Access Inc in Caulfield South, Victoria | Community organisation

Access Inc

Locality: Caulfield South, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9272 5603

Address: 304 Hawthorn Road 3162 Caulfield South, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.accessinc.org.au/

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• Community organisation
• Disability service
• Public service

25.01.2022 Thank you to Lauren and Debbie from Placing Heads Associate Recruiters who joined the Access Online Exploring Employment program as guest speakers a couple of weeks ago. It was a fantastic opportunity for participants to gain insight into how recruitment works and the processes involved. Lauren and Debbie provided positive and helpful tools around employment skills, being prepared for an interview and answered some important questions about the interview process. Lauren and D...ebbie were extremely approachable during the session. This positive experience will make any potential interviews in the future a little less nerve-racking for the group. A huge thank you to Lauren and Debbie for your time, knowledge and sharing your expertise! We can't wait to put these skills to use!

24.01.2022 Lisa Ezekiel thank you for inspiring The Lisa! With Mac and cheese in a jaffle and a side of tomato sauce, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Lisa! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

24.01.2022 We are taking the opportunity today to once again stop and appreciate the vitality of our volunteers. Along with Glen Eira City Council's #bekindgleneira initiative, we recognise that our volunteers really are an #integral part of our organisation on a daily basis. Access is a proud volunteer-involving organisation and our success could not be achieved without the partnership of our passionate, skilled and dedicated volunteers.... To all of our volunteers, as well as volunteers around Glen Eira and broader community, today and all year round, we say - THANK YOU!

23.01.2022 MEET GUY! Guy has been a participant at Access for over 5 years. He loves having a busy schedule with fun activities to look forward to and is currently attending many of the Access Online programs. He begins with the Cooking Program on Mondays, where he has gained and developed many new skills, particularly the understanding of measurements. He enjoys using his Thermomix during the week and following new recipes.... On Tuesdays, Guy attends Tunes and Beats, where he brings his personality and great charm to each and every session. Recently he has been using a wooden shaker to provide the timing and continuous beat during a jam session. The program facilitator, Neda says, Guy is always on board for a group production and has been showing great talent in acting and presenting! Guy attends the World Travel and Mid-Week Mingle programs on Wednesdays, and the Life Skills Express program on Thursdays. Guy is very interested in creativity and art and on Fridays he attends the Exploring Creativity program, where he particularly enjoys gaining knowledge of artists and art styles. He likes working with a pen or pencil to create fine lines, as well as painting and bold colours. Thank you Guy for allowing us to share some of your experiences with everyone. Access Online has been developed in response to Covid-19. Term 4 recently started with a robust schedule of programs. We have rolling enrolment for most programs this term so to find out more about taking part or supporting Access through donations, please visit our website.

23.01.2022 Access is about people - and volunteers play such a vital role in ensuring and maintaining social connectedness and cohesion. They are truly the heart of our organisation. The Access family, as with many families during this pandemic, don't get to see each other on a regular basis. Our volunteers are a crucial part of our family and we miss seeing them every week them during these unusual times. Last Thursday, Access held a Cooking Demo to connect with our volunteers while... learning to cook Dan Bing, traditional Taiwanese pancakes over zoom. The session was run by Access Hospitality Manager, Nitza Marom. This event was great way to maintain a connection with our volunteers and we hope to have many more events like this in the future! Thank you Nitza for the cooking demo and to all those who attended - we hope you enjoyed your delicious Dan Bing pancakes!

23.01.2022 Next Monday night, 7th September, Access CEO Sharon Malecki will be speaking about Access Inc.'s Covid Response - Celebrating Ability in Our Community During Crisis at the Jewish Community Council of Victoria Plenum Meeting. Sharon will be talking about Access Online the new suite of programs that has been integral in helping participants manage their time under restrictions and ensuring they do not feel "abandoned". The meeting will be from 8:00 9:30 PM on zoom. Please em...ail [email protected] to RSVP and for the attendance link. We hope to see you there!

22.01.2022 Thank you Romi Kupfer for leading the Exploring Creativity group through a range of drama exercises and activities a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time playing around and doing different actions at different speeds and with a variety of dramatised emotions. In the photo below, we are doing "Happy", and did this to different styles of music. This was Romi’s second session teaching Access Online. These moments are so memorable and enriching and we are extremely grateful ...for the opportunity to learn from such dedicated guest presenters. Thanks again Romi! We love having you come visit! For more information about Exploring Creativity, or any of our other programs, send us a message or visit our website.

22.01.2022 We are so proud to be included in the State of Volunteering in Victoria Report 2020! The report highlights the benefits of volunteering and the impacts volunteers have on organisations like ours. Shout out to Harley and Derek for representing Access on this double page photo spread opening for the section about the characteristics of volunteering in Victoria. ... The whole report can be found on the front page of Volunteering Victoria's website!

22.01.2022 Loving this video from our friends at Emunah Australia who put on our favourite yearly Purim Spiel! With this years Spiel put on hold due to Covid, its awesome to get our Spiel fix with this catchy number! Thanks for the laughs guys, we love your work!

22.01.2022 Jagriti Bhatia from Ignite Bollywood is bringing her colourful style and bright smile to the Lets Get Moving Program TOMORROW! We will learn how to shake our shoulders in true Bollywood style!! Bollywood dancing as seen in Indian movies is a fun, interactive and inclusive style of dance that everyone, no matter what their limitations might be, can get involved.... You can have a bit of fun with it right now by trying this dance move Jagriti has offered us in this video. We cant wait for our class For more information about Let's Get Moving, or any of our other programs, send us a message or visit our website.

22.01.2022 SOCIAL INCLUSION WEEK! "Social Inclusion Week (SIW) Australia is about encouraging communities to reconnect and be inclusive of all cultures, age groups, nationalities and abilities". This year's SIW theme is: CONNECT, COLLABORATE and CELEBRATE!... While there aren't many events on for SIW in Victoria due to Covid, this week, and every week, we ask you to aim to help all Australians feel included and valued, giving everyone the opportunity to participate fully in society. SIW runs for Saturday 21 - Sunday 29 November 2020. For more information, be sure to check out their website!

20.01.2022 Guy Slome thank you for inspiring The Guy! With lemon and thyme smashed peas and creamed feta with a side of matbucha, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Guy! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

20.01.2022 Chabad Malvern thank you for inspiring TCM! With Portobello mushroom, spinach, basil mozzarella and creamed feta, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Chabad Malvern! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

20.01.2022 Dinah Strum thank you for inspiring The Dinah! With roasted beetroot, creamed goats cheese, dried cranberries and pesto, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Dinah! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

20.01.2022 Last week in the World Travel Wednesday program we had an action packed session! We had 4 visitors come and share their stories about their trips to some of the wonders of the modern world. Thank you Nicole for sharing your hiking experience in Machu Picchu, Peru. ... Thanks Michelle and Sarah for sharing your adventures in Petra, Jordan. Thank you Nelly for your enthusiastic presentation about your trip a few years ago to the Great Wall of China! We loved seeing the photos and hearing the stories of your trips! We can't wait to hear about Hillary's trip to the Taj Mahal in India this week! For more information about World Travel Wednesday, or any other Access Online program, please send us a message or visit our website.

19.01.2022 Meet Sarah! As Access Community Engagement Coordinator, Sarah Unger has the opportunity to share her diverse skills across a number of areas. Recently Sarah has been working behind the scenes to implement the technical side of Access Online, including the website, policies and processes. Since the launch of Access Online, Sarah has quickly become Access Zoom expert! She has embraced new challenges and developed many skills but greatly misses seeing and socialising with coll...eagues in person. Being a huge Disney fan and having a collection of Disney costumes, Sarah was so excited to take part in the Disney-themed Mid-Week Mingle where she dressed up as Snow White (photo below)! Sarah particularly enjoys the opportunity to engage with people from Access and the community and says that meeting and working with great people is one of her favourite parts of her role. Outside of Access, Sarah is very busy studying a Bachelor of Education online and has enjoyed walking and cooking more while spending more time at home. Thank you Sarah for all of your hard work and for your contribution to Access - you are an asset to the Access Team!

19.01.2022 Check out this video from Lea Singer, guest presenter for this week's Let's Get Moving program. Lea will be teaching laughter yoga, bachata and meditation techniques in tomorrow's session. Thank you Lea Singer for offering to share your passion for movement and positivity with us - we can't wait for the jam-packed session! For more information about Let's Get Moving, or any of our other programs, send us a message or visit our website.

19.01.2022 Access CEO Sharon Malecki will be speaking about Access Inc.'s Covid Response - Celebrating Ability in Our Community During Crisis at the Jewish Community Council of Victoria Plenum Meeting TONIGHT. Sharon will be talking about Access Online the new suite of programs that has been integral in helping participants manage their time under restrictions and ensuring they do not feel "abandoned". The meeting will be from 8:00 9:30 PM on zoom. Please email [email protected]... to RSVP and for the attendance link. We hope to see you there!

19.01.2022 Eli J-R thank you for inspiring The Eli! With cheese and tomato and a side of pickles, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Eli! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

18.01.2022 Meet Nitza! As Access Hospitality Program Manager, Nitza Marom, has created a diverse range of Hospitality programs. Nitza facilitates the cooking skills classes which are formed of two parts, practical and theory. The 1:1 cooking skills classes support participants to build capacity and independence in their own home. Each week she observes the participants gaining cooking experience and confidence with cooking in their own kitchens. The Cooking Skills Theory classes are ai...med at empowering participants to better understand cooking and how mastering this skill can increase independence and improve health. The program covers a range of topics aimed at building domestic cooking skills, encouraging a healthy and balanced relationship with food and learning how to cook on a budget. Participants receive a list of ingredients in advance and Nitza sets up a camera in her kitchen, so that she can instruct and cook along with the participants. Nitza states, It feels a bit like I'm on a cooking show! It is great that I can see the participants cooking too, and I can provide guidance and suggestions. Despite going virtual, there are still a lot of stories and laughs being shared in our kitchens. Nitza also runs the World Travel Wednesday program, she states I love joining the participants in "travelling" Australia and the world, learning and exploring different cultures, cuisines and discussing as a group how to plan, budget, choose a destination and travel companion. A brief morning tea in between lockdown 1.0 and 2.0 reminded Nitza how much she misses personal interaction. She is however so grateful that participants who were not able to commute to Access, can attend Access Online. Outside of Access, Nitza is enjoying walking her dog, reading, doing puzzles, listening to music and lectures, and attending online tours. Nitzas daughter in New York has been wearing homemade masks, which inspired Nitza to start sewing masks for her family here in Melbourne. Nitza like Pizza, you are driven, passionate and dedicated, thank you for your unwavering contributions to Access.

18.01.2022 Mid-Week Mingle is excited to welcome the fabulous Montana Sharp who will be performing DISNEY songs for us in a live concert, on Wednesday 16th September at 4:30pm. Montana listened to our requests and has her song list ready! Bring your air-microphones and we can all sing along (on mute, so we can hear Montana of course :-)... Disney-themed dress-ups encouraged! Mid-Week Mingle is a free program for anyone already enrolled in another Access Program. To join next week's Mingle or another Access program, send us a message or get in touch via our website.

17.01.2022 Saskia Ericson thank you for inspiring The Carumpkin! With roasted pumpkin, balsamic caramelised onion, goats cheese and pesto, we can't wait to try this delicious masterpiece of a toastie created by Saskia! You can get yours at The Trusty Toastie: 1-7 February (closed 6 February) 2021! ... #TogetherWeToastie #TheTrustyToastie

17.01.2022 MEET ZAC! Zac has been a participant as Access for almost 10 years. He currently attends the 1:1 Cooking and World Travel Wednesday programs. The Cooking program has empowered him to have a better understanding of ingredients and healthy cooking. Zac loves to cook, particularly with beef. He has developed many new skills and is greatly independent in the kitchen. Zac enjoys exploring new places and cultures each week in the World Travel Wednesday program. When restricti...ons in Melbourne are eased to allow travel, he looks forward to traveling to one of his favourite holiday destinations, Surfers Paradise. Outside of Access, Zac enjoys painting with acrylics and this time last year he held his first exhibition titled, fun and happy! He hopes to present his artwork in his second exhibition as soon as possible. In his spare time, Zac also likes to dance and is an avid actor. To wind down, he also loves catching up on his favourite TV shows. Access Online has been developed in response to Covid-19. Term 4 recently started with a robust schedule of programs. We have rolling enrolment for most programs this term so to find out more about taking part or supporting Access through donations, please visit our website.

17.01.2022 SHANA TOVA U'METUKA Wishing you a Shana Tova, a Happy and Sweet Jewish New Year. Access Inc will be closed for Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) on Friday 18th September.

16.01.2022 V O L U N T E E R - A P P R E C I A T I O N - P O S T ! At Access, we are extremely privileged to have incredible and dedicated volunteers who choose to give their time, knowledge and experience to help us build the type of community they want to live in - a community that recognises the contributions of all its members. Our volunteers not only help make our services the best they can be, they are also integral partners in our work to advocate for an inclusive society t...hat values diversity. Thank you to our WONDERFUL volunteers for helping us celebrate ability in our community every day.

16.01.2022 Today, on R U OK Day, our Life Skills Program included a session on the importance of checking in with those around us who might be going through a tough time and how we can have genuine, caring and effective conversations to help, especially during these COVID times. Our participants shared stories of how they have helped others in the past, been helped themselves and how powerful it can be to let someone know that you are there and you care. For tips on how to have these important conversations visit the R U OK Day Facebook page or website.

16.01.2022 Shout out to Glen Eira City Council and J-AIR's Working Together segment for shedding light and bringing awareness on the importance of unpaid carer's during Carer's Week! Thank you Maurice Klein for facilitating such an important conversation.

16.01.2022 Meet Lainie! Lainie Cann is currently Access’ Program Coordinator & Facilitator for Exploring Creativity and The Friday Social, as well as Mid-Week Mingle earlier in the year. Pre-Covid, Lainie also coordinated the Art Studio and Healthy Me programs. Lainie has also been working at Access for over 6 years! The journey of adapting to creating online sessions has been a fun one for Lainie. She has enjoyed the challenges to her creativity on finding ways to engage and connect p...eople. Lainie says, It’s also been so important to work out how best to take care of all of us who are online. Implementing dance breaks to step away from the computer is just one way I have done this and is something we all look forward to. In order to keep things dynamic and fresh, one of Lainie’s priorities has been to try to source great guest program presenters to run pro-bono sessions in a variety of creative arts such as, body percussion, beat-boxing, street art, magic, origami, drama, blogging, song-writing, karaoke, live music, and a variety of dance forms. This has been a great way of maintaining community engagement and the satisfaction has been resoundingly mutual on both sides, with some facilitators returning for multiple sessions! Lainie says, One of the things I most love about my job at Access is the satisfaction I get from seeing the people I work with enjoy what they do, and the progress I witness as I see their sense of achievement and growth and ultimately a continuation of building self-esteem. I also feel so lucky to be a part of a great team where we all support each other to be the best we can. Outside of Access this year, Lainie has embraced Kolam art, a geometric floor art created with rice flour powder that was inspired by her visits to India. Much of her pre-Covid time was taken up by singing and face painting, and she’s looking forward to picking up both of those again!

15.01.2022 Today is #DroptheJargon Day - a day where people working in Australian health, community services and local government commit to using plain language rather than using abbreviations, acronyms and hard to understand terminology. 6 out of 10 people in Australia have low Health Literacy which can make it harder for them to understand unclear terminology. Last week, our Exploring Employment program discussed some of the commonly used jargon relating to the employment industry. So...me of the frequently used jargon we came up with was: WFH - work from home CV - curriculum vitae NFP - not for profit KPI - key performance indicators ASAP - as soon as possible COB - close of business EOI - expression of interest We also discussed what the following commonly used sayings mean: Think outside the box - This term means to not limit your thinking; it encourages creativity with regards to your job description. The helicopter view - An overview of a job or a project. Get our ducks in a row - Order and organize everything efficiently and effectively. Pushing the envelope - This basically means to go outside of what is seen as normal corporate boundaries in order to attain a goal or secure a target. Heavy lifting - This refers to the most difficult aspects of a project, as in, "Bill is doing all the heavy lifting for us!". Hammer it out - To type something up. Win-win situation - A solution where all parties are satisfied with the results. Kept in the loop - This is a common phrase used to mean a person who is informed about what's going on with a project or plan. The above are all acronyms, abbreviations and colloquial sayings used frequently as jargon in the employment industry. Join us today in pledging to speak in plain English both today and moving forward.

14.01.2022 GRAND FINAL DAY! Please note, Access Inc will be closed tomorrow for Grand Final Day! Who are you barracking for? or ?

14.01.2022 Thank you to Ray, Dan and the team at Rayross Print Factory in Liverpool, England for designing us a fantastic 2019-2020 Annual Report! The report was launched last night at our Annual General Meeting (AGM). To view our most recent Annual Report, featuring participant and volunteer stories, please visit our website and see the Annual Report tab at the bottom of the screen.

14.01.2022 In a world first, the Lets Get Moving group were transported to India to learn authentic Bollywood dance moves. Thank you Jagriti Bhatia of Ignite Bollywood for teaching us a dance sequence that would cut it on any Bollywood movie set or party! Thank you Jagriti for your vibrant energy, warm, welcoming manner, clear instructions and great music...It was so much fun! For more information about Let's Get Moving, or any of our other programs, send us a message or visit our website.

13.01.2022 "Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer is calling for increased and more authentic onscreen representation of people with disabilities." In this video, Octavia shares her own experiences of rarely being authentically represented in mainstream media growing up and how important it is not only for us to see people who reflect us onscreen but also how much more powerful this is when the portrayal is by someone who has lived experience. Thank you Octavia Spencer for sp...eaking out for authentic representation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry and to the Ruderman Family Foundation for their ongoing dedication to the inclusion of people with disabilities as well as advocacy and philanthropy. #AuthenticRepresentation #OctaviaSpencer The Ruderman Family Foundation

13.01.2022 Meet Jodi! As Access’ Participant & Life Learning Manager, Jodi Block focuses on creating programs to empower individuals through skill development, with a great focus on building individual independence. She is driven, passionate and offers immense encouragement to participants, staff and volunteers. Jodi has formed great rapports with everyone at Access and is fun to be around. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Access Online was formed to enable participants, staff and voluntee...rs to continue programs and remain connected. Jodi manages participant enrollment in these programs and states, participants are really engaging with the new online schedule. Every week we receive a phone call or text from a participant or support about the success of the new online programs. Participants are so happy that they can continue to advance their skills from their own home and also have weekly catch-ups with their friends from Access. I am so proud (though not surprised!) at how well participants, staff and volunteers have taken on board the challenges that come with online learning. Outside of Access, Jodi has been learning the choreography to Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. She also recently purchased a pair of rollerblades and is really enjoying zooming around the local streets. She’s also been inspired by the Access 1:1 Cooking Program and is making lots of effort in the kitchen!

12.01.2022 A massive shout out to Daina Harris for teaching some of the coolest Hip Hop moves to the Access Online Let's Get Moving crew! We so enjoyed the funky tunes and your bubbly personality. It was a lot of fun dancing with you! We've been putting some of your dance moves to good use! Thank you Daina and we hope to dance with you again!... For more information about Let's Get Moving or any other Access Online program, send us a message or visit our website.

12.01.2022 Access Inc will be closed for Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of Atonement, on Monday 28th September. To all those observing, we wish you a meaningful day, and well over the fast. Gmar Chatima Tova

11.01.2022 A11y Camp Australia is an annual digital accessibility (a11y = accessibility) and inclusion conference where people can share, learn, and mix with peers and colleagues. It is a FREE 2 day conference run by A11y Bytes that features presentations by accessibility professionals. It showcases diverse accessibility and inclusion topics from digital design and development through to policy and strategy. A11y Camp helps to create a digital world without barriers. The A11y Camp co...nference will be held on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November 2020. For more information, check out their website by typing in "A11y Camp Australia" into Google!

11.01.2022 It was a Latino kind of a day last Friday when Tomer Solomon Dance joined the Lets Get Moving program online to teach us Salsa all the way from Jerusalem in Israel! We learned some cool moves, watched a smooth dance performance by Tomer and got our bodies moving and faces smiling. Thanks Tomer for getting up so early over there to teach our afternoon session over here. We had a lot of fun!

11.01.2022 Last week, as part of the Social Independence section of the Life Skills Express program, we continued looking at conversations and the skills we need to work on to have an interesting conversation with someone, even if we don't know them. We played a game of "Conversation Bingo - food version" prepared by Heather, our Program Support Worker. We had a great time asking each other meaningful questions about food, and developing the conversation. Because, who doesn't love foo...d?! Some of the questions were "Do you like spicy food?" and "What are you having for dinner tonight?". As we took turns to talk and the conversation evolved, we learned that Sirani has a collection of chopsticks from various countries, Ally's favourite type of chocolate is dark chocolate and that Ned likes to order chicken and chips from his favourite restaurant. We all felt like we knew each other much better by the end. For more information about the Life Skills Express program, or any other Access Online program, please send us a message or visit our website.

10.01.2022 Did you see the article about Access Inc participant Donna Cohen in the November edition of the Glen Eira News last week? The article reads: A passion for cooking ... Donna Cohen has a passion for cooking and has been a participant in the Access Inc. Hospitality Program since the beginning of this year. Access Inc. partners with young adults with disabilities to achieve goals in areas that are important to us all education and employment, social connectedness, health and fitness and hobbies and passions. They do this by recognising that mainstream approaches are often not ideally suited to differing abilities and thus try to find more creative, supportive and personalised solutions to encourage greater success. Donna lives independently and thought the Program would be a great opportunity to further develop her knowledge and skills. One of the things that particularly excites Donna about the Program is the ability to explore different ingredients and recipes each week she loves risotto and gnocchi and adding an extra bit of spice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Access Inc. had to suspend its physical programs and move its programs online. Donna currently attends the Access Online Cooking Program, which is a weekly, one-on-one class with Access Inc. Hospitality Program Manager Nitza Marom. Nitza said it’s an absolute pleasure to start her week with Donna. She is a ray of sunshine. She is enthusiastic, has a great sense of humour and it is a pleasure to be in her company, she said. Over the course of the year, Donna’s confidence with cooking has grown immensely. She has developed a wider understanding of cooking, which has assisted with her fine motor skills and has led to her becoming more independent. Donna is looking forward to being able to enjoy life post-COVID where she can again visit her favourite restaurants and try all different types of delicious cuisines. She is also excited about being able to socialise with her friends, enjoy Friday night dinners with her family, go to gym and visit the hairdresser. Thank you Glen Eira City Council for a fantastic write up!

10.01.2022 Meet Abby! Abby Levy is Access Hospitality Administration and Support Officer. During the changes associated with Covid-19, Abby has embraced new opportunities and adapted well to Access Online. She currently offers support to the Life Skills team and facilitates a connection-building segment in the Life Skills program. In this session, Abby encourages conversation, movement, exercises and team building activities. She loves observing the different contributions made by part...icipants, volunteers and staff. Abby looks for the positive side in situations and in these challenging times, has some positivity to share! Abby encourages us all to: Use this time as an opportunity to do more of the things you wanted to do before but couldn't. Also, try and remember that the things we learn now e.g. online, phone apps, looking out for each other more, hygiene practices, shifting days of work can also be applied to benefit life post Covid-19. Abby also loves to take part in the Mid-Week Mingle, where she has lots of fun dancing to music and connecting with others. Abby shares, it is great pretending we are in a real disco! Disco is definitely my favourite theme with all its glitz and dazzling environment. Outside of Access, Abby also works at Jewish Care, volunteers at C-Care, enjoys walking, taking part in online exercise classes and loves making loom band bracelets. Of her work at Access, Abby says, not only does Access assist participants to develop new skills but also gives them the opportunity to showcase these skills to their fellow participants and community at large. By doing this and also creating opportunities for participants to showcase their inherent strengths we are really celebrating ability - the organisation's vision. Thank you Abby for your passionate and dedicated contribution to Access and the community - we so appreciate what you bring to the Access Team.

10.01.2022 We were lucky to have Michal Saben from Eleven Out Of Ten Events in the Exploring Employment program as a guest speaker a couple of weeks ago. Michal is the Director of Eleven out of Ten Events, a specialised event management company that she created out of her love and passion for planning and organising unforgettable experiences. Michal provided the group with great insight into the process leading up to an event, some of the challenges she faces and the rewarding outcomes ...of running an event for her clients. Michal has many years of experience which was clear through her extensive knowledge of the sector. She also discussed some of the qualities that she expects from her employees and the people she works with. Michal, we can't thank you enough for your time and for sharing your passion with us. Michal also runs Lush Platters. Check out her Instagam page - @lushplattersmelb. For more information about Exploring Employment, or any other Access Online program, please feel free to send us a message or visit our website.

09.01.2022 What a joyful photo! Thank you Peter Haskin and The Australian Jewish News for capturing this beautiful moment, not only of resilience but of positivity and growth. Thank you Racheli for sharing this with everyone - the dish you made looks delicious and is plated so beautifully - a testament to both your artistic talents and your cooking skills!... Shout out to our Hospitality Program Manager Nitza too - if you look hard enough, you can see her on the laptop screen having just guided Racheli in making this colourful, tasty and nutritious meal.

09.01.2022 Last week, the Exploring Creativity group were so inspired from the session on Blogging by guest presenter Anika Sweet of Nutritionally.Me! With her warm and welcoming personality, Anika explained A LOT about the world of blogging, how it works, and how and where to create engaging content with images and words. TODAY has brightened my day learning about Instagram and has made me want to open an Instagram account. - Cheryl.... Thanks Anika for a fun, engaging and informative session! ...you might have to keep an eye out for an Access blog!

09.01.2022 If you want to learn more about UJEB - United Jewish Education Board and in particular Project Kulanu which is a UJEB initiative for Specialist Schools and children with disabilities, check out this interview with Tal Spinrad, Manager of Project Kulanu.

09.01.2022 Meet David! David is currently taking part in the new Access Online World Travel Wednesday and Lets Get Moving programs, both of which he is really enjoying. Access provides David the opportunity to interact with people, make new friends and feel and included. He also enjoys learning new things at Access and sharing his thoughts and opinions with the group. Although training online is different, David has become much more used to it and is grateful that he can still ...see his friends and feel connected. Being a keen St Kilda Football Club Supporter and having great knowledge of Music, David would love to see more of these themes incorporated into the program and has also suggested a Music Trivia session. We love Davids creativity and ideas as well as his sharp wit which keeps everyone on their toes! Thank you David for your willingness to share some of your experiences during this time with everyone. Access Online has been developed in response to Covid-19. Term 3 recently started with a robust schedule of programs. We have rolling enrollment for most programs this term so to find out more about taking part or supporting Access through donations, please visit our website.

08.01.2022 Tomorrow is International Day of Charity. In 2012, the United Nations (UN) established the International day of Charity to recognise charitable works and to highlight the power of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises. Organisations around the world are encouraging charitable acts in their respective communities to raise public awareness of this event and the power of volunteering and philanthropy to create global change.... Currently, Access' volunteer roster is at capacity and we take this opportunity to thank all of our fantastic volunteers! Our need for charitable giving, however, remains critical. We have been changing and adapting our services to respond to the Covid-crisis. This is a costly endeavour which we remain committed to as the physical and mental health, and in some cases survival, of the participants we partner with as well as other Access stakeholders depends on it. As does our communitys commitment to ensuring people with disabilities are not abandoned in this crisis. If you are in a position to make a tax-deductible donation in lieu of International Day of Charity or as Tzedakah for the upcoming High Holy Days, please visit our website. If you are not currently in a position to offer financial support, you can still assist by liking and sharing this post as well as our social media posts generally to help spread the word to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to continue building their lives despite the pandemic. No matter how you express your support, we thank you.

08.01.2022 Liptember is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for women's mental health, harnessing the true potential of the collective, encouraging and inspiring people to listen, share, and learn. This month our team are popping on some lippy to support #Liptember! Together we can unite and bring a pop of colour to the lives of many. So, reach out to that family member or friend who is in isolation or needs a little pick-me-up right now!... Post your photos of your pout below!

08.01.2022 Meet Vicki! Vicki Factor has been involved with Access Inc for the last 6 years, and has been President of Access for the last 4 years. Vicki has an adult daughter with a learning disability acquired as a result of her contracting meningitis as a small baby. This has led Vicki over many years to interact with people and organisations working in the disability field, both here and in Israel. Vicki says, I love the ruach, the spirit of Access and its participants, not to ment...ion the fabulous, passionate staff and dedicated volunteers. She explains, Access is a dream organisation to be associated with and unique in the community. I am rewarded many times over when I see our participants involved in Access programs, learning new skills and finding social connection. Covid-19, whilst challenging, has seen us successfully pivot to online programming so that we can retain those connections with our clients and continue their learning. Vicki trained as a lawyer and practised for 16 years before leaving the profession and retraining in architecture and design. She currently works as an architectural draftsperson and designer. Apart from Access, Vicki volunteers for Australian Friends of Yad Vashem with a particular passion for arranging for Australian families to memorialise loved ones in the Memorial Cave at Yad Vashem by purchasing plaques. Vicki is proud to lead Access and hopes to leave a legacy for the community of a thriving and impactful organisation for the benefit of both our current cohort and those who may benefit from our services in the future. It is a measure of the community as to how we take care of our most vulnerable members and I believe that Access does its utmost to protect and advocate for the rights of our participants and their families. Outside of her very busy volunteer work, Vicki’s hobbies include knitting and crochet, reading, walking and more recently ebiking. Work and hobbies, as well as some serious Netflix binging, have kept her busy during lockdown!

08.01.2022 A couple of weeks ago, as part of our World Travel Wednesday program, Dan Herszberg visited us in Melbourne, Australia ... but via Zoom! Dan grew up in our community, and currently lives in Hong Kong. Dan started travelling with the aim to visit every country in the world! He shared with us some of the highlights of his travels, some tips for getting the most out of a visit and where his passion for travel started. Program participants had the opportunity to ask Dan a series... of questions, some of which included: When did you start travelling?, When did you start travelling on your own?, How many countries have you visited?, What was a challenging experience for you?, What country is the friendliest?, How do you keep in touch with friends and family when travelling? and what has been the biggest reward? Dan showed us some pictures of places he has visited, and pointed out that he tries, where possible, to dress like the locals. Our chat helped us focus on what elements of travel and destinations appeal to us, and definitely ignited a passion for seeing the world. Good luck Dan, in visiting the final 14 of the world's 197 countries and thank you for sharing your story with us!

07.01.2022 For those celebrating the upcoming Jewish New Year and High Holy Days, we want to take this opportunity to wish you and your families Shana Tova UMetuka, a happy and sweet new year and may we all find something special and rejuvenating in our different celebrations of the Chaggim this year. In the spirit of fulfilling the Mitzvah of hearing the Shofar in the month of Elul, please enjoy this throwback to David blowing the Shofar at our pop up cafe last year. For more videos,... and to hear our Drumming Coordinator, Boruch Moshel sharing some words of inspiration and Shofar sounding, please visit our Youtube channel. Wishing everyone a Shana Tova - a happy Jewish New Year!

05.01.2022 Meet Cheryl! Cheryl is taking part in the Access Online World Travel Wednesday, Mid-Week Mingle and Exploring Creativity programs. She loves being a part of Access and states, they make me feel welcome and included. She is so pleased that she can attend programs online, as it is a way for her to remain connected and be able to see her friends. Through the World Travel Wednesday program, Cheryl is enjoying learning about different places and cultures. The Exploring Cr...eativity program provides the opportunity for Cheryls creativity to shine. With a passion for drama, she is particularly excited to express herself through creative arts and to learn new skills. This program explores various forms of creative arts including design, music, drama, dance, film, photography, creative writing, craft and more. The Mid-Week Mingle is also a highlight for Cheryl, a fun and social experience of music, dancing and singing with other participants, staff and volunteers. Cheryl is well-known for her kindness and caring nature and her commitment, determination and drive are inspiring. Thank you Cheryl for allowing us to share some of your experiences with everyone. Access Online has been developed in response to Covid-19. Term 3 recently started with a robust schedule of programs. We have rolling enrollment for most programs this term so to find out more about taking part or supporting Access through donations, please visit our website.

05.01.2022 Thank you so much to long time Access volunteer Dinah Strum who ran a fun and informative session on Picasso for us during our Exploring Creativity program. We learned a lot in a short time, had some interesting discussion, and made some fun Picasso style portraits. It's always great doing Art with you Dinah! Thank you for your ongoing dedication. For more information about Exploring Creativity, or any other Access Online programs, send us a message or visit our website.

05.01.2022 Thank you Andy Li from Marriott Support Services for a fabulous origami session last week! Access' Exploring Creativity program really enjoyed learning from Andy, and also seeing some of the amazing origami pieces he has made, some consisting of more than 200 paper folds! We were completely blown away by Andy's fantastic work! Andy has been practising origami every day for the past 3 years shared his origami journey with us. Thank you for sharing your talent with us Andy, an...d showing us how to make a box out of paper, and how after many years of practice you can make something as complicated as a samurai helmet beetle! Thanks you again Andy and Marriott Support Services for a morning of creativity, connection and fun! For more information about Exploring Creativity, or any other Access Online program, please send us a message or visit our website.

04.01.2022 MELBOURNE CUP DAY! Please note, Access Inc will be closed today for Melbourne Cup Day.

04.01.2022 MEET DONNA! Donna has been a participant in the Access Hospitality Program for approximately a year. As she really enjoys cooking and felt this program would be a great opportunity to further develop her knowledge and skills. One of the things that particularly excites Donna about the program is the ability to explore different ingredients and recipes each week. Donnas favourite meals are risotto and gnocchi and she loves adding an extra bit of spice! Donna has a lot t...o contribute in the sessions. She is knowledgeable, friendly and caring, and her sense of humour is infectious. There are always lots of laughs shared and, pre-Covid, participants particularly enjoyed her unique and creative acronyms. Over the course of the year, Donnas confidence with cooking has grown immensely. She has developed a wider understanding of cooking which has significantly improved her fine motor skills and has led to Donna becoming more independent. Donna also enjoys swimming and going to restaurants, although she has been unable to do this while in Stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne. Thank you Donna for allowing us to share some of your experiences with everyone! Access Online has been developed in response to Covid-19. Term 3 recently started with a robust schedule of programs. We have rolling enrolment for most programs this term so to find out more about taking part or supporting Access through donations, please visit our website.

03.01.2022 People with an intellectual disability are more likely to experience common mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Now more than ever it is important that we take a moment to acknowledge and look after our mental health. Black Dog Institute worked with people with lived experience to develop an accessible website called Healthy Mind, to support people living with intellectual disability to manage their mental wellbeing. A few examples of the activities avail...able include recognising feelings, breathing/relaxing, having more fun and tackling unhelpful thinking. You can explore the Healthy Mind website by clicking on the link below.

03.01.2022 Meet Neda! As Access Tunes and Beats Program Facilitator, Neda Rahmani captivates participants, staff and volunteers with her creativity, energy and innovation. Each week, Neda loves to see how participants share their individuality, thoughts and ideas. Neda says, it is a meaningful shared time together online. I'm enjoying the musical jams, observing how the participants look out for each other and creating the video productions all together. Through this program, partici...pants explore a range of musical instruments and techniques, as well as voice, movement and performance through which they can express themselves and engage socially. Skills in teamwork, leadership and communication are developed and with the program currently online, communication and technical skills have been greatly strengthened. Neda states, Together we explore ways to share our skills, and broaden our possibilities in this challenging time. Allowing participants to achieve their own creative ideas and performance productions are working well for engagement. Neda enjoys being part of an organisation that provides the opportunity to gain and develop important skills within a meaningful setting. Neda says, I enjoy the attitudes and leadership we have at Access and the feeling that the sky is the limit when it comes to championing participant lead skills programs. I believe this is something that we all in life need support with, to be continuously learning and growing together with our community. I also respect Access dedication to visibility and community connection. Other than her work with the Tunes and Beats program at Access, Neda has been continuing her public figure and artist work, hosting award ceremonies and conferences over Zoom. Neda performs in online concerts, and produces scripts and music videos. This month, Neda is excited to re-decorate the room her Mum stays in when she visits, so that she can enjoy a fresh vibe when she is able to return. Thank you Neda for your amazing contributions to Access. We love your hard work, enthusiasm and can-do-attitude!

03.01.2022 Recently at our Mid-Week Mingle, we were lucky enough to have Joshua Batten Music play us a set of songs from his extensive song list on his website. Thank you so much Josh for playing all our requests! This was our biggest turn out for Mid-Week Mingle so far and everyone had a great time singing along and listening to you play familiar tunes.... We hope youll come and play for us again! For more information about the Mid-Week Mingle, or any of our other programs, send us a message or visit our website. Shabbat Shalom

02.01.2022 Thank you Michelle Segman from BailaFitness for teaching us some of your fabulous, fun and funky moves online for The Friday Social. You always know how to get the party going and every body moving and we love having you come visit! The Friday Social is free for participants enrolled in another program. This program is an opportunity to come together with other participants, staff and volunteers for some fun with music, dancing, singing and more! For more information about The Friday Social, or any other Access Online programs, please send us a message or visit our website.

02.01.2022 Thank you to the Rosenfeld family for sharing this joyous video of them jamming along with their son Baruch and musicians in the Access Online Tunes and Beats program. Many of you will have seen Baruch sharing his love for Access Drumming in photos or live performances. When we were forced to suspend Drumming due to Covid, this was very difficult for Baruch who missed being able to express himself musically, perform and socialise with his fellow musicians. At first, Tunes an...d Beats, which is part of our Access Online suite of programs developed in response to Covid-19, did not seem like a good fit for Baruch. As a Deaf musician, vibration from instruments and amps plays an important part in Baruch's enjoyment and playing of music. We are thus thrilled that in partnership with Baruch and his family, we have now found a way for Baruch to have both physical and visual engagement with his music and that of the other Tunes and Beats musicians as well as being able to get back into demonstrating his musical talents and socialising with his friends. Shabbat Shalom

01.01.2022 After visiting our Exploring Creativity session last term, Anika Sweet also spent time in our World Travel Wednesday program! During this session, Anika shared her passion for blogging and photography. She also gave us some great tips for keeping a travel diary, and what momentos we can keep from our travels. Anika also share some advice for taking photos when travelling alone and how she has made new friends throughout her travels. Check out Anika's food blog on Instagram @n...utritionally.me which has almost 14,000 followers! She showcases all her favourite homemade meals and cafe dishes from around the world! Thank you Anika for a wonderful session! For more information about World Travel Wednesday or any of our other programs, please visit our website or send us a message!

01.01.2022 Notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM) On behalf of the Access Inc. Board, we would like to invite you to attend our 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM). Join us in conversation with Ally Factor on the importance of Access Online in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.... Date: Wednesday 18th November 2020 Time: 7.30pm start RSVP: By 11th November 2020 To RSVP and for copies of the agenda, membership and nomination forms, please email Michelle at [email protected] Please note, RSVP and pre-registration is essential. This meeting will be recorded.

01.01.2022 Join Tal Spinrad from UJEB - United Jewish Education Board in exploring online learning for those on the spectrum. All details below: