Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
13 Mar 2012
At the start of 2011, diagnosed with severe developmental delay, four-year-old Ali Rahal was barely able to walk. Now thanks to CatholicCare's Early Childhood Intervention Program, the bright-eyed little boy not only has improved mobility but is able to walk and excitedly looking forward to starting school.
"I just can't praise CatholicCare highly enough," says Ali's mother, Wedad Rahal amazed and delighted with the progress her young son has made over the past few months.
"The CatholicCare therapist, Paula visits us at our home every fortnight and works with Ali and I cannot believe the difference she has made. She's always coming up with new ideas and different ways to develop Ali's mobility and other skills and really understands his needs and how best to meet them," she says.
Ali is one of 100 children in South West Sydney who benefit from extensive therapy and education intervention provided by CatholicCare's dedicated team of early childhood teachers and therapists from the agency's Early Childhood Intervention Program.
The welfare agency for the Archdiocese of Sydney, CatholicCare provides assistance to more than 300,000 men, women and children across the city each year under a variety of programs ranging from counselling for anger management to help with family relationships, parent education, treatment for drug, alcohol or gambling addictions, employment for those with disabilities, youth counselling and job training, respite care for those who look after the elderly, sick or disabled, job opportunities and accommodation assistance for youth at risk.
The agency also provides financial advice and help with budgeting, emergency and long term foster care and intervention and help for children like Ali.
Each year when CatholicCare hosts its annual St Patrick's Day lunch in the historic Strangers Dining Room at State Parliament House, Macquarie St there is a fundraiser for one of the agency's programs and this year monies raised at the lunch will go towards its Early Childhood Intervention Program.
2012 marks the 11th year CatholicCare has held the lunch. Although it will be one day before the "official" Day, 250 guests will again join CatholicCare CEO, Bernard Boerma this Friday, 16 March at NSW Parliament House to celebrate St Patrick's Day and the important work carried out by the agency.
Taking charge of the live auction and hosting other fundraising events during the lunch will be television game show personality Andrew O'Keefe. Guests attending the lunch will include state and federal politicians, leading clergy from across the Archdiocese and many old and new supporters of CatholicCare.
Last year's lunch raised $32,000 and the agency hopes to equal or top that amount with this year's St Patrick's Day event.
Originally founded by four lay women in 1941 who were among the nation's first accredited social workers, CatholicCare began life as the Sydney Welfare Bureau. Unlike other agencies of the time, this one not only offered help to the city's poor and in need, but identified the major causes of poverty and hardship and sought to address these issues.
The name of the Sydney Welfare Agency was later changed to Centacare and more recently to CatholicCare.
Today the agency employs a staff of more than 900 and operates 100 different programs as well as a national Parentline which can be accessed 24-hour-day, seven days a week.
To find out more about CatholicCare and the valuable work carried out by the agency, log on to www.catholiccare.org.
http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012313_1788.shtml
13 Mar 2012
Andrew O'Keefe will put on the green
at CatholicCare's annual
St Patrick's Day Lunch
at CatholicCare's annual
St Patrick's Day Lunch
"I just can't praise CatholicCare highly enough," says Ali's mother, Wedad Rahal amazed and delighted with the progress her young son has made over the past few months.
"The CatholicCare therapist, Paula visits us at our home every fortnight and works with Ali and I cannot believe the difference she has made. She's always coming up with new ideas and different ways to develop Ali's mobility and other skills and really understands his needs and how best to meet them," she says.
Ali is one of 100 children in South West Sydney who benefit from extensive therapy and education intervention provided by CatholicCare's dedicated team of early childhood teachers and therapists from the agency's Early Childhood Intervention Program.
The welfare agency for the Archdiocese of Sydney, CatholicCare provides assistance to more than 300,000 men, women and children across the city each year under a variety of programs ranging from counselling for anger management to help with family relationships, parent education, treatment for drug, alcohol or gambling addictions, employment for those with disabilities, youth counselling and job training, respite care for those who look after the elderly, sick or disabled, job opportunities and accommodation assistance for youth at risk.
The agency also provides financial advice and help with budgeting, emergency and long term foster care and intervention and help for children like Ali.
Four year old Ali Rahal life has changed
thanks to CatholicCare's Early
Childhood Intervention Program.
thanks to CatholicCare's Early
Childhood Intervention Program.
2012 marks the 11th year CatholicCare has held the lunch. Although it will be one day before the "official" Day, 250 guests will again join CatholicCare CEO, Bernard Boerma this Friday, 16 March at NSW Parliament House to celebrate St Patrick's Day and the important work carried out by the agency.
Taking charge of the live auction and hosting other fundraising events during the lunch will be television game show personality Andrew O'Keefe. Guests attending the lunch will include state and federal politicians, leading clergy from across the Archdiocese and many old and new supporters of CatholicCare.
Last year's lunch raised $32,000 and the agency hopes to equal or top that amount with this year's St Patrick's Day event.
Originally founded by four lay women in 1941 who were among the nation's first accredited social workers, CatholicCare began life as the Sydney Welfare Bureau. Unlike other agencies of the time, this one not only offered help to the city's poor and in need, but identified the major causes of poverty and hardship and sought to address these issues.
The name of the Sydney Welfare Agency was later changed to Centacare and more recently to CatholicCare.
Today the agency employs a staff of more than 900 and operates 100 different programs as well as a national Parentline which can be accessed 24-hour-day, seven days a week.
To find out more about CatholicCare and the valuable work carried out by the agency, log on to www.catholiccare.org.
http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012313_1788.shtml
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