We are here to help seniors take care of their pet companions and keeping them healthy and happy members of the family. We get the special bonds we have with our pets and we believe our support helps people stay connected to their community and stay happy at home for as long as possible.

Our volunteers assist with basic pet care support, dog walking, pet hygiene (cats, dogs, birds, rabbits…), grooming as well as transport to Vet appointments. We are a flexible bunch and can match your needs with the volunteer’s preferences, come talk to us.

ELIGIBILITY

Over 65 years and registered with My Aged Care. NOTE: Need the service but don’t meet the criteria? Come and talk to us!

WHEN

Monday to Thursday

WHAT

2 x  1/2 hr. weekly visits

TIME

TBC

COST

Support us with  a Gold Coin donation

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call Rita Napolitano
aged@gcais.ngo.org.au
or call 02952449559

Come and join us!!!  That is your opportunity to start walking with us. Our walks happen on Tuesdays (9:30 am), Thursdays (4pm) free of charge with routes in both Cronulla and Gymea and led by qualified Heart Foundation walking organisers.

Register here. Enter 2227 on the postcode field and select groups at Gymea or call us at 95249559

To all of our friends, colleagues and clients impacted by the tragedy in Christchurch in New Zealand on 15th March. All of us here at GCAIS are praying and thinking of you.

If numbers is your thing, we need you!

Gymea Community Aid has an opportunity for a Treasurer to join our

Management Committee. We are looking for a person with a solid background on accounting and financial management. We are a highly organised community center and the person joining our Board will be support us on the strategic planning and key business decisions. We meet every third Thursday of the month after normal business hours. If you want to support the work we do in your community and want to gain experience being on an active and committed Board contact us:
marcio.salgado@gcais.ngo.org.au
joanne.cracknell@gcais.ngo.org.au

If you love to be outdoors, walking and spending time with like minded people, come and join us to lead our walking groups. Our group. Gymea Easy Pacers meet every Tuesday at Cronulla (9:30 to 11:00am).
If this sounds like a great time to you, contact us at:
95249559 aged@gcais.ngo.org.au or, register directly with Heart Foundation Walking walking.heartfoundation.org.au. ENTER 2227 in postcode to choose walking groups at Gymea.

Our walking groups are about working out to have fun and be healthy.  In our groups you are surrounded by like minded people, no matter how fast you are we will be there with you when you cross that finish line.

Join us on a day trip to Cordeaux Dam, enjoy great company and have a lovely lunch at the picnic area.

Your day will include

• Visit to the Cordeaux Dam and explore it
• Travel
• Morning Tea

BYO Lunch or pre-order a picnic hamper available for purchase for $30 couples or $20 per person.

WHEN       26th March 2019.
WHERE     Bus pick up and drop off from Gymea Community Aid, 39 Gymea Bay Road.
TIME         09:00am to 3:00pm
COST         $20 over 65, $30 under 65, EFTPOS over the phone or front desk.

Reserve and pay for your place by 22/03/2019
Cancellations within 24 hours are non refundable

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call Christine or Rita, Community Connections, 0295249559 or Christine.valentine@gcais.ngo.org.au

Management and staff of GCAIS are very proud to be in the presence of Rob Lindsay who received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Rob received this recognition for service to the community through social welfare organisations.

At GCAIS, he co-founded and is the volunteer co-ordinator for the ‘Drivetime’ program, which he helped design and deliver for the NRMA. Rob has also been involved oi other programs that support newly arrived refugees such as the Homework Club.

Go here to read more about Rob’s recognition.

Join us for a day trip to Homebush and visit Newington Armory.

Newington Armory has evolved from its military-industrial origins into a unique arts precinct, including a theatre, outdoor amphitheatre, artist studios and an exhibition space, which features the longest continuous gallery wall in Australia! The Armory has free exhibitions throughout the year, plus film festivals, public art, cultural activities and kids activities.

Your day includes:

• A 2 hour guided tour and ride on the heritage train
• Travel
• Morning tea

BYO LUNCH to have at Blaxland Riverside Park OR, purchase a lunch picnic hampers for $30 per couple or $20 per person which must be ordered at time of booking.

WHEN:    26th February 2019
TIME:      8:00am to 3:30pm
WHERE:  Bus pickup and drop off, Gymea Community Aid and Information Service
COST:      $50 for over 65; $65 for under 65. EFTPOS is availbale over the phone or at our front desk.

Bookings are open now and  capped at 21 bookings. Reserve and pay for your place by 1/02/2019. Pay at Gymea Community Aid & Information Service’s front desk or your Team leader.

Cancellations- Cancellations with-in 24 hours are non- refundable

For more information, please contact Christine or Rita, Community Connections on 0295249559 or email christine.valentine@gcais.ngo.org.au

We are pleased to announce that Tradies has again supported our Drivetime Learner Driver Mentor Program. This program supports Refugees in gaining their P1 driver’s licence. Without their support, this funding that contributes to supporting independence, inclusion, participation and transitions to employment , members from this Community may not receive such a great opportunity.

We thank Tradies for their continued support and commitment to our Community.

This guide has advice and safety tips to help people in our community aged 65 or over make safer choices when driving, riding, walking, using a mobility scooter or catching public transport.
It profiles the changes to our health that can come with age, and how conditions such as vision impairment and dementia can affect our abilities as road users.
Checklists are included to help develop safer driving habits and make better choices when walking and crossing the road.
The guide also explains the NSW older driver licensing system, including information for those who want to transition from full-time driving to other transport options. Whether you’re currently experiencing changes to your mobility or planning for the future, this guide will help you stay independent and safe.

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

NSW Centre for Road Safety
roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au

I am very proud to report that Gymea Community Aid and Information Service have again been announced as a Finalist in the 2018 Local Business Awards in Sutherland Shire.

We would like to thank all of those who voted for us and have joined us on our journey to understand what we are doing well for our Community and, what we can do to improve. Getting through this first stage into the finals was our first goal and we have achieved that with your help!!!

The winner will be announced on 22nd August 2018

GCAIS is proud to have joined forces with some of Australia’s leading businesses, sporting bodies and NGO’s to support the “Racism. It Stops With Me” campaign.
Our organisation has committed to preventing racism by pledging to undertake activities in support of the campaign.
“Here at GCAIS we open our doors to people from all walks of life and are pleased to be a supporter of an initiative such as this which reflects our organisation’s purpose of celebrating inclusiveness, independence and participation”. Joanne Cracknell, General Manager .

Research from 2011 shows that one in seven Australians say they experienced discrimination because of their colour or background. This figure that has been increasing steadily in recent years.

Research has also shown that 70 percent of people agree that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people are prejudiced against each other.

The national “Racism. It stops with me” campaign, which is being led by the Australian Human Rights Commission, has been developed by a partnership of government and non-government agencies.

For more information about the campaign go to: http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/

Or follow the campaign on Twitter @ItStopsWithMe.

Not wanting to carry around as much as cash or, make the effort to ensure you have the right change? We are pleased to be able to offer our Clients, access to EFTPOS when making payments for day excursions and group outings.

EFTPOS is now available at our front desk and, through our group leaders when participating in day groups. Debit, Visa and Mastercards are accepted.

Please see your group leader for more information, email aged@gcais.ngo.org.au or, call Rita Napolitano or Joanne Cracknell on 95249559 .

The NSP have published their latest report and have highlighted the work facilitated her at GCAIS on the Community Friends Project. Go HERE to read the report.

The NRMA honoured learner-drivers from refugee backgrounds at a DriveTime graduation ceremony in Wollongong, helping them gain the skills and confidence they need to drive safely on Australian Roads.

Go here for the full media release

We were delighted to celebrate the graduation of 26 participants of the DriveTime program from the Fairfield area on Monday 17th July. The event was attended by the Honorable Ray Williams, Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Disability Services, NSW Government who spoke to the participants  about how fortunate we are that they chose Australia as their country to migrate to. NRMA’s CEO, Rohan Lund also spoke about how, as Australians, we take getting a license and driving a vehicle as a natural part of growing up. Without the support of organisations like NRMA, gaining a license as a refugee may not have been possible.

The ceremony was organised by GCAIS in partnership with the team from the NRMA and MC’d by our General Manager, Joanne Cracknell. DriveTime was a program piloted in 2015 in the Sutherland Shire after the Southern Sydney Refugee Support Group nominated it as a project of value and high impact. 5 learners gained their licenses through the pilot and as a result, caught the attention of large organisations like the NRMA.

Go here for full details of the graduation. 

To view photos from the event, go to the Photo Gallery tab on our home page.