Georges River Community Service Inc. (GRCS) commenced
operation in October 1971, as a result of the local Interchurch
Council seeing the need for a Neighbourhood Center in the
area. The Center caters, basically, for people in the Hurstville
City Council area and those in the Hurstville, Mortdale,
Penshurst and Oatley suburbs of the Kogarah Municipality.
However, this can change, depending on the program.
GRCS is an Incorporated Association, with approximately
256 members, 29 of these being Life Members. Annual membership
fees are $5.00 ($2.00 for pensioners and students and $10
for Organisations). Subscriptions fall due each January.
All members are welcome to attend the Annual General Meeting
(held in October). There is usually a Guest Speaker on a
topic of interest and visitors are welcome.
Management Committee:
The Center is administered by a community-based volunteer
Management Committee -
- President - Marion Smith
- Vice President - Marie Hudson
- Hon. Secretary - Joan Vaughan
- Hon. Treasurer - John Zographakis
- Publicity Officer - Valmai Douglas
- Committee - Mane-Hudson, John Loughnan, Lois Loughnan,
Keith Pasley, Rose Rowlson
Hurstville City Council appoints two delegates to attend
our meetings. The present delegates are Councilor Stephen
McMahon and Councilor Shirley Chan with Councilor Mick
Frawley as an alternative.
The Management Committee has delegated responsibility
for staffing and day-to-day organisation of the Adult Leisure
Learning, Occasional Child Care, The Care Center, Lugarno
OOSH Care Center, Neighbour Aid and Community Services Grants
Program to Sub-committees.
Funding:
GRCS receives Government funding from
• NSW Department of Community Services;
• NSW Department of Ageing, Disability & Home
Care;
• Board of Adult & Community Education and
• Hurstville City Council.
In the 2002 / 2003 financial year, this worked out to
be 30% of GRCS's total income, the remainder coming from
membership subscriptions, fees for services provided, fundraising,
donations and bank interest.
Volunteers:
Because of our very limited budget, GRCS must depend heavily
on volunteers to keep the Center and its programs running.
Areas of work available include - visiting, shopping and
sitting with an older person, fundraising, promoting the
Center, helping with social activities
for the aged, assisting in the Occasional Child Care Center,
Adult Leisure Learning tutors, English tutors, or being
a member of the Management Committee or Sub-committees,
office duties.
Any donation received from a client for services rendered
by a volunteer, must be handed in at the office so that
a receipt can be issued. Petrol reimbursement is available
for volunteers at 48 cents per km.
All volunteers are required to be members of GRCS. Currently
there are approximately 125 volunteers contributing up to
140 hours per week over all GRCS programs.
Volunteers are recruited by various means, such as publicity
in the local paper, local members newsletter, Volunteering
NSW, Volunteering Australia, Volunteer Link, approaches
to doctors, dentists and by talks at Clubs and on local
radio.
The most successful method of recruiting, however, is
by word-of-mouth, so we are depending on you to spread the
word.
Volunteer Information Days for GRCS are held three times
a year, to provide training, support and a time to socialise.
Volunteer Link" run courses for Volunteers which we
attend when appropriate. A social get-together is organised
twice a year as a team building activity.
Volunteers Voice Committee:
The Volunteers Voice Committee is a Sub-committee of GRCS,
set up to help with fundraising. The Committee organise
street stalls, raffles, etc, and last financial year, raised
$2,050.00. The members also co-ordinate Friendship Lunches
for people who live alone and assist with Community Capers
- an outing for Nursing Home residents.
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, at
10am, at the GRCS Center,
63 Pitt Street, Mortdale. All welcome.
