We’re coming up to the last week of our podcast this week - we have 3 more episodes to publish.

You can follow along on our website here or check out the podcast where ever you regularly listen to podcasts - apple, google, amazon or spotify.

In the last few days we have published a couple of stories. The first is from local author Chloe Hooper - many of you will have read her books including Tall Man and The Arsonist. She talks about how worried her family was when the pandemic started because her husband Don Watson (also an author) was in remission from leukaemia. Her episode if very thoughtful and insightful and interesting!

Chloe

The next episode features local Fleur - and is all about aborted travel plans - Fleur and her partner Trent and her four boys were all set to head to Singapore in January 2022 when they all came down with Covid. In this episode we also talk to David Bridie (musician with Not Drowning Waving etc.) and also the musician who made the Covid Roulette theme music. He talks about his aborted travel plans as well, including a trip to Antarctica.

He also discusses the impact of the pandemic on some of the musicians from PNG who he works with regularly and are on the Wontok record label.

Fleur

And today we are publishing Ray’s story - which is a very sad one about his wife Marilyn, a nurse who stepped out of retirement to help out with the hotel quarantine program … and lost her life to Covid in November 2021.

Ray

Covid Roulette is a wonderfully interesting and personal record of the many ways that Covid has impacted our community in Yarra and Darebin, and we are very proud to have made the series. I really hope you have tuned in and are enjoying listening along.

Hi all we’ll be starting program planning for the second half of the year next week. So if you have a course you’d like to run for our community, a group you’d like to start or a great idea or a recommendation please get in touch!

Email info@alphington.org.au.

Darebin Council has a provided our neighbourhood house with access to Rapid Antigen Tests to distribute to people in our neighbourhood who are at-risk members of multicultural communities and those most in need.

So, if you feel sick and need to do a Covid test, and are from a multicultural background, are older or have a disability or don’t have family support, or are on a pension etc. etc. and can’t access one elsewhere for whatever reason … then please feel free to email us or call.

And if you live nearby and are feeling like you are too sick to leave your house we can possibly drop the kit off to you!

Thanks Darebin Council for looking out for the most vulnerable in our community. It is reassuring to know that our governments are working together and utilising their networks including their connections to grassroots community organisations like ours to ensure that no one misses out on testing if they need it.

At ACC as you probably know, we get by on the smell of an oily rag. All the things that happen here are implemented by less than 2.5 EFT (effective full time) staff hours.

It’s a miracle … not really!

We rely on a fabulous group of volunteers to help us run all the things we run.

Starting from the top of our organisation is our Committee of Governance who kindly put aside a couple of hours each month to help us plan our strategic direction and provide high level support.

Then we have wonderfully committed people who run things week in and out … like the two Shirley’s from line dancing - one who leads the group and the other who comes past each week to deliver the money.

And Phil who has joined us this year for 2 hours weekly to help our neighbours learn how to wrangle their devices (and David who used to do this but has been up in Sydney).

And Anne who helps in our garden (and Demisse who was here last year - we’re missing him).

And Sarah who sets up toy library each week.

And all the people who put their hand up to be the leader of their book club or playgroup … or any other activity that is part of our program.

And Elaine and Manu and Monica who make preserves to sell … and Anne and Marie Louise who have been yarn bombing and crafting … and Elaine (again) who knits and knits … and Sandra … and Frank who knits 🧶 too.

And the AAA Bowls volunteers who support Jill and run such a wonderful program …

Thanks all. Your big(ger) and the small(er) contributions make all the difference - and we know we couldn’t possibly do it without you.

Happy National Volunteers Week.

This week we completed our long planned street art project - acknowledging the 262 days we collectively stayed at home to look after each other and protect the most vulnerable in our community between 22 March 2020 and 21 October 2021. Six colours - one for each lockdown. 262 lines - one for each day. Lovely to have Lee back on board this term to help deliver our community art project ideas!