3 minute read
Mindfull:Aus
The Couch International Student Drop-In Centre reopens
The Couch program reopened in March, as Project 614 saw significantly increased pandemic affected international student numbers.
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During 2020/21 lockdowns, Project 614 were providing hundreds of free meals and grocery parcels to international students weekly. The impact that social isolation was having on students who’d arrived early in 2020 and hadn’t yet formed a support network before being plunged into lockdown was becoming obvious. The Couch International Student Drop-In Centre supports students with a hot meal and— importantly—facilitates the formation of a strong sense of community, needed now more than ever.
For these students, being in Melbourne, without a support network is very tough, especially when isolated from families, and unable to go home.
Meals Delivered to Casual workers
During Melbourne's 4th lockdown Project 614 responded to another very real need, by delivering frozen meals to the doors of casual workers who’d lost their income. They delivered all over the metropolitan Melbourne area and beyond, delivering more than 1500 meals over a 5-day period in donated freezer vans.
It’s not just the financial donation, which is critical, but it's their ongoing interest, support and input that represents what a genuine partnership we have with Pressroom Philanthropy.”
- Major Brendan Nottle, Melbourne Salvos - Project 614.
Social emotional learning programs that support young champions
The purpose of Mindfull Aus is to put wellness back into the hands of individuals in high-risk areas of Australia. They equip individuals with skills, strategies, and techniques, to learn to live healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives. Mindfull Aus (MA) supports the community with evidence-based training, workshops, speaking engagements, and primary school program facilitations for parents, teachers, and students.
Matt Runnalls CEO and Founder of Mindfull Aus says that they’re really passionate about ensuring that the program is the most effective and impactful for these young champions and more importantly that it’s a sustainable program. “Students need to be able to retain their learnings through their teenage years and most critically to be armed to face lifelong mental health challenges,” he says. “We’re excited about our upcoming shift towards another Impact Assessment of our primary school social-emotional learning program – Healthier Hearts & Lighter Minds,” Matt says.
Since March 2020 there’s been an alarmingly increased number of people reach out, tap into, and seek support during these most challenging months. Normally we would be quite encouraged by this, knowing that people are being proactive, however, Matt says that they’ve found it incredibly difficult to not feel overwhelmed.
“Due to lockdown restrictions, we have been unable to host four of our usual income stream events to provide affordable and accessible help and support. This is really challenging for a charity our size,” said Matt. “But we’ve changed our approach—when we’d normally be out facilitating—we’ve been shifting content online; creating and developing engaging initiatives that will hold us in good stead on the other side.” “As mental health challenges are readily presenting themselves, it’s comforting to know we are better positioned to support people, because of Pressroom Philanthropy. I just want to say a huge thank you to Phil, Joran, and the team. To be able to have the support of creative design and access to printing, will have profound impacts on all those that seek further information, support, and resources.” Says Matt.
The purpose at Mindfull Aus is to encourage those in high risk areas of Australia to put wellness back into their own hands. Find out more at www.mindfullaus.org.
