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Community SOS Celebrates 50 Years
9-Nov-2022
On Friday 4th November, Community Support and Outreach Services celebrated 50 years of serving the community as the first non-profit on the Central Coast. Thank you to our Gold Sponsor Bidja Estate and to everyone who joined us on the night.
Why you can still be charged double for consumer goods, years after Government pledged crackdown
8-May-2019 - According to an ABC News story advocates are angry vulnerable Australians are still being "harmed" by payday loans and high-cost appliance contracts, years after the Federal Government promised to crack down on the practice. Go to the full story.
New micro-finance program of up to $10,000
is being trialed on the Central Coast for victims of Domestic Violence
19-Feb-2019 - The trial is underway with a small number of participants to assess its effectiveness helping women who are trying to leave or have left a family and domestic violence situation on the Central Coast. The new program called “Relief Beyond Crisis” will enable survivors to access additional financial support of up to $10,000 to help cover the costs of leaving and setting up a new life.
Lack of suitable finances can make it hard to leave a domestic violence situation and so this program is designed to make it easier to make the move. The money can be used for those expenses needed to setup in a new home, including bond payments, household goods and in some cases a small second-hand car, some assistance with service payments such as rates, arrears and other eligible costs and in some cases re-establishing a small business.
Bendigo Bank will work with Community Support & Outreach Services Central Coast (Community SOS) and Catholic Care to roll out the support program. Access to the service will be via referrals from partnering organisations.
When a $2,000 credit card would take 17 years to pay off
5-Jul-2018 - The ABC ran a story showing if you pay just the minimum repayments on a $2,000 credit card balance, it would take 17 years to pay off and you would spend more than $5,000 for that $2,000 loan. Go to the full story.
Change of Name But not a Change of Heart
Gosford City Community and Information Services (GCCIS Ltd) is changing it’s trading name to Community Support and Outreach Services Central Coast to bring the organisation more in line with it’s vision, mission and purpose to offer practical help and support to the people of our community to build for a positive future, address immediate concerns, and connect community.
Operating out of the Narara Community Centre, the organisations programs include Central Coast Region Financial Counselling Service, Gosford City NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme) and Gosford Narara Neighbourhood Centre which facilitates playgroups, parenting groups or other educational programs and/or activities.
CEO, Vivian Muraahi shares: “The reason we are rebranding is because we feel that our current name does not truly reflect who we are and what we do as a community organisation. We are passionate about helping people in our community and our heart is to provide support and assistance wherever we can. Unfortunately our legal name Gosford City Community & Information Services has confused people into thinking we were a department of Central Coast Council, and even more so when the tourist information centre in Gosford CBD closed down in 2017.
The new trading name: Community Support and Outreach Services Central Coast or (Community SOS for short), with it’s tagline – ‘Supporting community. Reaching out with care’ embraces all that we do. Our specialised service, Central Coast Region Financial Counselling Service (CCFCS) operates it’s outreach services over much of the Central Coast. Our counsellors provide these services in Wyong, Umina, Chittaway, The Entrance, Narara and Gosford CBD. Gosford City NILS has now become a national service with the loan management side of the program. Our client support is also gearing up to operate outreach to more remote locations.
Vivian Muraahi adds: “We are constantly looking at ways to improve our service to the community and provide greater access or support to those in need. We are always looking for viable partnerships that we can work with to fill a need or a gap in service provision to create a more sustainable and more inclusive community.”
Manhunt continues for NSW camo attacker
4:55pm Jun 6, 2017
Concerned parents on NSW's Central Coast are keeping their children off the streets as the manhunt for a camouflage-wearing sexual predator continues.
An 18-year-old girl told police a man wearing camouflage gear grabbed her around the neck after she got off a train at Narara Railway Station on Sunday afternoon.
That terrifying attack came just weeks after a man fitting the same description dragged a 12-year-old girl from a pathway into bushland, tied her up and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint on May 15.
The two assaults occurred about two kilometres apart.
Narara Neighbourhood Centre manager Vivian Muraahi says family homes, a childcare centre, a high school, a primary school and her centre were all located close to the path where the first attack took place.
Ms Muraahi believes more CCTV and better lighting is needed. She also wants existing paths cleared.
"Whenever we consult with the community, safety is raised as a major issue," she said on Tuesday.
"There is a lot of bushland around here. There need to be more open pathways for kids."
A lack of public transport in the area means people are forced to walk, adding to the community's concerns, Ms Muraahi says.
Copy and Paste this link in your web browswer for the full story on Nine News webpage: https://www.9news.com.au/national/manhunt-continues-for-nsw-camo-attacker/7b4bbd4e-7e46-4e89-8507-3f62621e0a22
Help with debt.
An informative clip about what you can do about debt when it overtakes you.
Forever In Your Debt | The Checkout
Zoë Norton Lodge looks into the debt relief industry and tells you how you can help yourself, for free Check out more of The Checkout on iview:
YOUTUBE.COM
This is a great clip on how Financial Counsellors can help you. Contact our Centre if you want to discuss your situation. It's free and confidential. Ph. 43294477
Work and Development Orders (WDOs)
offer a way foward to people who can't pay their fines. This innovative program lets you pay off the debt with volunteer work, treatment programs, counselling, courses and other activities. Anyone who is homeless, has intellectual disability, cognitive impairment, mental health or addiction issues, or who is in serious financial hardship is eligible.