So many people help out at ACC … from our committee of governance members to those organising groups (book clubs, ukulele), helping with community lunch (cooking desserts, doing the dishes, setting up and packing up), cooking preserves, crafting, running activities (line dancing, community yoga), gardening, assisting with our AAA programs … and then those who help out at events! CWA Devonshire tea makers, BBQers, dog show wranglers and judges, kids activity helpers, ACC stall sellers … setter upperers and packer upperers. AMAZING!

ACC is an amazing community partnership that relies on so many people.

It was super to celebrate with some of our volunteers … along with volunteers from other houses in Yarra at a shared afternoon tea last Wednesday. Here are some lovely photos.

Were you separated from your baby through forced adoption?

The Victorian Government has established a redress scheme to acknowledge the impact of historical forced adoption practices on mothers who continue to live with the serious, complex and ongoing effects of forced separation from their babies.

The scheme has been open since 2024 and is taking applications until 31 January 2028.

The Historical Forced Adoptions Redress Scheme provides a one-off payment of $30,000, access to counselling and support as well as an apology process.

The Scheme is open to mothers who gave birth in Victoria, or were Victorian residents who gave birth interstate, and who were forcibly separated from their newborn babies soon after birth, prior to 1990.

Forced adoption refers to institutional past practices that separated mothers and their babies, where women were forced, pressured or coerced to give up their babies.

A support team is available to guide you through the application process, answer questions, and assist you with any supporting information that may be required. To find out if you are eligible or to talk about your options:

• call 1300 217 425 (9:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday to Friday)

• visit https://www.vic.gov.au/redress-forced-adoptions

• or email forcedadoptions.redress@justice.vic.gov.au

Other Support Services

VANISH - Telephone: 1300 826 474 Email: info@vanish.org.au

Link-up - Telephone: 03 9287 8800 Email: linkup@vacca.org

Relationships Australia Victoria - Telephone: 1800 210 313 Email: fass@rav.org.au

Lifeline -Telephone: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue - Telephone: 1300 224 636

Suicide Call Back Service - Telephone: 1300 659 467

Hi everyone,

Last week I was excited to attend a meeting with the Minister Grigorovitch, who is the new Minister for Carers and Volunteers, as part of my role on the North East Neighbourhood House Network committee. It is always super to talk at a higher level about both the great things that neighbourhood houses do, and the challenges we face as a sector … and the meeting was particularly timely obviously, as we continue our push for restoration of funding from the State Government.

Closer to home, we are in workshop season at the moment … And we have another coming up this Saturday. Clothes Mending from 10am-1pm. We ran this workshop around this time last year and had a lot of fun. It is a fabulous opportunity to learn how to take up a hem, stitch on a button, repair a tear … and more! You are encouraged to bring your pile of project(s) along to work on. Book into this workshop online for $10. Here at this link.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) our Preserves Group will be running from 1-3pm where we will be making chutney out of chokos that were kindly donated to us last week. We like nothing better than homegrown produce at ACC. Its open to all, so if you have some time free, please come along - no need to book in.

Then on Thursday we will have Garden to Plate in the morning from 11.30am-1pm where we will be cooking with produce from our very own Community Garden. Clare tells me we have spinach, onions and lettuce ready to harvest at the moment ... I wonder what we will make …. It costs $10 to attend this fun and friendly and informative and yummy program and you can book in online here.

And later that evening from 7.30-9.30pm we will have our monthly Alphington Arts session. Book in online here for $15.

This week is National Volunteer Week across Australia and we would like to give a big shout out to everyone that donates their time at ACC every year. Volunteers are integral to neighbourhood houses and we couldn’t do what we do without all the amazing people who help out each week and/or each month and of course at our big events.

Cheers Leanne

Hi everyone,

We hope you all had a nice Mother’s Day despite the weather. Brrrrrr. It’s been a very chilly few days but we still had a lovely turnout to Garden to Plate last Thursday. We made cauliflower steaks and they were delicious…….. read on for the recipe. And we made creative cards at our Community Morning on Friday, before enjoying tacos for Community Lunch on Friday.

We have the first of our two sustainability workshops happening this Saturday from 10am-12pm! Book in online here to come along and learn about soils and their health benefits.

And book in here to join us for Crunch on Thursday from 12.30-2pm.

See you soon!

Cheers Leanne

To the avid readers out there looking for a daytime book club, we are hoping to start one in July this year.

We do need a minimum of at least 5 people that are free to come along on the second Tuesday of each month at 11am.

If you love to read and then enjoy a good discussion then this could be for you.

Join via this link.