Home > About Us > Community Outreach
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Our community activities are focused on
areas of need not fully met by other groups and where we believe we have the
resources to make a difference.
Our local
population has above average numbers of retirees and young families. We
also have above average numbers of both high and low income earners.
Generally our
community activities are run under the supervision of qualified people assisted
by a team of volunteers. Volunteers who work with children are required by law
to undergo a police check.
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Music and Storytelling Playgroup more
Run by Reverend Christine Barren a
qualified Music Teacher
A great chance for children to
have a simple introduction to music making
Opportunity for parent and child
to spend time together in a creative playgroup session.
Playgroup activities and refreshments
provided by a team of enthusiastic volunteers
No fees
When?: -
9.30am to 11am on Thursdays
Where?:-
St Andrews Church and Parish Hall 35 Lyons Street Rye
Enrolments:-
Contact the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399. It
is essential to book as there is a waiting list. Enrolments for the following
year will be taken from the end of November.
Volunteering:-
To ask about becoming a volunteer
contact Convenor Pat Spencer via Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
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Musik Makers Program
When?:-
Friday mornings during school term
Where?:-
St Andrew's Church 35 Lyons Street Rye
Who?:-
Contact Christine or
phone 5989 8620.
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Friday
Club
What
is Friday Club?:
A drop in centre for anyone living
with or recovering from mental illness
No referral is required to join
us, just come in to receive a warm welcome
We can give information about the
support services available and a member of Peninsula Support Services
joins us each week.
The only drop in centre of this
nature on this side of the Peninsula between Mornington and Portsea
A safe place for
social contact, integration with local community and refreshment
Enjoy conversation,
music, games, morning tea and a scrumptious lunch
Enjoy outings every 6 weeks or so
The year finishes with a Christmas party, complete with
Santa and gifts for all
Birthdays and special celebrations are honoured
Numbers vary, averaging about 20
-25 participants each week.
Club members assist in the planning of our programs, on
the Food rosters and activities
Volunteers help on the catering roster, assist with
transport from time to time, or “meeting and greeting” in the hall to
welcome all, introduce new folk, keep the urn boiling and the biscuit
basket full!
When?
11am to 2pm every
Friday for 10-11 months of the year
Where?
St Andrew’s Hall 35
Lyons Street Rye
How
do we become involved?
Just DROP IN to say “Hello”. It is a
good idea to contact the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399 to make
sure we will be at home the day you plan to visit.
Who do we
contact?
Co-ordinators of the Friday Club are
Glen Bock and Robin Thompson who will phone after you make contact with the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
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Emergency Food Relief more
Our aim
To assist those
in our local community who are under financial stress and struggling to put
food on the table
What
is available?
Bread,
canned and packaged food and basics such as toilet paper
Due to
lack of refrigeration we are unable to store fresh fruit and vegetables,
meat, fish, or dairy products.
Who
can come?
Everyone is welcomed
Privacy
A private consulting
area is provided
Confidentiality
The only
records kept are the names of those being served.
These
remain confidential and are not passed on to any third party or other
authority.
They are
recorded purely to show trends in the numbers coming to us on a daily,
monthly or yearly basis and to ensure that the service is accountable to
those who make donations of goods or money.
Where
does food come from?
Parish
donations
Through
Food for All, (a service covering the whole of the Mornington Peninsula)
Donations
from local businesses and community groups
Hours
Monday,
Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 12noon
Enquiries
Food
Relief is operated by a team of volunteers led by manager, Marguerite
Brennan.
For all
enquiries contact Marguerite via the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
Whether
you come for food assistance or to offer your help as a volunteer you will
be warmly welcomed
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Rye Community Kitchen
The Rye community
kitchen commenced on 4th August in the St Andrew’s Hall.
This is a joint initiative between our parish
and Peninsula Health.
The weekly sessions
will run from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
What is a Community Kitchen?
The philosophy of the
Community Kitchens Project is to further develop a sense of community around
food. Groups of people (6-8 usually) meet regularly at community based venues
to socialise and cook affordable, fresh, nutritious meals together. Trained
facilitators guide the Kitchens to ensure they run smoothly. Participants come
from many different walks of life and every member has strengths and skills
which can be shared. Participants contribute to the costs of the ingredients
and cook the meals themselves.
Community Kitchens help people:
- Regularly access affordable nutritious
food
- Meet others and socialise in a friendly
and welcoming environment.
- Connect to their community by
strengthening bonds between community members, providing volunteering
opportunities and establishing links with other community programs and
organizations.
Potential benefits for participants include positive changes in:
·
Communication/interpersonal
skills
·
Teamwork and leadership skills
- working with others, taking a leadership role.
·
Budgeting - writing shopping
list, putting money aside, buying in bulk or on sale.
·
Literacy and numeracy.
·
Confidence and self esteem.
For further
information about the Rye
Community Kitchen please contact:
Kirsteen MacKenzie:
0400851333 or
Sarah Meiklejohn
(Rosebud Community Health): 59869250
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JackanAndy’s Op
Shop more
Where?
848 Melbourne Road Sorrento, near the
roundabout at Ocean Beach Road. Look for the white house with the blue flag
flying.
What
programs does the Op Shop support?
Our
Stock
All stock is donated, and carefully
sorted so that it goes into the shop clean and in good repair.
Our
Staff
Our wonderful volunteer staff ensure
that there is a warm and welcoming atmosphere when you visit us. Many
friendships have been formed on both sides of the counter.
To
Offer Your Help
Ring the shop at 5984 4577 or contact
Bev Baker via the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
You can help us by offering your
patronage, your time, your expertise, as well as your donations. If you would
like to give it a go please don’t hesitate to contact us for a try-out session.
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Painting Group more
Run by parishioner
and local award winning artist Jim Uhe
Jim always has scope for new
members and welcomes beginners and those with just an appreciation of art.
It is never too late to start.
There are opportunities to try all
mediums before purchasing your art materials
Jim’s emphasis is to allow the
development of personal styles with support being given on different
techniques, and on design and balance
This friendly group attracts
painting enthusiasts from our parish and from the wider community
BYO lunch with coffee from the kitchen
When?
2nd,
3rd and 4th Wednesdays from 11am
Where?
In the hall at St Andrews Church 35
Lyons Street Rye
Enquiries
From Jim via the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
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Arts Program
The
parish hosts a variety of performances throughout the year in collaboration
with Arts Nepean, a group of parish and local performing arts lovers.
What
Kinds of Performances?
- Chamber and ethnic music groups,
organ solist, poetry and dramatic readings
- Performers are either touring from
overseas or local with overseas experience.
Where?
- Concerts are held in St John’s Church
Sorrento which has excellent acoustics and a heritage small pipe organ said to
be one of the oldest of its type in Australia.
- Poetry or dramatic readings are
held at either St John’s or St Andrew’s churches.
Current
Program Details
BookingsJackanAndy’s Op Shop (Phone 5984 4577)
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Breast
Cancer Survivors 
Now part of the Breast Cancer
Network Australia, and known as Southern Peninsula Breast Cancer Survivors
Group.
This ties us into a much larger
network and access to information and kits for women diagnosed with breast
cancer.
We have supportive and fun
gatherings bi-monthly and in conjunction with Sorrento Community House we
assist with the Pink Lunch fundraiser.
If you think you might like to
join us contact Elizabeth via the Parish Office Phone 5985 1399
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The
Mornington Peninsula Human Rights Group
Though originating at one of our
parish discussion groups, this group has expanded to include members from
several areas of the Mornington Peninsula and has an extensive mailing
list of interested supporters.
With the support of the Mornington
Peninsula Shire the group has run seminars and public forums on various
human rights issues and distributes a newsletter several times a year.
Contact
and Information about activities
See our website
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The Mornington Peninsula Interfaith Network
What is it?
The Network was founded in 2009 with the aim of promoting understanding, respect and peaceful co-existence between different faith traditions. A core committee currently consists of of two Christians, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Brahma Kumari and a Muslim. Our parish Assistant Priest, Rev'd Hans Christiansen, is vice-president. They hope to learn from each other's traditions and engage with people of all ages in matters spiritual and bring new life of the Spirit to citizens of the Peninsula. Events and talks on Spirituality and world religions will be held across the Peninsula throughout the year.
What kind of events?
- Women and Spirituality Conference
- Sufi Zikr Ceremony (Whirling Dervishes)
- Synagogue Visit with Bar Mitzvah Ceremony
- Multifaith Celebration of Community
- Mornington Peninsula Interfaith Retreat
- Mornington Peninsula Interfaith Festival
For more information contact : Rev'd Hans Christiansen
or visit the website : Mornington Peninsula Interfaith Network
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The Elmore
Connection
We
have formed a special link with Elmore Parish in drought stricken country
Victoria and have gained mutual encouragement and inspiration from connection
with them through exchange visits.
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Support for
Local Schools and Work in The Wider World
In
addition to support given by JackanAndy’s Op Shop, the parish contributes
funding to:
Chaplaincies at Rosebud and
Dromana Secondary Colleges
Annual awards for year 6 students
of Rye Primary School.
Supports Rev’d Christine Barren’s
Musik Makers programme in the sub primary classes at Rye Primary School.
The course is used to provide music education but also to enhance basic
learning areas of oral language, literacy and numeracy.
We also support work in urban and outback
Australia, in PNG and a Village in India through a Tear Program.
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