Staff Matters - Issue 158

Staff matters June 22, 2018 - Issue 158 Week 51

Cherrywood Garden Competition Winners Announced!

In This Issue 1 Cherrywood Garden

Competition Winners Announced!

2 Staff Profile After a tremendous effort, stunning gardening arrangements and tough competition, winners of the Cherrywood Garden Competition have been announced.

It was tough work for the judges, Jess from HR, Donna from Property and Kiesha from Marketing, to choose the ultimate winners for the Cherrywood Garden Competition when presented with so many outstanding entries, but after much consideration, winners were finally decided.

Congratulations to Green Valley Day Program for winning the First Prize for the ‘Best Garden Bed’ and to True Blue Group Home for winning First Prize for the ‘Best Decorative Garden’!

Taking out the Best Garden Bed, Green Valley Day Program clients put an amazing effort into planting their vege garden and choosing healthy plants to promote healthy food choices. They also painted their garden bed to give it a splash of colour!

Winners of the Best Decorative Garden, True Blue produced one of the most beautiful garden beds we’ve ever seen! Incorporating many different little touches such as rainbow pebbles, jars of food or plants, A Tonka truck full of fruit, and even making their own standing people, this display went above and beyond to impress.

All Afford sites could enter the garden competition. Both Green Valley Day Program and True Blue have won a $250 VISA gift card each for their site.

Gabriela The Fire-Fighter Strive and You Will Achieve

3 Sunshine/Panthers Get Creative

Windsor Growing Strong

4 Club Afford Conquers Sea Life Sydney

Upcoming Events Selfie Of the Week Have a Laugh

The competition was initiated to enhance the beauty of Cherrywood Hub for all who visit to enjoy. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter the competition and well done to the winners!

Reminder Don’t forget to send your/clients’ achievements, good news stories and photos to CELEBRATE@afford.com.au

Let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au

Staff matters

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June 22, 2018 - Issue 158

Staff Profile

GABRIELA THE FIRE-FIGHTER Since joining Afford Ashfield Day Program in 2013, Gabriela has made many new friends and is often one of the first to welcome new clients to the Day Program. She makes them feel right at home from their first day.

Mina Pupualii Lifestyle Assistant at Cherrywood Day Program Favourite Song: Holy Spirit - Kari Jobe.

Favourite Movie: Divergent. Any type of thriller.

Favourite Hobbies: Writing, chronic shopping.

Favourite Foods: Thai food! Noodles.

If you could be an animal what would you be: Lion What is your dream holiday destination: Hawaii If you had the power what would you change about the world: No more evil.

What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

Encourage and push me.

If you had to teach something what would you teach:

Gabriela is extremely friendly and excitable and continues to challenges herself to try new activities and life experiences. Arts and crafts, dancing, reading and playing with the ball are among some of Gabriela’s favourite activities.

On the morning of Friday, 15 June, Gabriela had an unexpected surprise.

While enjoying a community outing at Gaby Davidson Park with Afford staff member Dora Taborda, something red suddenly caught Gabriela’s eye.

The moment Gabriela saw the fire engine she was off to say hello to the firefighters to make new friends! The fire-fighters welcomed Gabriela and Dora and were delighted to hear about her interest in fire engines and becoming a fire fighter!

All of Gabriela’s questions were answered as she quizzed them about the engine and their jobs. It wasn’t long before Gabriela was climbing up into the cabin and listening to the sound of the bellowing siren.

What a lovely surprise! Some of the best memories and experiences happen unexpectedly and it’s great to see Gabriela’s confidence shine through.

Strive and you will achieve Every staff member at Afford is making a real difference to the lives of our clients and their families. We recognise the tremendous talent that we have in our Afford staff and we want to celebrate it!

We have implemented PACES team incentives, monthly Customer Service Awards and monthly staff meetings/Buzz Nights to make sure that we are always stopping to acknowledge all that we have achieved during the month.

We set targets that are designed to challenge but are achievable and we have established an upbeat work culture to continue to support staff to reach their work best.

At Afford, we are a team that flocks together to celebrate our successes and recognise the invaluable service that our staff dedicate to clients every day.

Teach the Gospel.

Something no one knows about me?

I play piano for my church

let your abilities soar

www.afford.com.au

Staff matters

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June 22, 2018 - Issue 158

Sunshine/Panthers Get Creative

The residents of Sunshine/Panthers Group Homes in Penrith were super excited to be involved in the Cherrywood Garden competition.

After visiting Cherrywood Hub to select their garden bed, residents, Donna, Kim, Daniel and Colleen - supported by staff member, Kylie - visited the local Bunnings at Penrith to pick out the pots and the bits and pieces that were needed for the project. Everyone took turns in pushing the trolley and selecting items from the shelves. Barry and Kylie and residents also visited the Reject Shop to find decorations for the garden.

Back at the Group Homes, Afford staff, Kylie and Barry, laid out newspaper on the back tables in garden area and resident’s painted all the pots with two undercoats first. After the undercoat, there were two layers of coloured paint to do on all pots as well. With 120 pots to paint, residents did a cracking job of applying a total of 480 coats of paint on all the pots! All the pots had to be sprayed inside with a special sealer and on the outside with a different clear sealer for the paint.

Next, creativity was key with the decoration the next step in the process. With plants from Bunnings, along with beautiful succulents brought in from Kylie’s own garden, residents got to work to create eight teacups and matching saucers. The cups were glued to the saucers and then soil was put in and a succulent and letter posts were inserted, which read ‘Sunshine’.

The pots and cups and saucers were all glued to the garden bench that had been made in the garden. They were placed looking at each other to give the impression that they are sitting and having a cuppa together and a chat.

Once completed, smiles of excitement and pride beamed across the faces of the residents, with many commenting, “wow this was fun and it looks so beautiful!”

Well done Sunshine/Panthers! A beautiful creation for all to enjoy.

WINDSOR GROWING STRONG

At Afford, we strive to encourage and facilitate healthy lifestyles. It could be something as simple as changing eating habits, or providing opportunities for clients to grow their own fresh vegetables to use in cooking healthy meals, or developing programs that support regular exercise. Aside from developing healthy habits, eating well and regular exercise stimulates endorphins within our brains which makes us happy!

Once a week, Windsor Day Program clients attend the World Gym in Penrith as a way to learn more about healthy exercise routines, as well as making choices that will positively impact their health and well being. Daniel, Ellie, Luke and Peter have each set out personal goals for themselves that they aim to achieve by attending the gym regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“At Windsor our clients take their health and fitness serious and you can tell by the weekly results! These guys love their weekly gym class and they have loads of fun doing it!” – Mariska Tribelhorn Afford Windsor staff. Well done Daniel, Ellie, Luke and Peter! We look forward to keeping up with your progress.

let your abilities soar

www.afford.com.au

Staff matters

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June 22, 2018 - Issue 158

CLUB AFFORD CONQUERS SEA LIFE SYDNEY

Afford established Club Afford to provide clients with the opportunity to explore the community, attend events, make new friends and learn about healthy lifestyles.

Club Afford operates every Saturday and presents clients with amazing opportunities to expand their social networks and develop lifelong skills in a fun and engaging setting.

The latest adventure for Club Afford participants began bright and early on Saturday 16 June, when clients from Mt Druitt and Cherrywood Day Programs travelled into the city to enjoy a visit to Sea Life Sydney!

Clients and staff had an absolute ball exploring the Aquarium. They were able to walk through a glass tunnel and watch the sharks and sting rays swim majestically overhead. This experience offered a wonderful insight into the underwater world. Clients also saw many other animals including, penguins, dugongs and many more.

“It was another wonderful day had by all.” – Marica Calleja, Afford staff.

Clients and staff spent the day learning about our sea animals, oceans and how to care for the planet’s sea life. Stepping back in time clients got to explore Jurassic Seas, where everyone was able to see how life began and discover some of the more weird and wonderful living fossils.

Clients also had the opportunity to touch the fossils and examine them under microscopes, which presented yet another hands-on, engaging experience for participants.

Exciting stuff Club Afford! We can’t wait to hear about the next adventure!

fieweek l e

Date: 1-30 June 1-31 July 1-8 July 8-14 July 24 July 27 July 27 July

Upcoming Events Event:

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month Fragile X Awareness Month NAIDOC Week National Diabetes Week Stress Down Day Crazy Hair Day White Ribbon Day

Have a laugh

S the of

Albert Shlemon, NDIS Senior Support Coordinator (aka ‘Bond’)

let your abilities soar www.afford.com.au

Please send in your selfies or laughs