Merrimu

Announcing FDR and DELVE

Merrimu October 27, 2016

If you happen to be passing our new premises at 2A Michaels Drive Ballarat, you will see Merrimus new signage for FDR (Front Door Recycling) and DELVE (Disability Education Learning Vocation and Empowerment).

Merrimu is proud to continuously introduce new learning and work experience opportunities for the communities we serve.

Our new Ballarat Hub is excited to extend its scope to include DELVE and FDR commencing late 2016.

The DELVE program, Disability Education Learning Vocation Empowerment, provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills. DELVE helps people make successful transitions to a productive and involved life this program can be accessed by people with varied skills and backgrounds seeking new opportunities and employment pathways.

FDR, Front Door Recycling, is a business model enabling a person to be actively involved in a business whose sole mission is to give back to community by recycling clothing and textiles. FDR actively participates with community organizations and business partners to enable a collective approach to recycling clothing and textiles.

Together with DELVE, FDR will facilitate and promote opportunities for participants to practice their DELVE learnt program based skills on a progressive basis. Each of DELVE’s functional skills and specific activity and task based skills programs form part of FDR’s business model of operations, allowing participants to be fully immersed in practicing their learnt skills on a daily basis.

We look forward to discussing FDR and DELVE more with you as we continue to strive to meet the growing demands for new work experience and learning opportunities.

NDIS ‘Change and Choice’ Community Forum, Bacchus Marsh

Merrimu July 1, 2016

National Disability Services invites all community members who are seeking further information on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) across Moorabool and the surrounding areas to attend the NDIS ‘Change and Choice’ Community Forum, on Monday 25 July in Bacchus Marsh.
The event will explore the core question from participants, their families, carers, service providers,
and community services: “What does the NDIS mean for me?”

The session will introduce the NDS, NDIA and Latrobe Community Health and address

The exciting opportunities created for participants, their families and carers under the NDIS, and answer any concerns they may have,
The key changes for service providers under the NDIS, and how they can prepare for the transition ahead
The ways in which the NDIS will intersect with schools, mental health support services, carer and respite services, community health, aged care and disability advocacy

There will be a guest speaker from the NDIS Barwon trial site, Giuseppe Prestia from Ermha 360.
He’ll share his first-hand experience of what life has been like transitioning to the NDIS and the positive outcomes it’s had within the community.
The ‘Change and Choice’ Community Forum is an excellent opportunity to learn about what the NDIS will mean for you. The day will include a short break for morning tea, with time to speak to NDS representatives and have your question answered.
NDS, in partnership with Moorabool Council and Merrimu Inc. will also be launching an exciting new Moorabool ‘Communities of Practice’ project. This project will explore how local services can work together to build consumer and community driven practices. Come along to find out more.

Details:
Time: 11am – 1:30pm
Date: Monday 25 July
Location: The Supper Room, 207 Main Street Bacchus Marsh (accessible venue)

You can also register your attendance here:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ndis-change-and-choice-community-forum-bacchus-marsh-tickets-26319845366

Upcoming respite dates and activities

Merrimu April 22, 2016

Merrimu is happy to announce we have exciting activities the next four Saturday’s for people with a disability.
See the attached list of individual activities with two different options to choose from each week. This is available for adults with a disability over 18 years old who live in the Melton and surrounding local government areas – Melton, Moorabool, Brimbank, Ballarat and Wyndham.
You do not need to have accessed any service before but do need to qualify for support under the Disability Act 2006 from the Department of Health and Human Services. The program’s numbers are limited and are filling up fast, so please contact us if you would like more information or to book!

Respite dates and activities

Our newly redesigned retail store: You Want You Should

Merrimu March 29, 2016

Merrimu is proud to present our newly redesigned Retail Store:

You Want You Should, Giftware with a purpose

We invite you to visit our new store which is located at 2 Graham Street, Bacchus Marsh and browse our new giftware selection.

You Want You Should can also be found online at: www.YouWantYouShould.org, where you can browse and purchase all items of giftware online, with hassle free home delivery.

Our Grand Re-opening of our Retail Store will be on the 11th of April 2016.

Every purchase made at ‘You Want You Should’, will go towards empowering a person with a disability to gain a genuine learning & education experience in retail services that will support them to pursue a vocation in retail and like services that is important to each individual.

Merrimu is transforming its service delivery approach to provide support models that integrate skills development and learning with on the job-skills participation and training so as to foster and promote integrated work and career opportunities for people with a disability. ‘You Want You Should’ enables a person with a disability to gain confidence and skills in a supportive and hands-on retail environment.

Peter’s Story

Merrimu February 25, 2016

Peter works at Christabelles, Merrimu’s gift and homewares shop in Bacchus Marsh and at the Hub in Melton.The hubs are located within the community and are used as a place to assist people in connecting to vocational, employment, learning and community opportunities.One of Peter’s goals is to secure a job and he has been busy learning new skills to help him get work ready. He has also been working with the Unibees program to help improve his reading and his maths skills.

“I like learning at the hub as I do lots of different things and have learned how to be more independent,” he says.

Peter works really hard at Christabelles. He likes working in the shop and enjoys serving customers, stocktaking, handling money and gift wrapping. He says he feels more confident from working there.

(more…)

Jem’s Story

Merrimu February 18, 2016

Jem enjoys coming to Merrimu because he learns how to make things.

Jem is in his mid 20s and before coming to Merrimu attended a Men’s Shed. “I didn’t really like it as I didn’t get to do as much as I do now,” he says.

“My favourite thing to do at Merrimu is woodwork. I find handyman work easy and enjoy hammering at woodwork,” he says.

Improving his handwriting is another challenge that Jem is working hard at as he says he finds it difficult and needs help.
Jem enjoys being out in the community and likes to go for walks or out for drives and looking for drink bottles and sunglasses as he collects them. (more…)

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