Rotary Club of Mitcham Newsletters for the current Rotary Year are viewable in the NEWS section of:

www.rotarymitcham.com

Tuesday 19th JUne, 2007

Rotary Club of Mitcham

District 9810 Victoria Australia

Bulletin Guest Speaker

Christine McKenna Echo Employment

ECHO Australia Inc (ECHO) began as an employment service in February 1991 when they were known as Job Support Victoria Inc, in the Inner Eastern Suburb of Box Hill. ECHO now has offices located in the Inner East, East, and South Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. Originally an employment service for people with disabilities, ECHO has expanded and diversified into other employment areas such as Work for the Dole, Personal Support Programme, Community Work Coordinator and Job Placement Service. For more information: www.echoaustralia.com

OUR MISSION

To provide services which will empower people who are marginalised or devalued to access life options and pathways of their choice.

OUR VISION

ECHO would like to be recognised in the community as a leading people focused service, delivering support that is both inclusive and relevant.

OUR VALUES

ECHO is committed to people and community, encompassing a belief in Equity, Compassion, Hope and Opportunity.

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New Generations Sharon Partridge

International David Ayliffe

Vocational Service & on to Confer-ence: Sharon Partridge

Fellowship and Program John Cook

Attendance Fred Wiffrie

Bulletin Colin Spencer

PLEASE NOTE Board meetings for the 06/07 Ro-tary year will be held on the FIRST Tuesday of each month

President Eva Anderson

IP President and Community Service: Richard Temby

Pres. Elect Sharon Partridge

Vice President and Founda-tion: David Ayliffe

Secretary Jack Butler

Treasurer and Fundraising

John Atkinson

Sergeant

Membership all members Community Service John Gotts.

Officers for 2006/7

PAUL HARRIS FELLOW SAPPHIRE AWARD 2002 Bruce Wainwright

2004 Tony Gibson 2004 John Atkinson

FOUR AVENUES OF SERVICE AWARD 2000 John Atkinson

AUSTRALIAN ROTARY HEALTH RESEARCH FUND COMPANIONS 1994 Roy Knudson † 1996 Dr Peter Brown 1999 David Murray

1999 Chris & Ian McColl 1999 John Varley 2000 John Cook 2000 Jean & Ray † Rose 2000 Brian Bergin 2001 Christine Ryan 2001 Bill Mudford 2001 John Atkinson 2002 Wayne Lucas 2002 Denis Bunn † 2002 Michael Edney 2002 Peter McPhee 2003 Dawn & Graham Whiteside 2003 Keith Nunn 2004 Brendan Tunstall 2004 Colin Spencer 2005 Fred Wiffrie 2006 Les Marton

1979 Geoffrey Prior 1980 Dr John Munro 1983 Bruce McLaughlin 1986 Maxwell Bloom † 1988 William Wood† 1988 Alan Fraser 1989 Tony Gibson 1989 David Gawler 1991 Dr Peter Brown 1991 Robert McDowell 1991 Bruce Wainwright 1993 Ronald Slattery 1994 Vic Dye 1995 Fr Kevin Dillon 1995 Kenneth Rose 1997 David Murray 1998 Ian Young 1998 Ron Frederick

June 2007

Mireja Munoz 28th Chris Ryan 21st

None

Rotary Grace For good food, good fellowship and the opportunity of service through Rotary, we give thanks.

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“Eva’s Elocution” Good Afternoon Everyone, Thank you for coming today, and a special welcome to our guest speaker, Christine McKenna from Echo Employment. As you will all read in our bulletin, Echo performs a wide range of important tasks in helping disadvantaged people to enter and succeed in the work-force. At the meeting held on June 12, 2007 the board considered ten re-quests for funds and decided to make the following donations: Eastern Emergency Relief Network $1000 Shelter Box (One complete box) $1200 International Needs (Uganda) $2500

The donation to International Needs was in response to the visit of Sheldon Rankin as our guest speaker a few weeks ago. The next board meeting will be Sharon’s first as president and will take place on Tuesday, July 3.

Eva

Tuesday 19th June 2007 Guest Speaker—Christine McKenna

Echo Employment President Eva Anderson

Desk for March.: Bill and Michael

Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil, our home is girt by sea

Our land abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty rich and rare In history’s page let every stage, advance Australia fair

In joyful strains, then let us sing Advance Australia fair

Advance Australia Fair Advance Australia Fair This Week ... This Week ...

All funds applied to Rotary Community Projects in Whitehorse

After another successful event, make sure you join us at the next market on Sunday, July 8th 2007

8.00 am to 1.00 pm at: The Whitehorse Civic Centre 279 Whitehorse Rd

Nunawading. Enquiries 0438 550068

Over 80

Stalls

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ECHO Employment Services What is ECHO? ECHO Australia Inc is a community-based organisation that assists people with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining ongoing employment. ECHO Australia has been operating a successful employment agency in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne for in excess of thirteen years. ECHO incorporates the principles of Equity, Compassion, Hope and Opportunity to all members of the wider community and is prolific in its support of disadvantaged and marginalised groups of people. What types of disabilities? ECHO Australia Inc. assists people with all types of disabilities, including; Physical Intellectual/Learning Neurological Sensory Psychiatric Substance abuse Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Autism/Aspergers/ADD ECHO staff are well qualified to assist in understanding the impacts of a person’s disability. What does the client/ Jobseeker gain from Echo? • Resume/interview preparation • Vocation/career advise & guidance • Skill identification/job suitability • Employer contact • Continued on-the-job support Interpreting services available What benefits will ECHO offer an employer? The benefits that ECHO will provide an organisation are ongoing support and advice in all matters relating to employing people with a disability free of charge. Staff will assist with recruitment and training, as well as providing ongoing support to both the employer and employees. ECHO has access to funds that offer employer incentives and workplace modifications if required. These modifications (if required) can help make the workplace safer for all employees. What benefits would hiring a person with a disability give an employer? Hiring a person with a disability would enhance the company’s profile and assist in developing a culture of inclusion as well as allowing recruitment from the largest pool of skilled jobseekers in the country. 19% (3.5 million) of Australians have some form of disability. 15% of the working age population have a disability, yet only half are employed. Employing a person with a disability gives access to a specialist recruitment agency that provides additional support free of charge. Employing a person with a disability could increases sales, helps the Australian community and minimises exposure under the Disability Discrimination Act.

More on Page 5…..

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…...From Page 4 Additional Benefits Employing a person with a disability is beneficial to an organisation because: Employing someone with a disability shows that your company has a proactive Equal Employment Opportunity policy. People with disabilities offer better than average attendance, loyalty and productivity. They improve workplace morale and have a lower accident rate. Employing people with disabilities promotes your status and improves business. People with disabilities are an untapped resource, as potential employees and as customers. With your prospective clients coming from every walk of life, it makes sense that your employees do as well. ECHO Australia Inc. supports the participation and integration of people with disabilities into a normal working life. People with disabilities have contributed much to today’s society through inclusion and participation. There are many people with disabilities successfully participating in the workforce at all levels. Did you know that? Staff retention is 72% higher for people with disabilities, saving businesses millions of dollars each

year in training and recruitment costs. 98% of staff with a disability rate average or better in work safety. 90% of people with a disability rated average or better on job performance. 86% of people with disabilities rated average or better on attendance. 90% of companies had no changes to their insurance costs to employ people with a disability. There is a distinct positive effect on staff morale when you have staff with disabilities. 19% of the Australian Population has a disability; this represents approximately 3.4 million potential

customers/employees. Where do I go from here? Contact Ausra Wells or Christine Mckenna at ECHO Australia Inc on (03) 9890 3088 or email christinem@echoaustralia.com, for further information or to make an appointment.

Description of Rotary Rotary is an organisation of Business and Professional persons, united world wide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in all the world.

www.rotarymitcham.com

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… of the things we think, say or do. 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

June 2007 Tuesday 19th 1:00 pm RSL Mitcham - Guest Speaker - Christine McKenna - Echo Employmt. Tuesday 26th 7:00 pm Brand Receptions 195 Mahoneys Rd Forest Hill CHANGEOVER NIGHT - July 2007 Tuesday 3rd 1:00 pm RSL Mitcham - Club Forum, Business Matters, Member’s Profile Sunday 8th 8:00 am Whitehorse Civic Centre - Farmers Market. Tuesday 10th 1:00 pm RSL Mitcham - Guest Speaker - Alex Knipping - Intrisic Investment Management. Tuesday 17th 1:00 pm RSL Mitcham - Guest Speaker - Gary Prigg - Cerebral Palsy Education. August 2007 Tuesday 21st 1:00 pm RSL Mitcham - Cam Walker - Friends of the Earth - Climate Change

The Four Way Test The Four Way Test

Diary Dates Diary Dates

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Ahmed-Amr Abbassy of the Rotary Cluib of Alexandria-Ramiel Egypt. Vaccinates children against

polio during the health for all medical convoy in Siwa

Residents of Siwa, Egypt, have a clearer view of their spectacular landscape because of the Rotary Club of Al-exandria Mariout. During last year's medical convoy to the area, ophthalmologists treated more than 130 pa-tients and performed 23 operations — 19 of them to cor-rect cataracts. The convoy, now in its fourth year, offers the only oppor-tunity for eye surgeries in the remote Sahara oasis, given that neither the local hospital nor other medical groups provide this service, says 2006-07 club president Mo-hammed Abdel Gawad. He's witnessed a significant drop in cataract cases since the club began sending a team to Siwa four years ago. "In 2003, we treated 57 cataract cases. In 2004, the number had dropped to 36. And this past year, we had only 19 cases," says Gawad, an orthopedics professor at Alexandria University. In addition to vision care, the team of 17 doctors, five nurses, four medical students, two pharmacists, and a technician provided dental, internal medicine, orthopedic, and pediatric care, to name a few of their contributions. Polio vaccinations also were given to 100 children. In all, the convoy treated 1,279 patients and performed 86 op-erations during the 11-15 December event dubbed "Health for All." The Alexandria Mariout club gave 40,000 Egyptian pounds to cover the convoy's expenses, and physicians donated their time and expertise. All but one of the medi-cal team members were Alexandria University faculty. Four were Rotarians from the Rotary clubs of Alexandria, Alexandria Mariout, and Alexandria-Ramleh. Other members of the Alexandria Mariout club and the Rotary Club of Gezira Sporting, along with Rotaractors from the Rotaract Club of Alexandria Mariout, accompa-nied the convoy. They helped register patients, distribute medication, and arrange hotel accommodations and meals. "This is the role of nongovernmental organizations like Rotary," says Gawad. "To help those in need to enjoy a better life through better health."

Egyptian convoy prescribes 'health for all'