Open Arms Care Disability Services Division Newsleter 4, 2014

Open Arms Care Disability Services Division Newsle er 4, 2014 Open Arms Care acknowledges all of the Gumbaynggir custodians of the land in the region and elders past and present. WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY ART GROUP AUSTRALIAN ANIMAL ARTWORKS Lorralie Dingle “I can express my sensi ve side” “I like laughing out in ‐ Shane Cross the art room with my friends.” “I just like to do art!” “Coming to art gets me out of the house and it makes me happy.” Tommy Reynolds Raymond Keast “I get to express myself, and improve my drawing skills!” “I love to paint in red, blue, green and yellow.” Jodie loves to Barbara Mo socialise with her friends! ‐ Jodie Beehag ‐ Stephen Lamb Wednesday & Thursday “I was thrilled to see my artwork on show opening night of the Art Exhibi on.” “I loved pain ng Australian Animals this year! ‐ Jenny Arkle “I love coming to art because we all work together as a team.” Cecilia Wilson Olivia Dean “I didn’t know I could do art, but I surprised myself!” ‐ Carmel Mo Centre Closures 22 December 2014—11 January 2015 Monday, 23rd February 2015 The TV Game show was really close. One contestant was asked to name 2 of Santa’s reindeer. The contestant gave a sigh thinking that finally he had been given an easy ques on, “Rudolph & Olive!” The host asked the contestant to explain his second answer. The man looked at the host and said, “You know “Olive”, the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names…” Wow, what a great year it has been and the office staff are stoked to be at the end of the year. The Halloween Party was spooky, Drama Performance was crazy mad and we had a fantas c Art Exhibi on. Our gree ng cards and merchandise designed by our very own clients have proven to be popular and have flown out the door. We s ll have some Gree ng Cards available so if you require some unique individualised Christmas Cards you can talk to Felicity or Jacinta who are al‐
ways very helpful. People from far and wide a ended the Open Arms Care Halloween Party, our grooviest and funkiest party of the year. We had clients from Nambucca Valley DisAbility Services, Coffs Support Services, Nambucca Valley Phoenix and Life Without Barriers as well as the regulars. It was rumoured that there were real bones hanging among the decora ons, dangling be‐
tween the mummies and other decayed parts, but we can’t be sure. I definitely felt a haunted presence walking in the cen‐
tre among our Halloween Decora ons. The monumental efforts of Mr Bob Cooper in decora ng the centre can be thanked for this effect. A shout out goes to Ashley from Coffs Support who won best‐dressed female for her devilish costume and Jeremy White who won best‐dressed male for his zombie Dracula costume. Truly inspired! Our Drama Performance was just fantas c; set design, costume and makeup were just awesome ‐ a visual delight. Our show (if you didn’t make it) was quite a challenge for some of our clients and I was so proud that Open Arms Care was an integral part along with Nambucca Valley DisAbility Services and Life Without Barriers. I don’t really like to pinpoint anyone in par cular but due to the extent of the dialogue that had to be memorised I must commend Michelle Also and Marnie Russell. Mr Jarred Horn, Alan Mills and David Walker were outstanding as Michael Jackson; The Mad Ha er and Secret Agent 007. I must also recognise the amazing talents and inspired stage props which were contributed by Ilse Noble, Bob Cooper and Gail Perry; not to men on Shane Synnes and Ka‐
ren Boyd who acted alongside our awesome cast of clients. I’d just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and safe holidays. Thank you to all of our staff for their contribu ons above and beyond their job descrip ons; I really appreciate their efforts. We hope to see you in the New Year and we are only too happy to help if we can. ‐ Carol Ruigrok At the Nambucca Disability Centre our day program clients have all had very busy social lives in the even ul last couple of months and are now winding down to our Christmas break. All day programs are closed from Monday 22nd December 2014 to Friday 9th January 2015. First day back will be 12th January 2015. Our Dance and Drama concert on 15th November at Nambucca Heads RSL went very well and a great me was had by all. Day Program clients involved in the concert were Raymond Keast, Jarred Horn, Barry Sindell, and Jade Cahill who all put on a great performance. We will have another new client joining Day Program in 2015. His name is Nicholas Montgomery and joins us from Nambucca High School where he finished year 12 in 2014. Nicholas is a very happy and funny young man who loves swimming, outdoor sports (especially soccer and cricket) and has taken to playing the piano at the Centre. Staff have been amazed at Nicholas’s co‐ordina on skills at kicking any sized ball. So welcome Nicholas for 2015. I will be on leave from 20th December 2014 to the 15the February 2015. If you require any assistance during this me please contact the office and Felicity, Jacinta and Anama will be happy to assist you. I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and very happy, special and produc ve New Year. If you need to contact me, my office hours are 8.30am – 4.30pm Mondays and Tuesdays, or email me at [email protected] ‐ Andre Krausmann Hello all; I am happy to see that the close of another successful year is almost upon us. Its that me of the year where we all get a li le red and look forward to the summer days with family and friends. Our busy schedule at the center is slowing down, but there are some exci ng new ideas for the year ahead. We will keep that bit under our hats for just a li le bit longer! Since I last wrote we have had some families join our service and we con nue to TRY and provide the best we can with regards to respite needs. I recently a ended the Regional Respite Group mee ng in Port Macquarie and was pleased to know that I am not the only person that is a li le confused with the new system that is NDIS. That should be coming to our region in 2018. We will all get there in me; change always seems difficult at first, but then soon a er we wonder what all the fuss was about! I am sure that will be the case with the NDIS. From where I look at it right now, there will be lots of choices for families to make. The Art Exhibi on, drama concert and Halloween disco were all a success; a real tribute to the clients and staff. Thank you everyone! I would like to remind you that if you have respite needs between the 20th December 2014 and 11th January 2015 you really do need to call as soon as possible, as the staff are beginning to wind down and plan their holidays. Respite is available BUT PLEASE CALL NOW with your request and I will do my best to accommodate you. I would like to thank you all for your pa ence with me throughout the year whilst I have been covering a very complex posi on. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with the delights of your hearts desires. I look forward to our con nued associa on in 2015 ‐ Anama Tesser What a night it was; 10 Railway Rd Nambucca was transformed into spooksville with ro en corpses, screaming witches, gargoyles and werewolves hanging from the ra ers. Eyes flashing in the dark, cries of pain and eerie laughter echoing around the room. Yes it was a night where any self respec ng monster, witch, vampire, ghoul and devil was happy to show their style on and off the dance floor. We even had a special visit from our own killer shark ‐ Jaws! Dracula’s, zombies and monsters danced the night away, stopping occasionally to refresh themselves with Vampire Blood punch, body part jelly and lots of other weird and wonderful treats! The dance floor was full of bodies of all kinds, mixing into the smoke filled eerie atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who dressed up and made the 31st October a spookfest to remember. See you all again next year! ‐ Bob Cooper Thank you everyone for joining with us and following Alice as she disappeared down the rabbit hole into a strange place called Wonderland. Wonderland; how beau ful it was, the mushrooms, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Queen of Hearts (Off with his head!), our execu oner and the March Hare. Who didn’t fall in love with our Mad Ha er ‐ what a party ‐ and who was that blue caterpillar?!? Yes the Ha er’s Tea Party became quite an event. Gail and I would like to thank everyone who was involved and made it such a wonderful day. The list is endless:  The Make Up Crew ‐ Felicity, Kim and Kim’s mother  The Photographer ‐ Jacinta  The Wardrobe People ‐ Carol, Andre and Trish  Our Filmographers ‐ Dieter and his crew  The Sound Man ‐ Ian  The Greeters ‐ Anama and Dave Thank you everyone!! Most of all Gail and I would really like to thank our stars! The guys and girls who come every Thursday night and make these concerts into the success they have become. Well done guys, you ROCK! ‐ Bob Cooper Alice The Mad Ha
er The White Rabbit Tweedle‐Dee Tweedle‐Dum The Queen The Execu oner The Cheshire Cat 4 of Hearts 7 of Hearts Daisy Sunflower Peter Pan Boxing Kangeroo March Hare James Bond 007 Michael Jackson The Lion The Unicorn Dalek Blue Caterpillar Dormouse Fish Footman Vidia Pansy 6 of Hearts Blue Minion Nas Campanella is a 26 year old news reader for radio sta on Triple J. Nas also happens to be blind. At the age of 6 months Nas lost her eye sight and due to a gene c disorder that reduces feeling in her finger ps, she is unable to read Braille. With all of these barriers, Nas has s ll been able to secure a highly sought a er job. How does she do it? With four live streams in her ear as she reads the news live on air. Can you imagine trying to read out loud with four voices constantly in your head?!? The first stream is an audio program that lets her know what to say. The second is her own voice, the third is audio grabs of what needs to be played and when. Topping that off, according to Nas, this is the most important stream ‐ a clock in her ear with audio cues at designated mes to let her know when to start wrapping it up. Not only does Nas read the news reports; she helps write, edit and produce it too. This was enabled due to working in community radio un l scoring a cadetship with ABC radio in 2011. Nas says she loves doing radio because she can only be judged by what she can do, not the hurdles she has had to overcome on the way. “We are all equal on air. No one can see me and judge me apart from what they hear and that’s how it should be!” If you want to see more of the interview with Nas Campanella follow the link to The Project website: h p://tenplay.com.au/channel‐ten/the‐project/extra/season‐5/the‐blind‐newsreader  Kurt Fearnley — Paralympian  Marlee Matlin — actor  Rudely Interrupted — rock band  Temple Grandin — professor of Animal Science  Adam Hills — comedian and DJ. Interna onal sign for access  Jacqueline Freney OAM — Australia’s most successful Paralympian at a single Games following her haul of eight gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics 2014 IDPWD Patron Jacqueline Freney 3 December is Interna onal Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), a United Na ons sanc oned day that celebrates progress in breaking down barriers, opening doors, and realising an inclusive society for all. Disability organisa ons, businesses, governments and the community come together at events across the country to mark the occasion and celebrate the achievements of people with disability. The Na onal Disability Awards at Parliament House recognise the outstanding work of individuals and organisa ons that improve the lives of people with disabili es. Wearing the IDPwD ribbon, joining an online conversa on, nomina ng someone for a Na onal Disability Award, or a ending or hos ng an event are some of the ways you can get involved. Interna onal Day of People with Disability is an opportunity for the community to make posi ve changes to the lives of 4 million Australians.  Disability includes a variety of barriers, because there are many ways in which people are different.  People can face more than one kind of barrier at a me.  Some barriers are physical, some relate to how we communicate, some relate to how we can access informa on, some relate to how we educate people, and some relate to people’s a tudes.  You cannot tell if someone has a disability just by looking at them because many impairments are not visible.  One in five people in Australia have disabili es. You, or someone you know, might be one of these four million Australians.  People with disabili es make many contribu ons to the community. Some contribu ons are well known and make people famous and others are everyday, ordinary contribu ons.  Did you know that inven ons such as the telephone, spectacles (glasses), curb ramps and speech/sound on a computer were all originally designed to improve accessibility for people with disability? Today we take all these things for granted because we use them so o en.  Some, but not all, people with disabili es use special equipment. For example, people with mobility impairments may use a use a power chair or wheelchair to get around or play sport, some people with dyslexia wear glasses with coloured lenses to help them read, and some people use screen readers that read aloud pages of the internet or books. The United Na ons developed the Conven on on the Rights of Persons with Disabili es in 2006. This document is an agreement to help make sure that people with disabili es are treated fairly and can par cipate equally in all aspects of life. You can find the full document at the UN Conven on on the Rights of Persons with Disabili es. Some people with disability use Auslan, which is an Australian sign language. Auslan is a complete language, just like English or Chinese or Spanish. The deaf community developed Auslan so they could talk and sing and joke with each other using their hands, arms and faces. Some people with disability use Braille. Braille is a wri ng system that was adapted by a fi een‐
year‐old French boy so that he and other people with vision impairments could read by running their fingers over carefully arranged raised dots. People with disabili es are in the community, like having fun, and are part of families. You probably know at least one person with a disability or maybe you have a disability yourself. Remember that we are all different, so not all the following ps will apply to everyone: Just be yourself, say hi and make friends as you would with anyone else. When you talk to a person with a disability, face them and talk to them. Their support person, parent or carer is a different person. When you talk to someone who is deaf or has a hearing impairment, make sure they can see your mouth. Always introduce yourself when you are approaching or saying hello to someone with vision impairment. Some people may have plenty to say but need more me to respond in a conversa on, so be pa ent. Do not hold onto a person’s wheelchair or move someone in a wheelchair without their permission, because their wheelchair is part of their personal space. Do not pat or speak to someone’s guide dog or service dog. The dog needs to concentrate when working, so always ask the owner first if it is okay to say ‘hello’ to the dog. If they say no, respect their wishes. When sending an email to a person who is blind, use text rather than pictures. If you are not sure whether someone needs help, just ask. Can you find 5 things that are wrong? 21 Ingredients: 1 x 395g Condensed Milk 250g plain sweet biscuits (Crushed) 200g dark chocolate (broken into piec‐ Method: Place condensed milk and chocolate in saucepan and cook over medium heat, s rring con nuously un l chocolate is melted and mixture thickens. Add crushed biscuits and cinnamon. Mix well. Roll tablespoons of warm mixture into balls and then roll in vanilla sugar. You will need: 2 silver pipe cleaners 3 blue pipe cleaners Instruc ons: Cut the two silver pipe cleaners in half. Put one piece aside so you have 3. Twist these three pieces together in the centre so that you have a shape with six points. Cut the blue pipe cleaners in half and then in half again. You will have 12 pieces. Twist these on to the silver base to decorate your snowflake. If you want to hang your snowflake, take the piece of silver pipe cleaner you put aside, fold in half and twist the ends to one of the snowflake points to make a loop \ You will need: * Bu ons * Ribbon * Wire or thin pipe cleaners Instruc ons: Make a large, loose loop on one end of the pipe cleaner so that the bu ons don't fall off while you are working. Now thread the wire through one hole of each bu on, stacking them up as shown in the photo. You want enough bu ons to be able to form a circle, but you need to leave some of the wire free to form a hanging loop later. Undo the star ng loop you made, and bend into a circle, twis ng the wire to secure while leaving the ends free. Now twist the ends to form the hanging loop. Tie a ribbon bow around the top on the wreath. Hang the bu on wreath decora on on your Christmas tree! The app in focus this me round is the partner app of Elmo Loves ABCs. Introducing...Elmo Loves 123s! Elmo Loves 123 is a fun engaging app that helps with num‐
ber iden fica on and basic addi on and subtrac on. A er choosing a number between 1 and 20 and tracing to complete the number, different ac vi es such as “Count and Fill the Bucket” and “Sesame Street Search and Find” are un‐
locked crea ng fun ways to learn to count!
LEARN ABOUT • Number iden fica on • Number sounds • Number tracing • Coun ng • Addi on and subtrac on FEATURES • Slide, sweep, swipe, touch, trace and dig to discover classic Sesame Street clips, colouring pages, and engaging games. • Touch and trace your favourite number to unlock its surprises. • Tap on the star bu on to discover even more number ACTIVITIES. • Personalize by adding your own photos and videos to the game. Hi there, my name is Michael. I am the OAC Weather Guy and I love to watch storms! My favourite part of a thunderstorm is when the lightning strikes at night me and lights up the sky. Did you know that there are 3 stages to the life cycle of a thunderstorm? And that these life cycles usually last about an hour? Each phase can be seen in the picture below. Lightning over the ocean The Cumulus Phase: If the air is moist and condi onally unstable cumulus cloud begin to develop. The up draughts during this stage prevent precipita on and there is no lightning or thunder. The Mature Phase: Ice begins to develop as the cloud grows. Down draughts appear and the evapora on from raindrops makes the air colder and denser. Thunder and lightning develop and heavy rain (possibly also hail) fall from the cloud. The Dissipa ng Phase: The falling precipita on sets up the down draughts through the cloud. It is then deprived of its energy The life cycle of an air mass thunderstorm supply. The cloud itself evaporates leaving only a few fragments. (arrows show ver cal air currents). ‐ Michael Bradbury OPEN ARMS CARE ANNUAL RAFFLE
INTRODUCTING
Our annual raffle was drawn at the close of our 2014 Ha er’s Tea Party Drama Performance. Congratula ons to all of our winners for the Annual Open Arms Care raffle. First Prize: Kylie McMahon Second Prize: Joy @ the Nambucca Bookshop Cafe Third Prize: John Pacey Lucky Door Prize: Trevor Keast We are so excited to introduce our new line of Open Arms Care Inc. Merchandise. We now have Gree ng Cards that have been created by the artworks featured at this years’ Australian Animals Art Exhibi on. Gree ng Cards Tamworth Challenge Art
Competition Update!
We have had some exci ng updates on our Tamworth Challenge Art Compe on entrants just before the break! Our semi finalists are…  Cecilia Wilson Penguin  Leeanne Crossingham My Dreams  Olivia Dean Dragons Are Back  Michelle Whale Pig May Fly  Kris ne Reynolds Runaway Le er  Kate Woods Soul Sister Congratula ons to you all….seems the ladies are leading the charge this year! We look forward to bringing you the final results in our next publica on! ‐ Ilse Noble Gree ng Cards are available in two different sizes. These are available as a single card or pack of 6. Large Card Single: $2.50 Large Card 6 Pack: $12.00 Small Card Single: $2.00 Small Card 6 Pack: $10.00 FOR SALE
VW Transporter  2004 Manual Wheelchair Accessible Van  108,000 kms, 10 months rego LOST AND FOUND
A ring and a camera have been located in the centre. If you have recently lost one of these and think it may be yours, come and see us in the office. With a small descrip on we will be able to reunite you with your belongings.  Hydraulic hoist and q’straints  4 seats + 1 wheelchair  Tinted Windows Weekly Activities Weekly programs for those aged over 18 years ‐ Requires a $10 contribu on. Pamper ‐ Mondays (Women Only) For clients who like to indulge themselves with beauty treatments once a week. This class also provides a chance to socialise, learn and experiment. Cooking ‐ Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday Nights For clients who enjoy crea ng new and exci ng dishes in the kitchen. These classes will teach you how to cook cost effec ve dishes for a specific amount of people while also learning to cook hygienically and safely. Men’s Shed ‐ Tuesdays (Men Only) For adult male clients who like to use their hands; whether hard at work in the garden or to create original woodwork pieces. Visual Art ‐ Wednesday and Thursday For clients who are interested in developing the ’ar st within’ through different ar s c methods and expressions Drama ‐ Thursday Evening For clients who want to develop their crea vity and talent on the stage. This program also helps par cipants to gain self‐confidence. Men’s Group ‐ Fridays (Men Only) For adult male clients who enjoy socialising while going on community ou ngs. This program focuses on independent choice within a group se ng. Women’s World ‐ Fridays (Women Only) For adult female clients who enjoy socialising while going on community ou ngs. This program focuses on independent choice within a group se ng. What a great year it has been in the kitchen! Monday’s cooking group has cooked some good healthy food over the year. Our last cooking day will be the 15th December, and we are having lunch at the Macksville RSL. Then on to enjoying the holidays to be back refreshed and ready for another great year in 2015. Star ng with a BBQ, the group will then start cooking around the world, with recipes from different countries that they have chosen. The Monday cooking group would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Christmas and New Year. Dave and myself would like to thank the men that make up our great Monday cooking group; Abbey, Shane, Jarred, Michael, Raymond, John and Barry. We wish their families a Happy Christmas and New Year and we look forward to cooking with you all in 2015. ‐ Karen Boyd Sweet Potato & Smoked Ham Fri ers  4 eggs  100g sliced smoked ham  2 tablespoons olive oil  2 cups (650g) mashed sweet pota‐
to In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sweet potato and ham. Season with cracked pepper. In a large non‐s ck frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil to cover the base of the pan. Spoon the ba er into the pan, cook un l crisp and brown on each side. Drain on paper towels before serving. As 2014 comes to an end the cooking group have looked back at the year that was and determined it to have been a fun year! At the centre on Tuesdays you can o en hear the sound of laughter and cha er coming from the kitchen. It’s a very social day with learning new skills, trying new recipes and tas ng food they wouldn’t usually like; we even have someone now ea ng broccoli and spinach! The group have also become excellent at hiding their sweet treats from the cookie monsters in the office! Everyone is now looking forward to the fes ve season and making some Christmas treats to take home and share. Happy holidays everyone and we look forward to 2015! ‐ Val McEvoy Since our last newsle er the ladies have been BBQing, picnicking and also have enjoyed some jewellery making in the centre. We have done some Christmas shopping @ Toormina (NO PEEKING!) with another shopping day in Coffs planned. We will also be going to the movies in the next few weeks. Our last Women’s World for the year will be on the 19th December and we will be joining the Men’s Group for a morning tea cruise on the Nambucca River followed by a sausage sizzle at Bellwood Park. I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy and safe holidays. Looking forward to fun and happy mes again with the ladies in 2015. ‐ Val McEvoy Wow! What a great day we all had at the Macksville Ex‐Services Club again. Everyone looked fantas c and said how much they enjoyed the great food, fantas c service, and entertainment provided by the local primary school students. There was beau ful singing and some exci ng circus act performances. Some of us put bets on horses, some went in the sweeps and raffles. Those that were chosen for the best dressed parades stru ed their stuff on stage, making it very hard for the judges to decide, but they managed to win over the crowd and took prizes in several categories. At the end of the day I hear we had some winners and grinners amongst us. Well done everyone and best of luck for next year! ‐ Kerry Stanley We’ve been very busy in the back room beau fying the ladies and as a result we haven’t been able to get back to our Healthy Breakfast poster. However, some of our earlier talks on healthy diets and exercise have paid off with one client losing 20kgs and another 15kgs! Well done girls! The Women’s Health nurse Libby Knight came to chat with the ladies. She talked briefly on what to expect with menopause, emphaising not everyone has symptoms. The ladies were given a chance to ask ques ons and the op on of a private consulta on. We are planning on ge ng Libby back next year for individual consulta ons. Le ers will be sent home prior. The 1st December is our Christmas party; this year we are having a BBQ at the Valla Lions Park with games and prizes! During the year the ladies have been filling in feedback forms and it appears that several ladies would like to see a massage introduced into the program, so if there is a masseuse out there who would be prepared to donate a few hours maybe twice a year, we would love to hear from you! How me flies, another couple of weeks before the big fat guy with the white beard and red suit will be sliding down your chimney with goodies for all. Hope everyone has been good this year. The guys have been busy helping Santa out by making some wonderful wooden reindeer. These have proven popular and the guys are working over me to keep up with demand. We have some great projects being completed Robbie has been working on a Santa head for his front yard. Shane will be taking home a beau ful coffee table he created. Barry a wooden CD rack, Tommy a new wooden le erbox and Michael is the proud owner of a newly designed bookcase. Well done guys! The guys are gearing up for our Christmas party at the Valla Beach tavern and would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. ‐ Bob Cooper Hi friends! Health and Beauty has been great this year. When I arrive Jade takes off my nail polish while Kerry makes me a cup of tea; it’s a great morning! We have had a lady come and chat to us all, which has been great. We are looking forward to another fun filled year of beauty and health! ‐ Trish Newman In the a ernoon we all put on makeup...well, I don’t put it on. We have a great me on Monday! ‐ Leeanne Crossingham Recently our Wednesday art group made a pinch pot out of clay. The pinching method is a means to create po ery that can be ornamental or func onal. It might sound like it is easy, but I don’t think so! We firstly had to learn the proper es of the clay; not too hot, not too dry, not too wet and not too thick. Then we learnt how to knead it and how to add or take away extra clay. All of this learning had us scrunch up our pots many mes before we all se led on our designs. Some thought it a bit of a pain in the neck, while others loved the prac ce of making many! The results are drying and will be fired in the kiln. Our Thursday group got the Christmas fever and have been busy making decora ve Christmas Wreaths for the door or table center. We started by weaving willow branches into a circle, then we decorated with rosemary, nsel, pine cones, Christmas baubles, Kangaroo Paw flowers and finally some ribbon to e it all together. Our special homemade Christmas Wreaths are made with a bucket full of love to bring holiday spirit and joy. ‐ Ilse Noble Hello, my name is Aiden Mulvihill, I am 21 years old and was born in Macksville. I have spent all my life here. I enjoy hanging out with Alan on a Monday and Wednesday, as well as Kristy on the Thursday. I like to go to the movies when I go out and also going for walks and visi ng the various parks in the area. I also love coffee and going to different cafes and trying them. My biggest passion is sport, but in par cular Rugby League. I have followed the game thoroughly since I was about 4 years old and my team that I support is the Newcastle Knights. I also love playing video games and I have a keen interest in computers and technology. ‐ Cheers, Aiden. It’s that me of year again. Christmas trees, fairy lights and best of all Christmas par es! Love those Christmas par es! Our guys are really looking forward to our Christmas cruise on the Nambucca River with good food, good music but best of all great company! 2014 has gone so quickly. It only seems like yesterday that we were discussing the year’s ac vi es and now it’s all over. Our year has been filled with a Men’s weekend away in Sco s Head, fishing trips, the Hot Rod Show, B.B.Q’s, shopping trips and our games of snooker. It has been a great year, thanks heaps guys! A Merry Christmas to all. We hope Santa brings you everything you deserve. We hope you have safe and good holidays and we will see you all again next year. ‐ Bob Cooper Complaints and Feedback Advocacy and Complaints Investigation Contacts Services that may advocate on behalf of clients their parent/carer (depending on the issue) or provide advocacy support to service users include: 
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Action for Citizens with Disabilities 
(02) 9449 5355 Australian Association for the Deaf 
(02) 9262 3506 Australian Quadriplegic Association (02) 9661 8855 
Autism Association of NSW (02) 9452 5088 Disability Services Aboriginal Corporation (02) 9649 4216 Brain Injury Association of NSW (02) 9890 9032 Citizen Advocacy NSW (02) 9369 2411 NSW Council for Intellectual Disability (02) 9211 1611 Deaf Society of NSW (02) 9893 8555 Disability Complaints Service (02) 9319 6549 Disability Discrimination Legal Centre (02) 9398 6366 Domestic Violence Advocacy Service 1800 626 267 
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Guardianship Tribunal (02) 9555 8500 
Institute for Family Advocacy (02) 9869 0866 Family Advocacy 1800 620 588 Office of the Public Guardian (02) 9265 3184 Office of the Protective Commissioner (02) 9265 3131 
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Intellectual Disability Rights Service (02) 9318 0144 Mental Health Advocacy Service (02) 9745 4277 Multicultural Disability Advocacy Service (02) 9891 6400 National Disability Advocacy Program 1800 672 People with Disabilities in NSW (02) 9319 6622 Physical Disability Council of NSW 1800 688 831 Royal Blind Society of NSW (02) 9334 3333 Self Advocacy Sydney (02) 9622 3005 The Aged Care Rights Service 1800 424 079 MANAGEMENT TEAM Carol Ruigrok: CONTACT DETAILS Office Hours: Service Manager 8.30am– 4.30pm Monday‐Friday Location: Felicity Hardwick: Administrator Jacinta Mackinnon: Tech Support Officer 10 Railway Road Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Andre Krausmann: Day Program Team Leader Postal Address: Anama Tesser: Respite Assessment Officer Bob Cooper: WH&S Officer Phone: PO BOX 568 Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 (02) 6569 4266 0447 688 947 or 0447 552 650 Fax: (02) 6568 6034 Email: [email protected] http://www.openarms.org.au/ David Collett: Fire Warden A/H: The Open Arms Care newsletter will be available online at: www.openarms.org.au If you would like an audio copy of the newsletter, please contact the office on 02 6569 4266 Website: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ OpenArmsCareInc If anyone would like to submit anything for the next Open Arms Care is now on Facebook. Like us and join the newsletter, call us. Please remember we will reserve conversation. the right to choose appropriate material. https://www.facebook.com/OpenArmsCareInc Occupational Therapy: Awesome Kids OT Marg Hopper ‐ Occupational Therapist Emma King ‐ Occupational Therapist Bellingen Nambucca Heads Ph: 0408 447 306 Ph: 02 6568 8257 or 0423 495 722 Speech Therapy: Communication4All Jessica Clark Rachel Kilbourne ‐ Speech Pathologist Coffs Harbour Nambucca Heads Ph: 0413 440 457 Ph: 0427 255 116 Caterpillar Kids OT Jessica Clark ‐ Speech Pathologist Early Intervention: Bellingen Early Intervention Services Nambucca Valley Early Intervention Services 1 Elliot Close, Bellingen Park Street, Macksville Ph: 02 6655 2323 Ph: 02 6568 4026 Physiotherapy: Joanne Waller—Physiotherapist 1 Piggot Street, Nambucca Heads Ph: 02 6568 7700