years.
Honorary Accountant: Stephen Singer Stephen is a CPA and Principal of the Accounting and Consulting Practice, Singer Partners Pty Ltd. Since 1980, he has advised and guided many family-owned businesses in all financial matters including, Accounting, Finance, Taxation, Management, Strategic Planning and Wealth Management. Stephen has now semi-retired from his professional client work and volunteers his time to numerous community organisations, including Access and Maccabi. Stephen presently acts as Honorary Accountant for Access and is a member of the Access Foundation Board.
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Vicki Gordon OAM Vicki joined the board of Access in 2019. Vicki is a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and has been practising for close to 30 years, both in the Children’s Court Clinic and in private practice. She is also part of the committee of the Australian Jewish Psychologists and in this role, has been a debriefer for traumatic community events including for Zionist youth movements.
Nikki Grinstein Nikki is an actuary with more than ten years’ experience in insurance and financial services. Nikki is vision-impaired and is passionate about helping others with a disability to realise their potential. Joining the Board in October 2014, Nikki is a strong advocate for disability rights.
Nicci Hurvitz Nicci is a child psychologist and a learning support specialist passionate about disability education. In South Africa she ran a remedial school and opened a vocational high school for children with disabilities. Nicci recently moved to Australia and is currently working at Beth Rivkah Ladies College primary school as the Learning Enhancements Coordinator.
David Opat David is Vice Principal (Student Wellbeing) and Head of Junior School at The King David School. He holds degrees in psychology, education and leadership.He has worked in government, private industry and schools for over 25 years. He was previously on the Access board more than 20 years ago and rejoined in 2017. David has a particular interest in ensuring that the community fulfils their responsibilities to all members of the Jewish Community.
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The Access Team
Access Foundation
The Foundation’s mission is to: • Support and enhance the programs and services provided by Access through the provision of funds • Assist Access to work toward the inclusion of people with disabilities in the community • Assist Access to raise awareness of the needs of people with disabilities.
Foundation members are committed to this mission.
Joseph Borensztajn AM Joey is a commercial lawyer with an extensive private client practice and has a deep knowledge of taxation, trusts, philanthropy and charitable giving, and estate and business succession planning. Joey has more than 35 years’ experience in commercial and taxation law. Joey was a recipient of the General Sir John Monash Award 2013.
Lorelle Krulis Lorelle Krulis completed a law/commerce degree at Monash University and then practised as a solicitor before having her family. She completed a Diploma of Education and taught Accounting at RMIT. Lorelle has been involved in fundraising for Jewish Care for 30 years, including ashead of the major donor dinner fundraising appeal for the past five years. Lorelle was appointed to the Board of the Access Foundation in 2015.
Steven Fisher Steven has more than 30 years’ experience in general management positions in the wholesale consumer goods industry and was previously CEO of the Voyager Group. He is also the non-executive Chairman of the Breville Group Ltd and also serves as Chairman of The Reject Shop Ltd. Prior to entering the consumer goods industry, Steven was a practising Chartered Accountant having qualified in South Africa before immigrating to Australia in 1986.
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Grahame Leonard AM A lawyer and chartered accountant, Grahame was a senior executive in several large public corporations. For the past 20 years or so, he has been a professional non-executive director, mediator, mentor and consultant to a variety of commercial and not-for-profit organisations. Grahame is a senior advisor to the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Australia, a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission and chair of Victoria’s Multifaith Advisory Group. He maintains a strong interest in, and commitment to, governance, strategic planning and multiculturalism. In 2003, Grahame was awarded the Centenary Medal instituted to commemorate the centenary of Australia’s federation and in 2008 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Jessica Stimson With 20 years of experience in strategic marketing and events, Jessica now balances her family life with advising brands, not-for-profits and organisations on how to communicate and connect with their markets. Since her son was diagnosed with Autism in 2009, Jessica has focused much of her time and energy on various disability causes, hoping that over time, the opportunities and options for children and growing teens in our community will vastly improve.
Vicki Factor and Stephen Singer are also members of the Access Foundation.
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The Access Team
Staff Access carefully seeks out skilled professionals to provide unique and excellent services for participants, their families and the community.
CEO: Sharon Malecki Sharon has been passionate about community and not-for-profit work since a young age, inspired by her parents who led many Jewish and Zionist organisations on the Gold Coast where she grew up. Since moving to Melbourne, Sharon has completed a Masters in Diplomacy & Trade and a Certificate IV in Disability and worked for Magen David Adom Australia where, amongst other things, she developed their youth engagement program and was Co-President of Young Magen David Adom. Following that, she spent four years at Jewish Care Victoria, managing the Volunteer Resource Program with over 500 volunteers working across aged care, disability services and community services. In 2016, Sharon was awarded the Young Adult Jewish Changemaker Award presented by B'nai B'rith and JNF for her contribution to thecommunity. Sharon joined Access in April 2017 and has led the organisation through its transition into the NDIS marketplace and into a position of expansion and greater sustainability.
Office & Finance Manager: Michelle Deutsch Michelle’s strong interest in the not-for-profit community sector and her passion for baking, led her to join Access in 2015 as a volunteer in the Access Bakery. A Chartered Accountant with a wealth of experience in financial and management accounting, she subsequently took on her current managerial role. She works closely with the CEO and the Board and plays an integral part in the organisation’s ongoing growth and service development. Michelle recently completed studying the Introduction to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) course. Michelle also holds the position of Honorary Treasurer of Australian Friends of Yad Vashem Inc. and Australian Foundation for Yad Vashem Limited.
Community Engagement Coordinator: Sarah Unger Sarah is and always has been passionate about education and the not-for-profit sector. She has a background in Event Management and Informal Jewish Education. She is studying a Bachelor of Education via remote learning. Sarah has worked and volunteered for Jewish organisations in Melbourne, Sydney and Israel, includingthe NSW Board of Jewish Education (BJE), Jewish Care NSW, Magen David Adom Australia and the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI). Sarah joined the Access team in 2018 and brings a diverse range of skills to her role.
Community Engagement Officer: Nicole Ellis Nicole is passionate about volunteering, having spent a large part of her career either volunteering or working in volunteer management. Nicole studied a Bachelor of Commerce and Information Systems. She brings a diverse range of skills to the role and loves spending time with her family and travelling.
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Community Engagement Officer: Olivia Benkel Olivia brings with her experience in business development, project management and fundraising. Olivia enjoys the opportunity to build rapport and form a variety of connections in the community. Championing the value of recognising attributes, Olivia utilises her skills to submit nominations, or offers opportunities for Access, or those involved with Access to be recognised in the community. Olivia has a passion for organising events, enjoys volunteering and has a keen interest in not-for-profit organisations. Originally from Liverpool in England, she moved to Melbourne 12 years ago and in her spare time song writes and raps.
Hospitality Administration Support: Abby Levy Abby studied law at university and has developed a diverse skill set honed through work and volunteering. When not working at Access, Abby works at Jewish Care as a Volunteer Practice Leader and in David Southwick MP’s office. She volunteers with Disability Discrimination Legal Service and Wellsprings for Women in English Conversation classes for migrants.Abby is passionate about leadership and engaging those who may have been overlooked.
Hospitality Program Manager: Nitza Marom Nitza has transformed the Access Bakery from its humble beginnings five years ago into five successful hospitality programs. Sharing her passion for cooking with participants, Nitza teaches independence and healthy eating as a way of life. She enjoys working with a team of dedicated volunteers who support the hospitality programs each week. Nitza has completed studying a Certificate IV in Disability and the Introduction to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) course. She was previously a Hebrew teacher and loves incorporating her bilingual skill into the kitchen. During the Covid-19 online period Nitza has particularly enjoyed diversifying her teaching.
Hospitality Program Coordinator & Life Skills Program Coordinator: Jacqui Elaluf Jacqui coordinates the Access Bakery, the Life Skills program and teaches Healthy Cooking Skills. Prior to working at Access she ran a successful Kosher cake business and before that lived in Israel for many years. Recently Jacqui completed her studies in Certificate IV in Disability. In her spare time, she enjoys creating pottery and spending time with her family and two spoiled cats.
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The Access Team Staff Cont.
Participant Intake & Life Learning Manager: Jodi Block Jodi is passionate about working in disability and has been involved in the sector for over five years. She has completed both Certificates III and IV in Disability and has spent time volunteering in Tanzania at a school for children with disabilities. Her experiences on Flying Fox camps sparked her passion for working within the disability sector. At Access, Jodi is responsible for participant intake and assessments and pre-covid managed the Life Learning and Access Espresso areas. She has a focus on further developing participants' independence and ensuring participants feel heard and have access to valuable communication with others in their community. Outside of Access, Jodi works at an Escape Room and is a dance teacher.
Art Studio & Healthy Me Program Coordinator: Lainie Cann Lainie has been the Program coordinator of the Art Studio and Healthy Me programs at Access over the past six years. She is constantly driven and inspired to keep creating interesting and dynamic content for Access participants. Lainie thrives on being part of a supportive team of co-workers and volunteers and the people Access partners with towards achieving their goals in creativity, health and wellness. This past year, she has particularly enjoyed the evolution of her role, bringing in a variety of guest presenters for Access Online programs. One of Lainie’s favourite places to travel to in the past few years was India and she has enjoyed bringing back creative inspirations to share. One of her all-time most inspiring creative heroes is the late Jim Henson for his amazing imagination and ingenuity in creating characters and stories loved all over the world. Program Support Worker: Heather McCaskie Heather began her involvement with Access in 2018 as a placement student and volunteer. Now Heather works as a support workeracross a wide variety of our programs including, Art Studio, Healthy Me, Access Espresso, Front of House, Life Skills and more recently, Access Online. In her time outsideof Access, Heather loves painting, making clay sculptures, staying active and is passionate about combining her interests with her work and her vision for an equitable and inclusive society. Access Drumming Program Coordinator: Boruch Moshel Boruch joined Access Drumming at the end of 2016.He also runs weekly Feuerstein Life Skills sessions. Boruch has been involved with community based music for over 20 years. More recently, he has delivered interactive programs designed to strengthen cognitive skills of elderly people.
Access Drumming Instructor: Neda Rahmani Percussionist and Zoom community enthusiast Neda has beendrumming and performing with Access since 200. Running weekly drumming classes and also Tunes and Beats as part of Access Online, her focus is on presentation, connection, communication and visibility. Over the past two years Neda has become a social impact film director and producer for Goodworthy Films and she is a public figure, performer, writerand an advocate for multicultural arts in Melbourne. Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 25
Heather & Lisa paint pouring their artwork in the Access Art Studio
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Dani Mahemoff
A Volunteer’s Story
Dani has been volunteering in the Access Art Studio program for approximately 15 years. She has become part of the Access family and has formed a close bond to the organisation. It is a joy to have Dani involved with Access. Her dedication, passion and the talent she brings makes such an impact to the program and to the participants. Dani says, “volunteering can be a rewarding and gratifying experience, Access is a wonderful organisation to be involved with.”
Dani explains, “we have had wonderful experiences over the years including putting on an amazing theatre production and making an unforgettable movie.” Each week, Dani observes participants develop new skills and become more confident and independent in many ways. She says, “it has been wonderful for me to share these experiences with participants, often things I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to be involved with.”
Volunteering plays a very important role in Dani’s life. As well as volunteering her time at Access, Dani also volunteers for an Aboriginal group barbeque every Monday at the VegOut Garden in St Kilda, Kosher Meals on Wheels, Vision Australia and Fitted for Work. Dani also loves spending time with her five gorgeous grandchildren and loves studying Italian, gardening, cooking, pilates, yoga, walking, traveling and comedy.
Dani shares that, “Access Inc has been a big part of my life and though I miss many of the original participants I first worked with who have moved on, this is the natural progression and what the program is designed to do.”
Above: Dani Mahemoff with Zac Chester 24 Annual Report 2019-2020 Right: Access Charidy Campaign 2020 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 27 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 28
Community Group of the Year Press Release
Thursday 21 May 2020
Glen Eira Mayor announces award winners
Council’s annual Community Awards is taking a different approach in 2020. Glen Eira Mayor Cr Margaret Esakoff has announced the winners of our Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year via a video message.
The Awards recognise the contributions of outstanding residents and community groups who, through hard work and dedication, have significantly contributed to the community.
Congratulations to the following winners:
2020 Citizen of the Year winner: Mary Torpy Mary was announced the winner for her active involvement with the Glen Eira community for more than 30 years. She has contributed through music and sport, and has helped connect innumerable people to their community, young and old alike.
2020 Young Citizen of the Year 2020: Jonah Feiglin Jonah was recommended as the winner of this category because of his self-motivation, persistence and determination to make a difference. He initiated a charity project in 2019 with his school and put in an incredible amount of hard work, successfully influencing a team of students to be involved.
2020 Community Group of the Year joint winners: Impact for Women and Access Inc. Impact for Women was awarded for the work it does to raise awareness, and the contribution it makes to people experiencing family violence. This work has had an impact in Glen Eira and broader community over the past 13 years.
Access Inc. is awarded for the great work it does in demystifying disability, fostering belonging and helping our community appreciate the value of diversity. Access Inc. partners with adults with disabilities to achieve goals in areas that are important to belonging and having meaningful lives.
To watch the announcement, which includes a Welcome to Country from Boon Wurrung Elder Parbin-ata Carolyn Briggs AM, visit www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/about-council/news/latest-news/community-awards
Media enquiries: Amarita Kinnoo 03 9524 3411 or 0409 169 275
GLEN EIRA CITY COUNCIL CORNER GLEN EIRA AND HAWTHORN ROADS, CAULFIELD, VIC PO BOX 42, CAULFIELD SOUTH 3162 P 03 9524 3333 • F 03 9523 0339 GLENEIRA.VIC.GOV.AU
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Above: National Volunteer Week Afteroon Tea.
Below: Body percussion session with Ronen Shoshan from Buckets of Fun!
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Highlights of the Year
JULY • Access Healthy Cooking Skills program introduced a new 'Around the World’ theme into programming, focusing on a new country, its culture, geography and food each week. Some countries covered were: Korea, Japan, Israel, South Africa and Brazil.
• Access participant, Eli Jones-Resnik and Access CEO, Sharon Malecki spoke to RMIT students starting their Certificate III in Disability and Community Services engaging in an honest and open discussion about what people with a disability are looking for in support workers.
AUGUST • The Access Life Skills program coordinated an excursion to Melbourne Museum, as a group. Participants independently organised all aspects of the excursion from deciding the location, working out how to get there, calculating the travel time, costs and what they needed to bring.
• Access Inc AGM – launch of the Daniel and Joshua Szwarc Memorial Scholarship awarded to Zevi Glasman
• 6 new Access banners were kindly donated by Consolidated Signage.
Left: Zvi Schweitzer, Eli Jones-Resnik & Zac Chester at the Luna Park Mosaics Exhibition December 2019 Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 31
SEPTEMBER JANUARY • A new Front of House program was • Access participant, Cheryl Plaut lit a candle in established, focusing on industry visits in the memory of those with disbailities who were community to see different aspects of the wider murdered in the Holocaust, at the Jewish hospitality sector. This included visits to Peter Holocaust Centre's 75th Holocaust Remebrance Unger Catering, Ratdog Coffee, Kosher Day commemoration. Kingdom, Coles Elsternwick and the Australian Jewish News. FEBRUARY • Launch of a pilot project partnership with C • Access volunteer, Helen Gelber was Care in which participants in Access’ Introduction announced as one of the 13 Caulfield to Commercial Cooking course prepared some Volunteer Award winners. of the food for C Care’s meals. • Art Studio participants attended an excursion to the Laser Beak Man performance and • ShabbatTogether partnership with Chabad exhibition by Tim Sharp. Tim is an Australian artist Malvern's Giving Kitchen and Elwood Shule to who has been diagnosed with autism and is most celebrate inclusion, shared understanding and famous for his creation of the colourful meaningful participation within the community. superhero, Laser Beak Man. MARCH OCTOBER • Access successfully held their third annual • Introduction of the new Access Eats Pop-Up charidy campaign, raising a total of $366,500. Take Away Café at Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre. APRIL • Establishment and launch of the new NOVEMBER Access Online platform for programs in response • Launch of a new and improved donation page to COVID-19. on the Access website.
• Access Drumming group performed at the • Mt Scopus Memorial College students joined St Kilda Shule 'Sing As One' multifaith social Access Online's Mid-Week Mingle in celebration music initiative. of Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day).
DECEMBER MAY • Access participants catered the food stall and • Access announced as co-winner of the City of ran the coffee cart at The City of Port Phillip's Glen Eira’s Community Group of the Year Award International Day of People with Disability event in conjunction with Impact for Women. at St Kilda Town Hall. The food was catered by the Access Bakery and the coffee was made by JUNE Access Espresso baristas. • Access CEO, Sharon Malecki was a guest presenter on the Glen Eira Council Working • The Access Espresso coffee cart and lemonade Together Radio segment about the benefits of stand were popular stalls at HaBayit's Festibayit employing a person with a disability. Chanukah festival.
• Access Art Studio exhibited their Luna Park themed mosaics at Luna Park's Community Day.
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David has been a participant at Access for approximately three years. He has attended both David James Hospitality and Art programs and currently participates in the Access Online World Travel A Participant’s Story Wednesday and Let’s Get Moving programs.
David joined Access as a way to meet new people, make new friends, learn new skills and have something fun to look forward to.
What a welcomed member of the group he is! David’s friendly, upbeat and cheery disposition is a pleasure to be around. With his great sense of humour and quick wit, he regularly makes people laugh and keeps them on their toes. David has developed friendships at Access and everyone loves to hear his contributions in the programs.
Through Access, David has gained confidence in decision-making, communicating more assertively with others and has become more independent. Attending Access Online led to David getting his first iPad through the NDIS, which has greatly advanced his technical skills and importantly enables him to remain connected during the Covid-19 pandemic.
David loves spending time with family and friends, seeing movies, going to restaurants and playing ten-pin bowling. He attends a community men’s shed group, enjoys going to the gym and is a keen St Kilda Football Club supporter. David loves watching TV quiz shows and has a vast general knowledge of music. Everyone wants David on their team at trivia events!
Left: David James, DInah Strum and Zac Chester Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 33
Accountant’s
Report
Accountant’s Report For The Year Ended 30 June 2020
I am delighted to present the Financial Statements and Accountant’s Report for Access Inc. for the year ended 30 June 2020.
Income and Expenditure Statement Balance Sheet
Access Inc generated Sales revenue of At the end of June 2020, Access held assets of $193,801 from the following sources: $769,926 comprised as follows: Program Fees $168,045 Cash at Bank $734,535 Product Sales $ 22,927 Receivables $ 18,395 Other Sales $ 2,829 Prepayments $ 1,847 Furniture & Equiq $ 15,149 The direct costs associated with generating this revenue amounted to $287,337, The liabilities owing by Access Inc. amount to (which comprised mainly Program Staff $74,179 and include Accrued Wages, PAYGW, Wages and Employment costs of $271,262). Superannuation, and other employment related expenses. All of these expenses will be paid out Additional income of $688,779 was received dur- in July 2020, or shortly thereafter. ing 2020 from the following sources: The Net Asset position of Access Inc. at the end Donations $ 96,289 of June 2020 is therefore a surplus of Assets over Charidy Campaign $362,864 Liabilities amounting to $695,747. Grants $135,000 I again acknowledge and thank Michelle Deutsch Covid-19 Support $ 89,278 for her invaluable assistance and expert Interest & Other $ 4,908 management of our Bookkeeping functions, Membership $ 440 which make my job as Accountant both simple and enjoyable. This brought Total Income to $595,243 I am happy to report that I will continue to act as for the year. Honorary Accountant for Access Inc. and look forward to continuing my work with the very Against this Revenue, Access incurred special people who make up the Committee, expenditure amounting to $404,550 on the Staff, Volunteers and Board Members. following major items: Finally, I will be happy to answer any questions Admin Staff Costs $309,885 about the Financial Statements by email. Rent $ 29,193 Insurance $ 16,502 Yours Sincerely Stephen Singer Fundraising Costs $ 14,920
These activities left Access Inc. with a Net Surplus for the year of $190,693.
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Hillary has been volunteering in Access’ Front of House program for approximately two years. She Hillary thoroughly enjoys preparing lunches each week with the participants, which largely consists of sandwiches and salads. These items are then Malkinson purchased at either the Access Pop Up Cafe or from nearby businesses. Hillary loves talking and A Volunteer’s Story laughing with the participants - they share experiences and recipes. For Hillary, it feels like being part of a family who all really care for each other. Hillary says that, “at Access, skills are built and lives are enriched and working with the staff and other volunteers is so much fun.”
Following the passing of her mother, Hillary moved to Melbourne in 2017 from New York and was seeking a way to connect with the community. Hospitality Program Manager, Nitza Marom, approached Hillary and introduced her to what Hillary calls, “this wonderful organisation.” Hillary also has a cousin with a disability living in New York, so she was especially drawn to the work of Access.
Hillary grew up in South Africa, in a family of active volunteers who dedicated time to a variety of Jewish organisations of many backgrounds. This left a lasting impression on Hillary and she is proud to be part of the Access team.
Every week, Hillary is thrilled to observe the growth of the participants’ confidence and independence. Hillary considers Volunteering at Access on a Wednesday morning to be the highlight of her week and says, “I hope I can help participants develop their passion and strength”.
Hillary also volunteers her time at the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital auxiliary Pop Up Shop and when she is not volunteering, she loves playing American Mahjong and exercising. Hillary is also very close with her sister and extended family in Melbourne.
32 Annual Report 2019-2020 Left: Hillary Malkinson Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 35
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the businesses, organisations and individuals that support and partner with Access to celebrate ability in our community.
Change is best achieved through strong leadership and collaboration. Over the past year we have worked with a diverse range of organisations, businesses and individuals. Through these partnerships, we pursue our vision to promote inclusion and showcase ability. This year we partnered with:
• Agathé Pâtisserie • JMH Furniture • Anita Lester Music • Joshua Batten Music • Armadale Bowls Club • Josh Burns MP • Astoria Paper Products • Kehillat Nitzan • Australian Jewish News • Kickback Self Protection • BaiLa Fitness • Knit One Give One (KOGO) • Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre • Kook Community Kitchen • B’nai B’rith Victoria • Kosher Kingdom • Brett Ginsberg Visuals • Buckets of Fun • Kraus Foods • C Care • Lamm Jewish Library of Australia • Caulfield Park Community • Lauren Mandel Consulting (LMC) Bank Branch (Bendigo Bank) • Learn Local • Caulfield Recreation Centre • Leibler Yavneh College • Caulfield Shule – Tuesday Shmoozeday • Lenny’s Deli • Central Shule • Link Financial • Ceres Environment Park • Lowe Lippmann Chartered Accountants • Chabad Malvern • Luna Park • Charidy • Maccabi All Abilities • Chef’s Hat • Magen David Adom Australia (MDA) • Chevra Hatzolah Melbourne • Mal Webb Music • City of Glen Eira • Monash University • City of Port Phillip • Mt Scopus Memorial College • Community Security Group (CSG) • Consolidated Signage • My Cause • Costco • National Australia Bank (NAB) • Cottle Coffee • Neon Rays • David Southwick MP • O’Ziriguidum Samba School • Deakin University • Peter Unger Catering • Diller Teen Fellows • Port Phillip Community Group • Down Syndrome Victoria • Ratdog Coffee • Elwood Shule • RMIT • Emunah Australia • Romi Kupfer • Ernst & Young • Rosie Leon Thomas • Flying Fox • Royal Children’s Hospital • Friendship Circle • Safety Dave • Gameface • SEEK • Goodworthy • Solomon Kosher Butcher • HaBayit • St Kilda Shule Hebrew Congregation • Hadassah Australia • Holmesglen Institute of TAFE • The Ark Centre • House • The Dreaming Space • Inclusion Melbourne • The King David School • J-Air • TOM: Melbourne • Jewish Care Vic • United Jewish Education Board (UJEB) • Jewish Community Council Victoria (JCCV) • Victorian State Government • Jewish Disability Network (JDN) • Vision PT Caulfield • Jewish Holocaust Centre (JHC) • Zionism Victoria
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Thank you to our donors.
We could not exist without the partnership and investment of our generous donors. Through individual donations, grants, donated goods and services and assistance with raising funds, we are able to continue and grow our organisation.
In particular, we acknowledge the following:
Lead Partner: Gandel Philanthropy
Major Donors:
• Anonymous • Ella & Ben Kohn • Erdi Foundation • Grosman Family Foundation • Hannah Cohen • Jack & Robert Smorgon Families Foundation • Moniton Pty Ltd. • P&S Bassat Foundation • Rogers Family • Ron Goldschlager • Ruth & Grahame Leonard AM • Sara Lederman Charitable Foundation • Sparky Foundation • Spotlight Foundation • Sunraysia Foundation • The Breville Group • The Pratt Foundation • Tom & Issy Jacob • Tom & Lorelle Krulis • Tony & Rochelle Davis • Vicki Factor
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Partner With Us
Access relies on the generous support of individuals, corporate entities and the general community as it doesn’t receive any recurrent funding. With your support, Access provides services that equip our participants with the skills and opportunities they need to achieve their goals. Your time, money, resources or ideas can help make a real difference.
Donate No matter how large or small, every contribution helps. You can securely donate online at www.accessinc.org.au, or phone us on (03) 9272 5603. Access Inc. is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Status and all donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Leave a Bequest Leaving a gift to Access will support our ongoing work and is a tangible way to create a meaningful legacy. Please speak with your solicitor or call (03) 9272 5603 for more information.
Fundraise In addition to direct donations, Access is also a listed charity with My Cause through which you can host your own event or organise one in conjunction with your school, club, community or workplace. You can securely set up a fundraising event at www.mycause.com.au.
Memorial Donations A memorial donation is a thoughtful way to remember someone and pay tribute to their life and achievements. A donation to Access in memory is acknowledged and a letter is sent to the next of kin or nearest relative.
Simcha Donations When planning a special celebration such as a birthday, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, engagement, wedding or other simcha, please consider encouraging your friends and family to make a donation to Access as their gift to you.
Volunteering Volunteers assist in many areas of Access, playing a vital role in supporting our participants. Volunteers are integral to the day-to-day operation of the organisation and have been the lifeblood since its establishment. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us at [email protected].
Partner With Us Many community organisations and corporate businesses partner with Access to deliver better services and programs. These partnerships are a mutually-beneficial way of assisting. If you wish to sponsor a program or project, please contact us at [email protected].
Left: Harley Rose at our 2020 Charidy Campaign
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Event
Donations The following people generously asked for donations to Access as in honour of their celebrations:
• Arlene Isaacs 60th • Eunice Abrahams 90th • Jenny Levin 80th • Jesse Kline Bar Mitzvah • Sandra Roth 80th
Grants • Besen Family Foundation • Caulfield Park Community Bank • City of Glen Eira • Government of Victoria
Thank you to our volunteers.
Access is a proud volunteer - involving organisation and our success could not be achieved without the partnership of our passionate, skilled and dedicated volunteers. We are extremely grateful to all of our wonderful volunteers and thank you so much for all your assistance.
Above: Baruch Rosenfeld presenting Jesse Kline and his mum Lillian a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of Jesse asking for donations in lieu 36 Annual Report 2019-2020 of gifts on the occasion of his Barmitzavh Access AnnualReport2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout120/01/202108:33Page39 Annual Report 2019-2020
37 Helen Gelber and Nicole Spigelman in the Access Bakery Access Annual Report 2020_AMENDED21_TOPRINT.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2021 08:33 Page 40
Lamm Library Building, Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre 304 - 306 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield South Vic 3162 or PO Box 2401, Caulfield Junction 3161
T. (03) 9272 5603
[email protected] | www.accessinc.org.au G /AccessIncVic e @access_inc k Access Inc