Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest.  We support many causes and organisations in the local community, including the following.  For more information on these projects, contact Lea.  To view latest report, see (here)
 
Project
Description
RIMERN
RIMERN (Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network) is a multi-club Rotary project that means 'Residential Recycling'! We collect household goods to donate to people in need.
 
For more information, go to @RIMERN
Wintringham Hostel
 
Thirty five aged homeless and socially insecure residents live in Port Melbourne at Wintringham Hostel. This club project will be filling the needs directly of the residents through a strategic partnership with Wintringham management.
 
See (here)
Port Phillip Community Group
They provide a range of centre-based and outreach programs and services to address complex issues, including information, referral and support; emergency relief, material aid and financial counselling; skill development and pathways to education and employment; social inclusion events and more.
 
Assistance financially, and with volunteers delivering food in their "Share the Food" project
 
Solar Smiles Dental Foundation, Melbourne
This arm of Solar Smiles gives free dental treatment to the homeless and food insecure in and around Albert Park
 
Inner South Family and Friends
A community support group for the families and friends of people with a serious mental illness in the Inner South East region: the Cities of Stonnington, Port Phillip and Glen Eira.  For more information, go to http://ispaf.org/
Care Packs for Alfred Hospital
The Alfred Hospital Mental Health Unit Team have identified that the 1200 people admitted to the unit each year are extremely anxious and frightened.  A comfort/welcome/care pack would assist in relaxing people and provide a physical care greeting of sorts.
 
See (here)
Driver Learner Program
 
The City of Port Phillip program is currently assisting 20 young people from the local area, serviced by MCM St Kilda office.  Currently about 60% of the program participants live in public housing in the South Melbourne and Post Melbourne areas.  
 
Star Health (was Inner South Community Health)
 
Supporting the local community with items such as:
  • A mother with 3 young children (currently in out of home care) needs a new mobile phone to keep in contact with her kids.
  • A 33-year-old female from Ethiopia escaping family violence and currently in crisis accommodation has been diagnosis with PTSD.
  • A 43-year-old female with mental illness is the primary carer for her 7-yearold daughter and due to the state of her home, she could lose her daughter. 
In total, we donated $5,000.  For more, go to https://www.starhealth.org.au
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
 
United Way Australia licenced the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Australia and Rotary Albert Park joined as a Community Partner in 2015, donating almost $5,000. To date we have graduated 18 kids receiving a book each month delivered to their homes, a further 27 kids are coming through.  Kids are from:
  • Bubup Child Care Centre, Port Melbourne
  • South Melbourne Mission Kindergarten
Holy Trinity Church
 
We hold a Book Stall outside Hoty Trinity Church in Bay Street, Port Melbourne as part of our book recycling project, see (here).  A percentage of our takings are donated to the church.
Donations in Kind
 
See International
Australian Rotary Health
 
Australian Rotary Health is one of the largest independent funders of mental health research within Australia.  This year we donated $1,200.
 
St Silas Suppers
 
            
 
 Helpers assisting with their Sunday Supper program at St Silas Church Bridport Street Albert Park.
 
Past Projects
 
Project
Description
St Kilda Mums
 
St Kilda Mums recycle nursery equipment including cots, prams and car seats, as well as clothes and other baby essentials.  Our donation of $1,500 enabled St Kilda Mums to purchase reversible car restraints at wholesale.
 
Lakehouse
 
Women over 55 currently sleeping rough or in severe housing stress will be able to seek shelter in new pop-up accommodation in Albert Park.  The aged care facility known as Claremont Home, operated by CaSPA Care, has now been converted to a "pop-up" accommodation.
 
South Port Day Links
 
Volunteer based organisation that has been delivering services to older people, people with disabilities and those who care for them in the City of Port Phillip.  Our $5,000 donation is enabling SPDL to purchase a new car to allow community transport provision within the entire City of Port Phillip to older people, people with a disability and those who care for them.
 
For more, go to http://www.spdl.org.au/
Community Arts Network
 
Supplied books to the Community Arts Network.  Attached (here) is some information about what they do.
Orange Sky Laundry
 
Presentation to support Orange Sky Laundry.  For more, go to https://orangesky.org.au/what-we-do/
Launch Housing
 
Launch Housing provides housing and support services to individuals, couples and families experiencing homelessness. This includes crisis accommodation, transitional, medium and long term supportive housing, and access to private rental.  For more, go to https://www.facebook.com/launchhousing/
Fight MND
 
Donated on behalf of guest speaking at the annual Golf Day.
Rotary Park in St Kilda
 
Rotary District working bee at the Rotary Park in St Kilda
 
South Port Community Housing Group
 
Supported South Port Community Housing Group, see http://www.spchg.org.au/
Sea Scouts
 
 
Painting of Hall, provision of kitchen equipment
Dream Cricket
 
DreamCricket was initiated by the Movement Disorder Foundation in concert with the Rotary Clubs of the Southern Highlands and the Bradman Foundation, see http://www.dreamcricket.org.au/
Evolve
 
Working bees at Typo camp, see https://portal.clubrunner.ca/4551/PhotoAlbums/typo-working-bee-apr-2014
Community Meals
 
In 1994 the club started a Community Meals Program at South Melbourne Uniting Church which provides a cooked meal, fresh fruit and bread one day every week of the year to anyone in the community who wants a meal.
CaSPA Care
 
CaSPA Care is a a longstanding, not-for-profit body set up by the community to care for the elderly in South Melbourne. see http://caspacare.org.au/
Nganambala School
 
The Nganambala School Kitchen Project is a project to bring fresh veggies to a remote community.  For more info, see http://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000004551/en-au/files/homepage/nganambala-kitchen-project/Nganambala.pdf
Nourish Our Kids: Footy Nuts
 
Improving the nutrition for indigenous children, see https://portal.clubrunner.ca/4551/PhotoAlbums/footy-nuts-launch-2014
Assisting Farmers in Rochester
 
In February 2011 members from RAP travelled to Rochester to assist flood victims rebuild fencing on their 1800 acre property. All of the property except one of the houses was flooded and with 500 head of cattle contained in one small area, fencing needed to be restored quickly so the cattle could be moved to the one and only grassed area left on the farm.
Blood Pressure Testing
 
Assisted with Blood Pressure testing at a local shopping centre to raise awareness of the importance of getting regularly tested.
Other Community Donations
 
  • The Queens Fund – donated $1,000 as part of the new members grant to help women having difficulty paying their bills.
  • Parkinson’s Walk – donated $500