B-Together for Christmas Cheer

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Over 140 guests came together at our third B-Together Christmas celebration dinner on 10 December.

Guests consisted of LifeCare clients from our different programs, including 56 children. For many, this was the only Christmas dinner that they would experience. The night was graced by Crossway’s Senior Pastor, Dale Stephenson, bringing a message of hope.

It was a fun night of good food, entertainment, laughter and great conversations. Highlights included a choir singing Christmas Carols and a puppet show that brought smiles to the faces of the children. Santa and his efficient elves worked extremely hard to bring a personal gift to each child and family on the night.

A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers and members of the congregation who contributed to the success of the evening in many different ways.

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You Can Get Financially Fit: B-Empowered Financial Care

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With debts over $20,000 and James out of work due to injury, Sam and James* came to see volunteer financial case worker Dave Cuddon in March 2014.

Time was spent looking at how they normally managed their money and then setting up strategies and tools to help reduce spending habits and increase payments on the credit cards. By reviewing what their obligations, needs and wants were, they were able to set realistic spending goals.

Now, a few months after finishing with B-Empowered, they sent an update on how they are progressing:

“All is going well with our budget and savings plan. We have been saving 10% of my wage each fortnight and not touched it. Spending habits have changed dramatically and compulsive shopping has become a thing of the past … I am more aware of what we need to buy and what we can do without. All bills are being met each month.

“Thank you for your support, the process of looking at our budget under a microscope has developed some healthy skills and attitudes I didn’t have before and none of this could have happened if I didn’t go through the budgeting process. Thank you.”

Through a personalised 10 week program with support and coaching, B-Empowered can help with budgeting skills, debt management, looking at spending habits, and developing new skills. If you would like to know more, please contact Nikki Farren, Financial Care Coordinator, on 88474993.

*Names changed to protect privacy

Melbourne Marathon: Run For Hope

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This year, it will be held on Sunday, 12 October 2014. After the success of Melbourne Marathon 2013 fundraiser, Team LifeCare is set to challenge its achieved goal of $60K last year to a target goal $100K this year!

The recruitment for Team LifeCare took place on two Sundays, 2 & 9 March in a marquee set up in the Church foyer. A total of 120 potential participants signed up to run or walk an event on the day! An awesome result!!

It is still not too late to join the team! You can participate in any of these events: 3km walk, 5km run, 10km run, Half Marathon (21.1km) or the Full Marathon (42.195km). If you are interested in joining Team LifeCare, please email Jane for more details.

To donate to Team LifeCare, click here.

Donations Trolley to Food Parcels: Thanks to Our “Pantry Fairies”

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Patti and Angela are our wonderful volunteers who have helped for a number of years. Their faithfulness, cheery and happy smiles are regularly there every Tuesday and Friday, unpacking the food trolley, putting the food away and then organising the food parcels to help the many families in our community who are struggling.

In Victoria alone, one in eight families are doing it tough and look to charity organisations to help them with their basic needs of food. Crossway LifeCare is one such organisation and the generosity of Crossway people is helping those families.

Although our pantry is small at the moment we have big plans for the future. Our new LifeCare building will have a large walk-in pantry which will enable people to choose from the food selection for their food parcels. It is very exciting! The expansion means being able to help even more families in need in our community.

We are grateful for the continuing, generous supply of donations.  If you wish to donate, we accept non-perishable goods ‘in date’ and they can be left in the LifeCare Donation trolley, which is located in the foyer at Crossway.

LifeCare Women’s Centre

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Crossway LifeCare’s vision for the Women’s Centre is to see women and children from broken relationships have their lives rebuilt, strengthened and flourish in a safe haven.

Nestled in suburban Box Hill, the Centre was officially opened on May 15 by LifeCare’s Chairman, Stuart Yarnall, and Acting Senior Pastor, Andrew Hill.

The Centre is currently running on Wednesdays between 9.30am-2.45pm. The programs are run by qualified staff and cover spiritual wellbeing, therapeutic group work and craft activities.

There are now 10 women and up to 9 children attending the Centre regularly on Wednesdays and another program will soon begin on an alternate day.

“It’s the only thing I look forward to in the week now,” said Jane.

“I feel so accepted and part of family when I’m here,” said Sarah.

More recently on June 24, an Open Day was held for representatives of community agencies.  The aim was for them to understand the Centre’s purpose, see the programs we run and have a firsthand look at our facility for future referrals.

For more information on our Women’s Centre, please contact Christina Lim or Laura Baxter.

Ali’s Story: From Chaos to Medical School

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LifeCare has already made a difference in the lives of many individuals and families and with your help, together we can see more people flourish in our community. Here’s how LifeCare helped one single mum and her family of five children:

A series of tragic and sad events set my life on a different path. I was overwhelmed with responsibility. I felt like a failure because I so wanted my marriage to work. I felt trapped and alone. I first came to LifeCare to talk about a coach for my son Robert but what I loved was that my whole family was considered. I felt a weight come off my shoulders and it was very easy to feel comfortable.

Robert’s coach relationship kicked off from the start – they set goals together and had a lot of fun. My younger son saw this and asked for a coach as well. I was feeling very disorganised and chaotic so they asked if I’d like to have a coach myself. Julie and I clicked straight away. She gave me some fantastic strategies for organisation and encouraged me to set goals. She set me up to actually achieve my short term goal to do nursing. I got really good marks and passed the entry exam to get into med school. That was after being at home bringing up five children for fourteen years full time – and I didn’t know how to switch a computer on until I met Julie.

My whole family was embraced. My eldest daughter was struggling and Crossway was involved in sourcing a more supportive school. She’s at university now. I had grief counselling as I was coping with the death of my child. I also accessed the financial services – even living on a shoe-string there are things you can do.

Now my life is so different. My heart is open to new possibilities, I feel focused and strong and a part of the community. Every single person I come across, even if it’s fleeting, I hope that person feels better about who they are after they have contact with me – because that’s what LifeCare did for me and my family. We can’t do it alone, no-one can.

2014 Celebration Encouragement Awards Announced

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Congratulations to all the recipients

LifeCare Youth COACH Award

Presented to a young person on our Youth COACH program who have been nominated and sensitively selected on a non-competitive basis by our Awards Committee to encourage his/her progress towards a significant and positive life goal.

Recipient: Robert Cooper

Robert was very quiet and reserved when he was introduced to the Youth COACH program. I was a stranger to him and it took sometime before he trusted me. When he did, he opened up to me more as a friend than a COACH.

Robert has progressed from a troubled boy at the start to a much happier young person today. He is doing well at school and his Coach, Allan Chew is confident of his ability to discern right from wrong and making wise choices in friends.

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Robert is also a computer wiz! He is able to rip a computer apart, modify it and put it all together. He does all his research online and implements what he has learnt to achieve this.

Robert also completed the World Challenge last year in Borneo where he learnt essential life skills that will aid his personal growth.

Allan Chew, Coach

LifeCare B-Empowered Award

A client on our B-Empowered program will have been nominated and sensitively selected on a non-competitive basis by our Awards Committee to celebrate his/her progress towards reducing their debt and/or finding employment.

Recipient: Brett Weller

“18 months ago I had a budget that was perfect. My fortnightly income from centre link when budgeted properly could keep me drunk, economising was allocating funds to port wine or spirits.

I arrived in Melbourne from Brisbane needing help. I needed to get my life back into order, support to deal with addictions, look for employment and find a sense of community. I felt low and stressed.

Friends introduced me to Life care and it was here that I was introduced to the B-Empowered financial care program that supported people who were struggling financially.

There are many institutions, charity groups that help by giving food parcels and vouchers but to tackle the problem at the root was a whole new ball game.

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The B-Empowered program not only supported me with some financial assistance and food parcels, but it also helped me look at my budget and spending habits. Being on benefits means there is not much left at the end of the fortnight but with support and coaching I have been able to manage my budget better, set up a payment plan to pay off an old bill and even have a small amount of money at the end of the fortnight to save.

It wasn’t easy but Nikki helped me to see it was possible and I really feel I have achieved something. To now be able to say my budget is now life first, luxury later would be good. To say I have both is better. I now have pride, confidence and am a multi-millionaire, okay not quite but feel like one. I am proud and safe.”

Brett Weller

LifeCare Counselling Award – Jessica Cooper and Nathan Spratling

A past client from our Counselling service will have been nominated and sensitively selected on a non-competitive basis by our Awards Committee to celebrate his/her progress in overcoming a major life challenge

Recipients: Jessica Cooper and Nathan Spratling

Before Nathan and I started counselling our relationship was on the verge of a breakup. At that point the only thing keeping us together was our daughter. I, personally, knew that I still loved Nathan but was at a point where I didn’t know how to move forward with our relationship and move past the petty arguments and lack of communication.

We reached a point one day where we decided counselling was our last try at mending our relationship and getting us back to a point where we had once been.

We began our counselling with Angie and from our first session until now it has been pretty much nothing but improvements. Angie helped us to understand one another’s wants and what we both truly needed in order for our relationship to be strong and successful. She has helped us to understand that what I may feel is important in a relationship is not necessarily what Nathan thinks is important and that we both need to compromise and as she would say “fill each others love tank.” Angie has never questioned whether we loved each other or doubted that we are a great team and are meant to be together.

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Although no relationship is perfect and there are still things that we will forever be working on we can happily and thankfully say that we are at a great point and realise the importance of making time to be a couple as well as being parents. We feel like we have a better understanding of one another and are genuinely enjoying and loving our life together. We are so grateful to Angie and life care for their support and encouragement. And also for offering a service that is affordable particularly for us as a young family. We have and will continue to recommend counselling to others in similar situations.

Thank you again for having us.

Jessica & Nathan

LifeCare Family COACH Award

A parent or family as a whole on our Family COACH program will have been nominated and sensitively selected on a non-competitive basis by our Awards Committee to celebrate their progress towards a significant and positive life goal.

Recipient: Suzie Milivojevic

I got to know the COACH programme through one of my two boys. Lachie was an amazing coach to my youngest boy, so when someone suggested to me that I get a coach, I thought it was a great idea.

The COACH programme matched me up with Julie who was someone I felt comfortable with and who understood me well.

My coach walked alongside me during a difficult time in my life. The best things Julie offered me was support and being there when no one else was around or cared or wanted to listen to my problems. It was like having an extension to my family.

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What the coach programme has enabled me to do is help me take charge of my life again and make me feel more like my old self where I am able to be assertive and make decisions.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Crossway for blessing me by believing in this programme that supports and encourages people like myself and for helping me get back on my feet. I also want to them all the people who volunteer their time to make this programme possible.

Suzie

Inaugural Celebration Dinner Was A Fundtastic Success

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Approximately $60K was raised at the LifeCare’s Inaugural Celebration Evening held on Monday 26 May. It was attended by 370 guests. “We have been very blessed by the generosity of our sponsors and everyone who gave and supported in different ways towards our vision and mission through this evening!” said Director for LifeCare, Toby Baxter.

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It was a highly entertaining evening starting with the amazing talented display of acrobatics skills by the Eastern Gymnastics group, followed by the very engaging and inspiring special guest speaker Lisa McInnes-Smith. The Awards ceremony was the highlight of the evening where five LifeCare clients shared their testimonies and received each an encouragement award for their journey so far.

Included in the program for the evening was also a Silent Auction.

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What others said

Outstanding effort, what an amazing night!! Had a great time, it went very fast which is always a good sign and the food, entertainment and message were all first class. Neil

What a great night.  I was so impressed with everything – especially the guest speaker. Also I couldn’t believe it finished on time.  It was also great to hear and see the benefits of LifeCare.  Fiona H

Well done Toby and the incredible LifeCare team on pulling together such an amazing evening last night celebrating the change in people’s lives.  Wonderful evening, Andy and I enjoyed immensely.  Fiona

We all loved the program from the gymnastic display to the speaker Lisa.  We especially loved the awards – as it brought alive all the work that the LifeCare team does.  Well done.  Jill

Thanking our Sponsors

Bless Designs
Guymer Bailey Architects
Mountain Timbers
Qanstruct
Repco

Alan & Leeanne Croot
Nordic Elevators
Alfred’s Homestead
Patti Robertson
Bakers Delight
Paul & Jules McIllwain
Benchmark Real Estate
Plant Inspirations
Brian & Julie Rule
Ron & Ruth Chatelier
Brendon Atherton
Stockdale & Leggo
Dale Stephenson
Sue’s Flower Spot
David Everard
Terry Young,
Traffic Safe
David Leong Optometrist
Thrive Health & Fitness
Dwayne Pigrim PT
Tim Heng
Esther Lee
Titilayo Adetunji, Cardinal Financial Group
Huntingdale Golf Club
Welly Lee, Destiny Photography
Mark Pearse
Yering Hill Vineyard
Mars Food Zagames
Michelle Mo Beauty
Neil Angus

 

2013 Crossway LifeCare Annual Report

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2013 was a year of Growth for Crossway LifeCare. In our community mentoring programme, COACH, over 60 coach volunteers were recruited and trained. They assisted over 70 families, youth and children. Youth Coach was also launched.

In our Financial Care program, B-Empowered 83 families received financial assistance. 114 families received food assistance.

Our counselling service saw 631 clients. There were over 2,800 counselling sessions provided to individuals, couples and families.

You can download their stories and more information in the 2013 Crossway LifeCare Annual Report here.

Celebration Evening: Your Invitation

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We would like to invite you to attend this not-to-be missed first ever fundraiser Inaugural Celebration Evening on Monday, 26 May.

You will be served a sumptuous 3-course meal and entertained by well renowned speaker and author,  Lisa McInnes-Smith and be wowed by a sports acrobatics display performed by a team lead by former National Sports Acrobatics Gold Medallists.

There will also be a Silent Auction to raise funds and if YOU are able to help or know people in businesses that may be able donate an item of value or their services to this Auction, please email Jane.

We are also looking for sponsors for the night. Please email Jane at the above address if you can help.

Tickets for the night can be purchased from here at $125 per head.  If you would like to book a table, please email Jane to be allocated a table.