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SSI Work for the Dole participant Marcel Tawbeh (left) and staff member Napoleon Mansour.

The Staples Bag was developed as part of the CoAct/SSI Work for the Dole (WFD) program. It provides access to discounted essential groceries and also provides job seekers with tangible skills in a range of areas including logo and website design, packaging and warehouse maintenance, customer service and direct marketing.

“The SSI Staples Bag is a great program that has given me experience in different things, and I’ve discovered that working with people and in retail is really fun and much easier than I thought it would be,” Mr Tawbeh said.

Brad Reed of Croydon Park has been with SSI’s Work for the Dole program for less than three weeks but has already had five job interviews in that time; more than he has had in the past eight years of unemployment.

Mr Reed moved from Broken Hill to help his aging grandmother and to find work. He said he was ‘stoked’ about his employment prospects and can’t believe that people in Sydney say it’s hard to find work.

“I moved to Sydney because I want to be a good role model for my two sons and I don’t want them to see me sitting around unemployed and unable to provide for them” Mr Reed said.

“SSI has really looked out for me and found opportunities that I’m interested in.

“Working with the Staples Bag team is helping to me keep busy, learn new skills and meet new people, and it gets me closer to bringing my boys to Sydney to join me.”

Mr Tawbeh is a keen gamer and hopes to get a job in an electronics shop, while Mr Reed is interested in security work.

Both men however are extremely motivated and happy to find any employment, and attribute this motivation to SSI.

“I do extra hours with Staples Bag because I enjoy it so much,” Mr Tawbeh said.

Settlement Services International (SSI) is a community-based not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of services in the areas of humanitarian settlement, accommodation, asylum seeker assistance, multicultural foster care, employment services and disability support in NSW.

As a member of CoAct, a national network of locally-embedded community service providers, SSI delivers the Australian Government’s jobactive service.

Job seekers can find the CoAct/SSI job active office at 308 Beamish Street Campsie. To purchase the Staples Bag, visit the warehouse at 449 Canterbury Road, Campsie or go to website www.thestaplesbag.org.au

Media enquiries

SSI Communications Coordinator Rekha Sanghi 0422 304 578

 

 

Matthew Cleary, Executive Officer St Vincent de Paul Society Support Services said the Society was very pleased to be partnering with SSI to deliver Ability Links and to allow people with disability to live their life the way they wish.

“Ability Links is placing people with disability at the centre of decision making about their lives and welcoming communities to encourage inclusion of people with disability, their families and carers,” said Mr Cleary. 

Claerwen Little, Director UnitingCare Children, Young People and Families was pleased the organisation had been chosen as a partner with SSI for the new initiative.

“UnitingCare is proud to partner with SSI and be involved in Ability Links. It’s a ground breaking program promoting community inclusion and participation for people with a disability. It is work we know needs to be done well, and we are committed to that.”

Linkers work with people with disability, their families and carers to help them plan for their future, build on their strengths and skills, and develop networks in their own communities so they can do what they want with their lives – outside of the traditional disability service system.

It provides people with a locally based, first point of contact to support people to access support and services in their local communities.

Linkers also work with local communities to help them become more welcoming and inclusive of people with disability.

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St Vincent de Paul Society Media Contact: Yolanda Saiz 0417 446 430

Settlement Services International Media Contact: Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828 

UnitingCare Media Contact: Nicole Jackson 0412 201 023

Masoud taught himself to paint with coffee while in detention and he has said he still prefers the look of the medium over other materials now that he lives in the community.

 

“My inspirations for painting were all those dark days that I experienced while staying at different detention centres for over 12 months,” he said. “I used to imagine the sun was crying for people who were locked up, with no freedom, inside the detention centre.”

Another artist exhibiting is Victor Youssef, 72, from Egypt, who has been in Australia less than 12 months.

Victor has brought a collection of work made by etching images into copper sheets with him to Australia that he hopes to sell so he can rent a studio space. The images include a reproduction of the Mona Lisa, Jesus and the Virgin Mary and pharaohs. His work is displayed in churches in the USA, Italy and Egypt.

“If I sell this here, it will change my life,” Victor said. “I like Australia very much, that is why I would like to make something here that is better than I have ever done before.”

Other artists exhibiting work are:

Details: The Art is Our Voice exhibition is on at the Verge Gallery, Jane Foss Russell Plaza, University of Sydney, Darlington, 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, from May 14 to 22.

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Media enquiries:

SSI Online Communications Coordinator, Callan Lawrence, 0478 156 491, or, 02 8799 6746

SSI Marketing and Communications Manager, Angela Calabrese 0401 284 828