By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A busy office is a happy office at Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre.
The not-for-profit community-based agency took out the Employment category in the 2018 Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
It is a friend to 150 staff, 200 volunteers and the hundreds of refugees and migrants who are helped into education, training and work.
It’s also a skilled office with most staff speaking at least two languages. Collectively, they speak more than 50.
Many are former clients who are giving back, says client services director Caroline Radowski.
“We have refugees from (the former) Yugoslavia who are now helping our African clients.”
One of its innovations is to help staff achieve their nominated dreams. So far, 82 per cent of dreams have been fulfilled, Ms Radowski says.
Under its ‘wisdom and wellness’ program, staff are also treated to talks on sleep management, healthy eating, tai chi as well as superannuation and human rights.
The staff are clearly motivated. They’re helping more than 7000 clients during about 100,000 contact hours of settlement services.
“They don’t care if they’re working 9-5 or 9-7, because they love it,” Ms Radowski says.
For the past 25 years, the SMRC has helped new arrivals integrate and contribute to the community in Greater Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia Shire and surrounds.
SMRC’s vision incorporates values of empowerment, resilience, respect, diversity, integrity and inclusion.
It runs social participation, economic development and health and wellbeing programs for its clients.
These innovative programs, along with their social enterprise initiatives such as Divers Care are widely recognised.
Chairman Brian Oates said Dandenong was often the first word that new arrivals knew. Because that was where their relatives were living.
“We have a very multicultural workforce,” he told the awards audience.
“That’s the business we’re in. Though if you’re in Dandenong and you’re not working in a multicultural business, you’re probably missing out.”
BREAKOUT
Employment Award
Sponsor: Macpherson Kelley Lawyers
Winner: Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre
Nominees: Dandenong Oasis YMCA, Financial Foundations Australia, Le Pine and White Lady Funerals, Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre, Supergroups.
