Community

Community Development

Samaritans undertakes a variety of community development initiatives in response to local community needs. Please see the list of services below.

Samaritans Information and Neighbourhood Centre (SINC Cessnock)
206 Vincent St Cessnock
P 02 4993 3400
E sinc@samaritans.org.au
SINC is a vital community centre offering information, referral, support, emergency assistance and centre-based activities, with 15 visiting services using the centre on a regular basis.

The Centre also accommodates a youth employment and training programme, Job Placement Employment Training (JPET), and a health promotion service, Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat, a programme aiming to reduce the incidence of heart disease by educating the community through Quit smoking campaigns, healthy eating and physical activity programmes.

Samaritans Community Projects include:

GAPS (Grandparents as Parents Support Group)

NAALA (Newcastle’s African Australian Learning Activities for more effective integration into local communities)

Emergency Relief (providing immediate emergency assistance for health card holders as well as financial advice and referral to other services)

Friendship House (Samaritans accommodation and support service for ex-offenders leaving prison)

Stibbard Close (providing long-term accommodation in Edgeworth for men over 55 years of age who have previously been homeless)

Samaritans Community Development Workers in the Hunter and on the Central Coast

Disaster Recovery (trained volunteers providing assistance in case of flood, fire or other disasters)

Going it Alone

Going it Alone is an outreach of Samaritans for people who are single through choice, bereavement or divorce. Friendship and support groups as well as social gatherings are arranged through this programme.
P 4993 3400

Disaster Welfare

Samaritans plays a support role in the New South Wales Disaster Welfare plan as part of the State’s Anglicare network. As part of local, state and national responses to unforeseen or emergency situations, Samaritans has developed a rapid response system linking its own networks with those of the Anglican Diocese and local communities. Regular training is conducted. Please phone Robyn Talbot for more information.

P 0419 216 184

Samaritans, St Vincent de Paul Society and the Salvation Army have been working collaboratively and in conjunction with the Department of Community Services (DoCS) to distribute the Regional Relief Fund set up by the Newcastle Permanent Building Society, to financially assist those who have been affected by the floods and storms in June 2007.

Previous Projects

Samaritans has been in Welfare projects such as Project Safe Haven. This work included taking a leading role in the settlement of the Kosovar Albanian refugees at The Singleton Safe Haven including the supply and distribution of clothing and personal requisites in conjunction with the St Vincent De Paul Society, the establishment of recreation and activity centres and volunteer coordination.

Previously, Samaritans has coordinated the distribution of disaster welfare to local farming families and the BHP welfare trust fund for workers and families effected by the closure of BHP steel making in Newcastle. Samaritans has coordinated Samaritans Maintenance Service, a partnership between the Two Bishops Trust and the Department of Housing (DoH)to employ local DoH tenants as ground and maintenance crews in the east and west areas of Lake Macquarie.