ACHCS volunteer day speech by Hanan Ghabour

Ms Hanan Ghabour
Presidents SpeechACHCS Volunteer Lunch 10 February 2024
I would like to thank the Hon Eleni Patinos state member for Miranda for her acknowledgment of the work of ACHCS volunteers in the State parliament in October 2023. This action gave public validation and recognition to our hard-working volunteers and their devotion to doing good.

I would like to thank the Mayor of Sutherland Shire Council Councillor Carmelo

I would like to thank Good 360 for its partnership with us for the past 7 years, which has supported and granted us access to material donations to enable ACHCS to provide tailored hampers to those in need both in Sutherland Shire and around NSW.

ACHCS was established in 2015 to lobby to stop the demolition of the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Sydenham which was the first bought outside of Egypt.

ACHCS Started hamper preparations in 2017.

This last Christmas alone ACHCS embraced 110 new volunteers to help out with hamper preparations and deliveries.
We have delivered 1000 hampers each year across NSW since 2017.

Our hampers have been delivered from Emu Plans out west to the eastern suburbs from the Northern suburbs to Sutherland Shire and down the coast to families affected by the bushfires and floods in Ulladulla and surrounding areas.

Without the support of volunteers of all ages, this wonderful work would not be possible.

Our partnerships with organisations such as
1 Good 360
2 Sutherland Shire Council
3 Gymea community aid
4 Schools
5 Kurrunulla Aboriginal services
6 The children’s hospital in Randwick
7 St George Hospital Social Work Department
8 Various churches and religious leaders from different denominations
9 As well as local businesses have assisted us by allowing us to use their cool rooms at Easter time to preserve palms for teaching classes.
ACHCS has two arms, the heritage arm includes
– Coptic music,
– art,
– language,
– food,
– handcrafts,
– traditions,
– history, and
– Christian values for doing good

This was learned from our Coptic heritage which was instilled in us growing up and learning to serve others at the Coptic Orthodox Church at Sydenham in the early 70’s.

Then of course the other arm of the organisation which is Community services of which the Christmas hamper preparation and delivery is part.
The Christmas hamper drive helps bring together and build community. Bringing together volunteers of all ages.
Brings families along to give from one family, the nuclear family, the extended family as often we may have up to 20 extended family members booking in to come along to help

In 2017 we started hamper preparations at Riverwood Community Centre.

In 2018, 2019 & 2020, we went to Sutherland Scouts Hall for 6 weeks before Christmas each year. The hall was filled with brand-new items from floor to ceiling.

We would get deliveries of donations all year round of brand new products with the help and partnership with Good 360 and the support of our donors.
In 2020 we were lucky enough when a neighbour of mine Mr Ken Simmons and his wife Diane donated the use of their 2-bedroom unit in Gymea for ACHCS to use rent-free for 6 months to store goods, prepare and dispatch hampers for delivery.

Our volunteers assisted with the delivery of Food hampers of fresh produce throughout COVID-19 all over Sydney in partnership with the food bank and Fr John Suriel from the Coptic church at Kirrawee.

Volunteers would come from Penrith, the eastern suburbs, Southwest, and the shire to help deliver food to those who could not get out of their homes due to illness, disability and of course the elderly.

In 2021 and 2022 we went back to the scouts hall in Sutherland but with controlled volunteer participation because of Covid restrictions.
Finally, in January 2023 we were able to find and secure appropriate storage at Taren Point Youth Centre which is managed by Sutherland Shire Council. For that, we are extremely grateful.

We now have the space to accept more donations and pallets of products and are looking to expand our hamper services to being all year round to those in need, and who may be impacted by Domestic and family violence.

An example of such cases is a family fleeing domestic violence from Mt Druitt who found us through Facebook. Families impacted by cancer, People experiencing homelessness. We also assisted over 100 Ukrainian Refugee families in the Sutherland’s shire.

In 2024, ACHCS is looking into becoming an Aged care provider supporting older Australians.

We will also be looking at lobbying to find a permanent place for our services to operate from on a permanent ongoing basis.
For this, we will be looking at obtaining support, building partnerships and networks with various levels of government
and the generosity of donors to grow and expand services to continue to do good.

Again I thank you all for coming today and thank our volunteers without whom ACHCS could not support those going through hardship.

Please contact us at austcopticheritagecs@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer or contribute.