The annual Agapi Care radiothon took place yesterday, Sunday, 15 May, from 11am to midnight, live on 3XY (1422 AM) from 537 High Street in Preston. The funds raised will be allocated towards the ongoing development of the not-for-profit organisation’s new projects to improve the quality and accessibility of the services provided for people with special needs.
This year marks the 35th Anniversary of Agapi Care, and there are some major projects under way, as president of the organisation, Arthur Evriniadis has announced. 3KND were there to support Chief Executive Officer Mary Gakopoulos of Agapi Care and the Greek community. Families, dignitaries and community gathered to support this funding initiative while food, song and laughter filled the hallways. Last year over $156,000 was raised and this year it looks as though that target will be passed.
“In 2022 we will be completing the build of our new corporate head office at 4 Bruce Street Preston, the building of our new facility at Liston Road Glenroy and now the refurbishment of our new purchase in Oakleigh.” The new centre in Oakleigh is at the heart of the Greek community, on 15 Burlington St, and will offer short term Accommodation, Assistance and Respite for people with disability living in that region.
The achievements and quality of care provided by this organisations has been once again rewarded. Chief Executive Officer Mary Gakopoulos expressed their delight in receiving the Community Organisation of the Year Award and the Highly Commended Business Award for 2021. “This achievement by all is another indication of our commitment to high quality service delivery, as we aim to continually improve our services and support by listening to your feedback,” she states. Agapi Care has grown thanks also to the generosity of the community and the donations received, during the organisation’s annual radiothons.
Our people are our strongest asset and we value the contribution of every employee. We are committed to developing and supporting a workforce that is well equipped and highly motivated to provide responsive and quality disability services to the people of Victoria.
Our people are committed to disability support and advocacy. AGAPI Care was established in 1987 by a group of Greek-Australian parents who were unwavering in their belief that their children with a disability were entitled to the same access to programs and services as other members of the community without prejudice or disadvantage. Faced with language and cultural barriers that hindered access to mainstream services for their children, the families created a not-for-profit organisation. The purpose of this organisation was to provide information and support services including advocacy and referrals to people with a disability of Greek heritage and their families based on the recommendations of the Galbally Report of 1978 for multiculturalism: • to ensure equal opportunity and equal access to services for all members of society; • that everyone should be able to maintain their own cultural beliefs and be encouraged to understand others; • that the needs of migrants, while they should ideally be met by mainstream programs and services; should in the short term be specially targeted in order to ensure equality of access and provision; and • that services and programs should be designed and operated in full consultation with clients, with an emphasis on self-help to enable migrants to become self-reliant quickly. Building on these principles and in direct response to the needs of the community AGAPI Care quickly extended its services to include all people with a disability.