b"Creating change with consumersWe work alongside consumers and carers to determine who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Together we can make meaningful change.Asylum seekers services We know consumers have the skills and wisdom to contribute to addressing socialThe Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre (ASWC) issues. We value the lived experience andAdvisory Group includes 12 Consumer Partners expertise of consumers alongside thewho use their diverse lived experience to shape professional experience and knowledge the program and, along with other members, of the Uniting workforce. advocate for improvements to services fortheir community. They said they wanted more activities for young Inclusive partnering people, so the ASWC secured a $120,000 3-year In our first annual survey conducted in NovemberMission Grant to go towards activities including Giving back as a 2023, Consumer Partners overwhelminglya camp and support for education-related costs. reported feeling positive about their work with The group also received a social cohesion grant us; their partnerships were inclusive and diverse,which funded a refugee week event with theConsumer Partnerand their contributions were listened to.Merri-bek Council in inner north Melbourne,They also told us that partnering with Unitingand plans for advocacy training are underway.supported their sense of: The group nominated a Consumer Partner toContribution to social change (77%) join the Local Government Mayoral TaskforceTo Eva, freedom means living without fear and having the chancePurpose (74%) Supporting People Seeking Asylums Back Yourto build a better life. Neighbour campaign in Canberra where theySocial connection and community (66%) advocated for more federal support for peopleConfidence and empowerment (63%). seeking asylum. Consumer Partner, Eva is a member of bothThe hardships we endured, the uncertainty, Consumer Partners also identified opportunitiesour Culturally and Linguistically Diverseand the resilience we had to find within to strengthen our power sharing and their sense ofShaping our direction (CALD) Working Group and the Asylum Seekerourselves have given me a deep empathy belonging at Uniting. In response to this feedbackWelcome Centre (ASWC) Advisory Group.for others in similar situations. Becoming a we have: Uniting has several groups where consumers andEva and her family came to Australia seekingConsumer Partner in Uniting's CALD WorkingDeveloped a workforce guide to improvestaff come together including: asylum when their country of origin, Ukraine,Group and the Advisory Group at the ASWC is communication about the changes Consumer Quality, Safety and Service Innovation was no longer safe. They needed a place wheremy way of turning those painful experiences Partners have influenced Board Subcommittee they could live without fear, and they foundinto something meaningful, she said. Updated our training for Consumer PartnersUniting Strategy Working Group that in Australia. Its about giving back, ensuring that others to focus on belongingUniting Resident Advisory Panel Their early days in Australia were challenging,have the support and understanding they Implemented biannual Consumer PartnerYoung Persons Advisory Group but they received vital support from the ASWCneed as they navigate their own challenges.led Community Catch Ups.Homelessness Advocacy and Referenceand their local church community who providedEva's artwork (pictured) symbolises the Committee food, shelter, and a sense of belonging. Thisstrength and hope of the refugee journey, Find out moreBallarat Lived Experience Advisory Groupsupport was crucial in helping them navigatedepicting their resilience and optimism(Mental Health). those initial difficulties.amidst challenges. Eva says her journey as an asylum seeker with her family profoundly shaped who she is and what she stands for. 32 Uniting Vic.Tas and Uniting Housing Annual Report"