Fraser Coast Community Directory Tuesday, 5 October 2021 The Fraser Coast Community Directory The Fraser Coast Community Directory is a free online directory that is proudly supported by the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre (HBNC). The directory provides up-to-date information on community organisations that provide services in the Fraser Coast area. The HBNC was founded in 1987 by a group of active community minded volunteers and was one of Queensland’s first ‘community houses’. The HBNC is a not for profit organisation that seeks to support the most disenfranchised people in the community. It is a place where members of our community can meet for friendship, information, and support, action on a community issue, self-development, and community involvement or to access visiting or resident services. The community centre is supported by an active volunteer team and we always welcome new members to the group. The objectives of HBNC are to work in cooperation with the whole community to relieve poverty, suffering, isolation, helplessness and misfortune. It provides services that help to foster healthy family, individual and community relationships. The HBNC provides low cost premises for self-help groups, community based groups and organisations that share our ethos. We work within a social justice framework recognising the full diversity of our community. The Community Centre is a five star environment building of approximately 1724m2. It provides the following facilities and services to visiting community organisations, regular tenants and ad-hoc hirers: Administration Equipment and Services Catering Facilities Childcare Facilities Counselling Centre Dividable Function Space Interview Rooms Meeting Rooms Multicultural Garden Public Internet Access Bicycle Parking The Fraser Coast Community Directory The services offered by the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood centre include: Aged and Disability services B.O.L.D which stands for Bays Over 50 Living dangerously. It is a great opportunity to pursue your interests and enjoy new experiences. They meet each Tuesday at 9.30am in the Urangan Community Centre. Social lunches are organised by members for the last Thursday of each month at different venues around the bay. Community Visitors Scheme provides volunteer visitors to residents of aged care homes who are at risk of isolation from the general community. Community visitors visit at least fortnightly and provide friendship and companionship. The scheme is available to residents in both low and high care facilities and covers Hervey Bay and Maryborough. The Fraser Coast Multicultural Respite Service is designed to provide Respite Care, Centre Based Respite and Social Support to frail aged or younger people with disabilities and their carer from CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) backgrounds. Eligibility is based on My Aged Care (MAC) assessment. TransComCare provides accessible, individualised and flexible transport for people who qualify for the Commonwealth Home Support Programme and Queensland Community Care program. It provides transport for the frail aged (people over 65 years of age). It also includes a person less than 65 years of age, who have a moderate, severe or profound disability, or a condition which restricts their ability to carry out activities of daily living and their carers. It is for people with no other means of transport or find it difficult to access transport and who are a resident of Hervey Bay, living at home and do not have a current drivers licence. TransComCare is a Community Transport program managed by the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre. The service is available to take clients to doctors, dentists, hospital appointments, shopping and to social activities. Eligible clients, carers or other agencies can register for assessment with our service by telephoning 4194 3080 and speaking to the Coordinator or Project Officer. Clients are asked to contribute a donation. The Fraser Coast Community Directory Family, Children and Youth Services Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre Early Learning Centre. Child Care is provided by our Limited Hours Early Learning centre which provides high quality child care on an occasional or regular basis for children 6 weeks to 5 years. The service allows families to leave their children in a safe and child friendly environment. All children and their families regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, class, age and lifestyle are valued and are entitled to the same opportunities for participation, acceptance and belonging in our childcare environment. Family Connect (Bay Families) trains volunteers to work in the home with parents who are experiencing challenges with their children. Play With Your Kids. Qualified staff work together to provide you and your children with opportunities to learn through play in a safe and supportive environment. The objectives of the program are to work in partnership with parents by facilitating playgroups that provide a variety of play experiences and activities. These support the physical, emotional and social development of children from birth to prep. Play With Your Kids also provides parenting information and support to parents on a variety of issues and needs. It fosters opportunities for parents to develop valuable social networks with other families. The Reconnect Program works with young people aged 12-18 who are at risk of homelessness (early home leaving). It aims to help young people and families to strengthen communication skills, assists young people to minimise conflict, focus on relationships and recognise goals. The program helps young people and families to understand the challenges parents face, assist parents to understand young people's challenges and assist families to develop their strengths and find solutions that suit their unique family. Youth Mentoring Program. The Hervey Bay Youth Mentoring Program is for young people within the school system who are experiencing difficulty interacting, participating and contributing to the community in positive, constructive and respectful ways. It is a model of linking community members with young people who may need extra support in these transitional stages. All it takes to be a Youth Mentor is a commitment to spend approximately two hours a week with a young person. The Fraser Coast Community Directory Legal and Professional Services Conversations Creating Change. The Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre has co-hosted Planning, Development and Networking events since 2013. The broad aim of this series of events is to develop a new way of "seeing" and talking about our community. We want to embed into our local community's conversations the idea that we are more than the descriptors of disadvantage. By hosting a friendly environment we hope to build, explore and support alternative stories; we hope to encourage discussions that will bring about real change. Following the 4th Planning, Development and Networking Day in August 2014, the catch cry of "Conversations Creating Change" emerged as a framing statement for the PD&N days and has been used since. Taylor Street Community Legal Service provides quality legal advice, referral, information and education free of charge to the Fraser Coast, Bundaberg, Gympie and North Burnett local government areas. This service provision is assisted by local, community-minded volunteers including solicitors who work on a voluntary basis to provide free and confidential legal advice. The Taylor Street Community Legal Service is aligned with community legal services across Queensland and around Australia. It is accredited by the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) and QUAILS (Queensland Association of Independent Legal Services Inc). (STARS Qld) Tenancy Service provides a service for tenants who are having problems with their tenancy or need advice. Individual tenancy advice and information on the Residential Tenancies Act 2008 is provided as well as guidance and information on communicating with real estate agents, lessors and managers. It provides assistance to complete tenancy, housing, Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) and Qld Civil Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) forms. Support during conciliations, Tribunal, meetings with REA, lessors and if required representation. Servicing Fraser Coast and Wide Bay areas. Seniors Legal and Support Service is a community service providing free and confidential legal advice and counselling support for seniors 65 years (55 if indigenous) and over in the Fraser Coast community who are experiencing, or are at risk of, elder abuse, mistreatment or financial exploitation. Services include legal advice, representation and information, short term counselling, advocacy, referral and community education. The Fraser Coast Community Directory Multicultural Services The Fraser Coast Migrant Settlement Service provides a wide range of free support for recent (<5 years) migrants in the Wide Bay. This includes Immigration and citizenship Employment, Education and training, Overseas qualifications recognition, English literacy programs, Accommodation, Skilled Migrant Family Support, Domestic Violence, Legal and police issues, General settlement information and Advocacy, support and referral. Community Actions for a Multicultural Society Program (CAMS) supports the overall multicultural policy objectives of all Community members, regardless of their cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds. CAMS support all community members to have equitable access to services