Past Initiatives

Dementia Awareness Project - Information for Service Providers

Australian Polish Community Services has worked on a Dementia Awareness Project which provided information and community education to the Polish community in Victoria to support people already experiencing dementia, their families and carers on where to seek assistance and coping strategies. The project also promoted prevention strategies targeted towards members of the community to work towards diminishing the prevalence of dementia in the Polish community in the future. Series of forums for members of the Polish community have been held around Victoria in early 2007.

For more information contact Magdalena Wyrwicz on (03) 8371 2312 or via email.

Polish Health Promotion Strategy

APCS prepared the Polish Health Promotion Strategy for printing and release. In order to identify the key health issues needing to be addressed in the Health Promotion Strategy, APCS undertook a health survey with members of the Polish community. Nearly 400 people completed the survey and from this we have been able to identify the key issues impacting on people’s health and lifestyle. The key issues identified were:

• Arthritis
• Vision impairment
• Mental health, including loneliness and depression
• Blood pressure and cardiovascular disease / conditions
• Dental problems
• Weight issues
• Ageing and related health conditions such as dementia
• Diabetes
• Falls

This information provided APCS with the opportunity to develop relationships with health promotion organisations to address these areas.

For further information contact Wendy Bennett on (03) 8371 2310 or e-mail: spo@apcs.org.au

Polish Women's Forum

APCS held a Polish Women's Forum in July 2006 which was attended by over 80 women from the community. Women in the Polish community were consulted as to the topics and information they would like at the Forum. Dr Zenon Gruba spoke on health and wellbeing issues and combining traditional and modern medical practices. Other key speakers included a second generation Polish Australian woman speaking to the theme of “In Search of a Cultural Background” and two first generation migrant women speaking on “Career Endeavours of a Migrant Woman” and “Experiences of a Migrant”. Speakers were supported by the provision of musical interludes by a talented young Polish musician. Information and resources were also provided about domestic violence and mental health as areas of priority. The Forum also provided access to information offered by selected service providers, including Centrelink, Legal Aid and the Cancer Council, and an opportunity to network and socialise.

Documentation Project: Making It Happen Resource Kit and Diverse Communities Working Together Workshops

Through funding from The Helen McPherson Smith Trust, Victorian Multicultural Commission and The William Buckland Foundation APCS has been able to document how we have developed out services over the years. The project explored the many strategies and processes APCS has used, not only to obtain funding but also to raise awareness of the community and its needs, what has worked and not worked, steps taken to overcome barriers, and so on. This information has been collected into a manual, Making It Happen: a resource kit to assist in developing services for Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Communities and is available to ethnic communities to assist them in their planning and development of services.

The Making It Happen Resource Kit provides a range of information and strategies for communities to consider and provides tip sheets and checklists to assist community groups in the process of developing services and raising their community's profile. Copies of the Resource Kit can be ordered ($10 per copy) by contacting APCS on (03) 9689 9170.

For information on the associated workshop click here. For further information on the Resource Kit or Workshops contact Wendy Bennett on (03) 8371 2310 or e-mail: spo@apcs.org.au

Local History Project

The Department of Victorian Communities funded APCS to undertake a project to collect the settlement experiences of Polish persons who arrived in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s. A bilingual book entitled Emigracyjne Życiorysy Polish Migrants' Stories) is available for purchase for $9.00.

Information about depression in Polish

APCS has produced an informational brochure about depression for the Polish community. The brochure contains information on: What is depression? symptoms, frequency, types of depression, who can experience it, types of treatment available & where to get help. Copies can be downloaded here or obtained by contacting the office on (03) 9689 9170 or e-mail: info@apcs.org.au

Polish Business Directory

APCS has developed a directory of Polish businesses in Melbourne. This is a useful tool for both the Polish community and those working with Poles who may need to provide information about a range of services. A copy can be downloaded from our Publications page.

The Future of Polish Culture in Australia Forum

The forum took place on Saturday, 4th June, at 2.30pm, at the Polish centre in Rowville. Mrs Bogumiła Więclaw, First Counsellor, at the Polish Embassy in Canberra, was the guest speaker. Approx 65 people attended this important discussion forum, including a significant number of leaders within the Polish community and active volunteers. The forum was organised in partnership with the Australian Polish Historical Society. If you are interested in being involved in or invited to any future forums, please contact the APCS office on (03) 9689 9170.

International Women's Day 2005

The celebration of International Women's Day (IWD) undertaken by APCS on 8^th March was well received by both the Polish and mainstream communities. 140 people, predominantly women, attended the event at Millennium House in Footscray to celebrate the skills and experiences of Polish and Ukrainian women performers, Polish speakers and women artists of many cultural backgrounds.

The audience had the opportunity to hear traditional Polish music performed by renowned soprano Jola Mielczarek, a selection of folk pieces from Zosia Kaszubska and the voices of the Polish choir, Lutnia. Joining the Polish voices were 9 members of the Ukrainian Women's Association who performed a selection of traditional Ukrainian pieces. Added to the musical performances were pieces from Polish poet, Barbara Bakon.

The audience also had the opportunity to hear about the experiences of two women, Elizabeth Szczepanska, a first generation Polish migrant who arrived in Australia during the 1980s. Danusia Kaska is a third generation Australian Polish woman who spoke about her voluntary work in the community. The audience also got to hear a few words from Melba Marginson, a Commissioner with the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

Those attending also got the opportunity to see paintings and drawings produced by women from many different cultural backgrounds.

Our thanks go to the Victorian Multicultural Commission for sponsoring this event, the artists and performers who contributed to celebration and to the people who attended for helping to make this event the success that it was.

Bringing the Pieces Together: Best Practice in Health Promotion for CALD Communities Symposium

The Bringing the Pieces Together Symposium was held on 17^th November at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Over 200 people from Victoria, interstate and overseas attended the Symposium. Participants heard from a range of speakers  throughout the day and participated in workshops highlighting a range of topics. The day provided delegates from a diverse range of agencies to meet and discuss what they are doing in the area of health promotion for CALD communities and to develop contacts for future networking and collaborations. It also provided an opportunity to share models and knowledge without agencies having to "reinvent the wheel" on limited budgets.

Participants also made a number of recommendations  targeted towards improving health promotion activities to CALD communities in the future. APCS will be continuing to follow up on the recommendations with the key departments / people to encourage some action on these.

APCS would like to take this opportunity to thank the Symposium sponsors, steering committee, speakers & presenters and delegates who helped make the Symposium a success.

For further information about the Symposium, contact Wendy on (03) 8371 2304 or e-mail spo@apcs.org.au

Domestic Violence Support Group

APCS received funding through the Bokhara Foundation to conduct a pilot Support Group for Polish women experiencing domestic violence. This project explored the most appropriate model for women of Polish background and provided the participants with an opportunity to have input into the program. An evaluation report from the project, including recommendations for the future, has been produced and is available for purchase or download  for anyone interested in finding out more about how we approached the support group, and those who might be interested in exploring the possibility of delivering a culturally and linguistically specific support group.

Lonesome No More Project

The City of Maribyrnong provided a grant of $1,500 to APCS in 2004 to identify isolated Polish residents in aged-care residential facilities in the municipality and to link them to Polish-speaking volunteers. This project has now been completed and proved a successful initiative for both residents and residential care staff. Through this project, APCS was able to make contact with all aged-care residential facilities in the municipality and to provide training to facility staff about Polish culture and tradition. Four successful matches with Polish speaking residents and community volunteers were made to help reduce the isolation experienced by older CALD residents in residential aged care facilities.

For further information about the project contact Patrycja on 8371 2308 or e-mail polvol@apcs.org.au

Domestic Violence Research Project

Due to rising concern about the number of Polish women presenting to the agency with domestic violence issues, APCS has undertaken research to examine the issue of domestic violence in the Polish community. The report from this project, Zanim będzie za późno (Before it's too late): Domestic Violence in the Polish Community: An analytical approach to defining the nature and prevalence of domestic violence in the Polish community, was launched on 18^th April by Senator, the Hon. Kay Patterson, Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues.

APCS has begun to implement some of the recommendations in the report and is seeking support to implement others. Through financial support from the Office of Women, Partnerships Against Domestic Violence, in Canberra, APCS has also developed and printed a national information card for Polish women about domestic violence in Australia and where they can seek help.

The report is available for purchase from APCS for $10.00 or can be downloaded from our Publications page. To order a copy call (03) 9689 9170 or e-mail info@apcs.org.au. The information cards are available by contacting the above number.

Lest We Forget Project

Polish people who migrated to Australia following the Second World War have many interesting and moving stories to tell about their experiences in Poland in the period before and during the War. This information is an important part of Poland's history and the history of Polish-born Australian residents. APCS has collected ten oral histories from Polish people and have released them in a bi-lingual book. The collection was launched by The Hon. Peter McGuaran, Minister for Citizenship & Multicultural Affairs, on 23^rd March 2005. This book will be a significant contribution to understanding the lives of our older Polish people.

Copies are available for purchase from APCS for $7.00 (currently out of print) by phoning (03) 9689 9170 or e-mailing info@apcs.org.au. Download also available.

Depression Project

In 2004, APCS staff conducted a depression survey in the Polish language to determine the understanding and prevalence of this illness within the community. A report with the findings and recommendations from the study is now available from the office for $5.00 and is now available for download.

Polish Youth Profile

From our older population to our young Australian-Polish residents, APCS has compiled a collection of stories from first, second and third generation Polish young people. In this collection, 32 young people aged 14-24 explore what Polish culture means to them, and their dreams and aspirations for their lives. This collection is available in a book format for $5.00 and can be obtained by contacting the office.

Polish Community - where to now?

2003 - a state-wide conference was attended by 130 people, including representatives from interstate Polish welfare organisations. The speeches from this conference have now been released in a book entitled Polonia in Australia: Challenges and Possibilities in the New Millennium and is available for purchase by contacting the office. For further information see the Publications web page.

Alternatively you can click here for a downloadable version of the conference speeches.