cire services Archives

Heather helps Cire extend its reach to Bali

11-10-2018/0 Comments/in Cire News, Community Projects, Donations, Fundraising, Good news story/by Cire

Cire Services Inc. has spread its reach to Asia thanks to the big-heartedness of Heather Dryden who is currently in Bali helping empower young people through education and other support services.

Heather, from Yarra Junction and a Cire employee, is volunteering with Peduli Sesama Philanthropic Work (PSPW) which is part of the Aura Sukma Insani Foundation in northern Bali. www.pedulisesamaphilanthropicwork.org

Before her departure, Cire and some of its staff raised $500 which has gone a long way in to buy books and other school supplies, toiletries and food for the schools run by the foundation and those in remote villages. Heather has also dipped into her own savings and just last week bought a wheelchair and bedding for two people bedridden by their harsh working lives.

Similar to Cire, Peduli (care) Sesama (others) offers a broad range of flexible learning opportunities and services to meet the needs of local people of all ages experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. PSPW provides education with an emphasis on mastering the English language, health services, house building projects and other diverse forms of support. It has a bilingual kindergarten and primary school and also delivers vocational training in hospitality and tourism for high school graduates from remote and poor farming villages.

Heather, who works for Cire’s Reconnect/Women’s Warehouse and cooking programs, has taken annual leave to volunteer in Bali. She was determined to ‘do her bit’ after visiting an orphanage while holidaying in the popular tourist destination last year.

‘It has been such a humbling experience,’ she told her daughter Jen Carlyon who works in marketing at Cire Services Inc. in Yarra Junction.

‘Everyone is so appreciative of any support… They are happy and always give thanks even though they struggle through life…. It is so hard not to become emotional. I have had a lump in my throat a few times.’

To ensure a good education, children are sponsored through their early school years in their villages. They can then progress to the PSPW’s live-in Tourism And Home Assistant Program (THAP) where classrooms are converted to sleeping quarters for the students at the end of each day.

Since its inception in 2010, THAP has become well respected within the tourism sector providing well trained young staff to hotels and resorts throughout Bali.

‘We are so proud of our graduates who are able to help their families financially because they go into good jobs in the popular tourist areas like Kuta, Nusa Dua, Legian, Ubud, and Lovina.’ said Nyoman Sukadana, PSPW’s founder-director.

He added that Peduli Sesama relied on the generosity of others to help sponsor young people in their educational journeys. Annual sponsorship for each child is $150 for kindergarten/primary school; $170 to $200 for secondary school, and $350 for THAP.

‘The foundation impacts so many lives,’ said Heather. ‘Without this sort of education and support these young people and their families would not advance in life.’

Heather is happy to talk to anyone interested in volunteering with Peduli Sesama or sponsoring a student. She can be contacted by email at hdryden1710@gmail.com

Cire Services would like to thank Heather for her dedication in making this happen.

Inspired by a generous donation

09-04-2018/0 Comments/in Cire News, Community Support, Donations, Good news story/by Cire

In March, Cire Services Inc. was delighted to meet with Designs to Inspire, a Melbourne-based team of property stylists, who have a lifelong passion for homes and interiors.

Founded in 2011 by Georgia K, the Designs to Inspire team have grown to be a leader in the home staging area. The team researches property styles, current design trends and analyses target markets in your area, to ascertain the optimum way to furnish your home. Further information can be found at www.designstoinspire.com.au.

Since trends always come and go, the Designs to Inspire team supports organisations through their furniture donation program, donating older and outdated furniture in order to make way for new trends and designs. Design to Inspire was pleased to support Cire Services during March.

Cire was approached by Designs to Inspire in March to ask if we were interested in a “bit of furniture” that they would like to donate to us. Of course, we couldn’t refuse this generous offer of receiving quality furniture to brighten up our facilities.

From an initial discussion, we were expecting a little bit of furniture, but soon we realised that their donation was much more generous than expected including several couches, chairs, tables, shelves, paintings, and cushions (lots of cushions) which amounted to two truckloads. Cire was overwhelmed with the generous donations received that will see our school and childcare facilities upgraded.

“We were ecstatic when we saw the sheer amount of donations. Cire has two campuses to maintain so we knew we wouldn’t have any problems finding new homes for every item. It’s the goodwill of businesses like Design to Inspire, who support organisations such as ourselves to continue to deliver quality services to the community.” Gus Seremetis CEO Cire Services

Cire staff member, Anthony Lindner, recently visited the Design to Inspire office to say thank you (and to pick up a few more cushions!). On behalf of Cire, Anthony was pleased to provide the Design to Inspire owners, Georgia and James and their great team a “Thank You” card, full of drawings from the children from our childcare centres and school students who will benefit from their generosity. The Design to Inspire team were also presented with copies of our recently released “Cire Community Cookbook”.

Being a registered charity, Cire relies on donations such as these to further enhance our programs and services. The generosity that Design to Inspire has shown us is greatly appreciated and for that, we say thank you. With thanks to Georgia K and the team for your support and goodwill, be assured that all the donations will be put to good use by our students, childcare and kindergarten kids and staff.

If you would like to make a donation to Cire Services or have questions about our you or your business can support us please contact Sandra Bucovaz on 03 5967 1776.

Connecting Generations

08-11-2017/0 Comments/in Cire Children's Services, Cire News, Community Projects, Community Support, Good news story, People in the community/by Cire

Since July the kindergarten children from Cire have been lucky enough to visit the Estia Health Aged Care Facility. As part of their experience, the children got to complete different activities to engage with the residents. They have painted artwork for the art show, played games, completed puzzles, been hands-on making threaded necklaces, worked together on craft activities, they sang songs, played musical instruments and had a chat. The residents even got to show off their favourite songs and share their memories with the children. Guiding the children through their past times and experiences was a highlight for them with the children eager to learn more.

On one of the excursions to Estia some of the children had made cards for their newly found friends, it was on this day that one of them was having a very special birthday, Elsbeth was turning 94. The children were able to celebrate with her and her friends by singing happy birthday and joining in on the fun. It was a joy to see Elsbeth have so many little friends celebrate her big day.

It’s wonderful to observe the two groups of people becoming more comfortable and open with each other, learning to communicate in different ways. There was even an animal resident that was a big hit with the children, a fat cat called Elle. She meandered her way through the centre collecting hugs and pats as she went. The children learnt that Elle the cat’s role was to make the residents feel calm and make Estia feel like home.

The interactions that have occurred have been simple and easy going, there has been some small talk, discussions of how to play games and what each other enjoys doing; some even mentioning what they had liked when ‘they’ were in kindergarten. One of the residents told me,

“It was so lovely seeing the children when they visited, they bring life back into my heart and I smile so much when they are here”. Resident of Estia Health Aged Care Facility

Through this exchange, the children have had the opportunity to connect, develop and experience what it means to have respect and to care for people of all ages and abilities.

We look forward to further developing our relationships and are excited to be working towards a fun Christmas concert for our new friends, with the possibility for them to attend our end of year graduation ceremony.

Thank you so much to the Estia Health Aged Care Facility for the having our children come and visit.

If you would like to find out more about our Cire Children’s Services kindergarten program or would like to come to the centre for a tour contact 1300 835 235.

Team Snag – Cire’s offering to Bunnings patrons

26-07-2017/0 Comments/in Cire News, Fundraising/by Cire

It was a breezy and cold day in Lilydale as the sun was rising over the marquee but Team Snag arrived to service the local patrons at Bunnings Lilydale with offerings of hot sausages and fried onions in bread – with the obligatory tomato sauce and mustard. Who can resist the aroma of fried onions?

Team Snag consisted of a group of staff from all of Cire’s departments who volunteered their time to feed hungry Bunnings’ shoppers. What comradery, what cooking skills, what great conversation? Team Snag totally rocked at turning sausages and was quick to serve up delectable offerings; and of course wore their Cire aprons with panache and style!

The local community came throughout the day drawn in by that familiar smell; the invitation brought out conversation about our organisation and gave us opportunity to engage with the locals in a casual setting. We also had a few visits from people who knew of Cire attending Bunnings and came down to support the cause.

The lunch period was full of hustle and bustle with people lined up to get a tasty offering, the staff from Bunnings also came to get their share; we even had a gentlemen pay in advance for a second sausage on his way out – what a great testimonial to Cire gastronomical skills.

The day continued to be very successful. It was very encouraging to see the people from Cire show their commitment and give up a precious day of their weekend to serve the community; only this time it was with delicious snags and drinks.

There were also the little helpers who came in support of their parents, to help liven up the kitchen and even thanking the customers for purchasing their sausage and hope they enjoyed them. They helped to prepare the bread, hand out the orders and give the change.

“Even though it was cold, the sun was shining and the people were delighted to warm up with a delicious sausage.” Cindy – Cire Training

“The sausages were really tasty and delicious but it was the aroma that brought us to the tent.” Martha and Mick – customers.

We thank all who patronised the sausage tent and we enjoyed our contribution to the gastronomical experience.

The profit raised from Team Snag’s efforts will go to Cire’s services supporting the community. These services include Cire Training – which provides career pathways for all ages; Cire Children’s Services – qualified early childhood professionals caring for local children; Cire Community School – providing an alternative to mainstream secondary schooling and helping young people get back on track; and Cire In Home Care – supporting people to live independently.

Thank you Team Snag, thank you community.

See you again in November at Bunnings Lilydale to turn a mean snag…

A new look that is smart, comfortable and ethical

02-03-2017/0 Comments/in Cire News, Community Support/by Cire

Cire Services is an organisation with a vision and mission to support community. Our staff are proud and happy to serve our local communities through the different services we provide. Now Cire employees have another reason to be proud. Staff are now supporting families and communities in other parts of the world, especially cotton farmers and garment workers in rural India. We are able to do this through our new and re-branded polo shirt uniforms; which are made with 100% certified organic cotton and are made under a Fairtrade agreement.

Why organic cotton?

Organic cotton, unlike conventional cotton, is produced using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. The seeds are not genetically modified and organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides and fertilisers. It is soft, sturdy and resilient. Organic cotton is better for the environment as it reduces pollution, conserves biodiversity and prevents water contamination.

What does sourcing Fairtrade certified uniforms involve?

Fairtrade certification ensures better working conditions and ethical terms of trade for farmers and workers in developing countries. The standards include protection of workers’ rights, the protection of children and also the preservation of the environment.

In some developing countries, children as young as six years old spend an average of 64 hours a week making clothing for the world’s leading brands and retailers. That’s close to 30 hours more than the weekly working hours of an Australian adult. Adding to these shocking statistics is the fact that these children get paid less than $2 a day. They are children who should be going to school, dreaming about the future and laughing with kids their own age. They should not be working almost 9 hours a day to provide for their families.

Cire made the decision to source a new uniform supplier who matched our values. The new polo shirt uniforms for Cire employees are made ethically. The polo shirts look fresh and feel comfortable; and were sourced locally through a Melbourne based Fairtrade certified custom merchandise company, thank you Servi Store for your help in meeting our environmental goals.

SWEY Partnership – Community consultation on education

01-12-2016/0 Comments/in Cire News, Cire Training, Community Projects, Information/by Cire

How can we make it easy as possible for people in the Yarra Valley to get the skills they need to fill local jobs? SWEY wants to know!

SWEY (Seville, Woori Yallock, Mt Evelyn and Yarra Junction) is a partnership between Cire Services and Seville and Woori Community Houses. With support from the Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board, we are gathering evidence about the state of employment education in our local area and how we can support more people to get the skills they need to work locally. This means connecting with businesses to learn what their needs are and connecting with community members to determine how to make training as easy to access as possible.

SWEY is a two-part consultation. Firstly, we want to gain information from community members (“learners”) about what barriers they face when considering a training program and how we can make it easier for people to get the skills they need close to home. Secondly, we want to connect with businesses (“employers”) in the Warburton Highway corridor and beyond to determine what skills they most value and what types of training we can offer that will best serve their needs.

“The Yarra Valley region is a vibrant community with diverse business interests and a lot to offer, but we suffer from a lack of public transportation and we are far from major training centres in the city,” explains Erica German, the SWEY Project Manager, “Cire already offers the most accessible training in the region and by partnering with Seville and Woori Community Houses we are making sure that it is as easy as possible for local people to gain the skills that they need to get meaningful employment in the area.”

If you live, train, or work in the region, we want to hear from you! What training programs would you like to see offered locally? What can we do to make it easier for people to attend? What supports can we put in place to make sure people succeed in their training programs? Get in touch on our website, www.swey.org.au where you can gain more information or fill in our short survey. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sweypartnership

Check out the programs offered by our other SWEY partners on their websites:

Sevillecommhouse.org.au
Wooricommhouse.org.au

Look what Simone found on her way to work

29-09-2016/0 Comments/in Cire News, Good news story/by Cire

One little duck went out one day, over the road and far away, Mother Duck said quack, quack, quack, quack, but the poor little duck never did come back. Instead our Customer Service Officer, Simone, found this fluffy little duckling in the middle of the road on her way to work on a cold September morning. Unfortunately, Mama Duck was nowhere to be found and Quacky had no family to run to.

Being found in the middle of the road and in danger of being hit by a car or attacked by a dog, Simone opted to scoop him up and bring Quacky with her to work at Cire Services in Yarra Junction. A box and a blanket were found and this little duckling, an Australian Wood Duck, was placed in a quiet space. The Upper Yarra Wildlife Rescue Network (UYWRN) was contacted and the situation explained. The rescue network, run by a bunch of dedicated volunteers, quickly organised that someone would meet Simone at our Cire head office and organise for the duckling to be taken to a carer in Healesville, who specialises in the care of birds.

Whilst waiting for the UYWRN volunteer to arrive, Quacky got a bit distressed in his box. Simone was able to comfort Quacky by wrapping him in her scarf and keeping him warm against her chest. Simone and Quacky assisted customers and staff members and even answered a few phone calls together.

Members of the UYWRN can quite often be found at the Warburton Bakery around 9am on a Saturday morning. If you’d like to find out more, or become a supporter of the network, pop in to see them or visit their Facebook page to find out more

And please remember to be especially careful on the roads in spring time, when there are lots of Mama Ducklings trying to navigate our roads with their ducklings!

“I was lucky enough to cuddle up with this little quacky at work this morning. Rescued from the middle of the road, mama duck was nowhere to be found. Luckily, we have a fantastic local wildlife rescue network that I could call on. They happily came to my work and picked up Quacky. Now that is a great group!” Simone

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