For Immediate Release for 20 June 2022

CORE Community Services is proud to announce that it’s CEO, Juana Reinoso has been inducted into the Zest Awards Hall of Fame. Juana has worked with CORE for 27 years and has dedicated her career towards building capacities and connections within our various communities.

CORE Community Services was nominated for several awards, in our own right, at the Zest Awards held on 17th June 2022 at Stadium Australia Sydney Olympic Park and featured in a number of collaborative nominations with other groups and organisations.

Nominations and Awards for CORE and the wider Fairfield community are as follows:
• Exceptional Community Partnership Award: Fairfield Food Hub Partnership (Fairfield City Council, CORE, Woodville Alliance, The Parks, Community First Step) Award: Ask the Expert (CORE & Navitas) Nominated: The Intensive Support Program and Rent Choice Youth Program
• Hall of Fame Inductee: Juana Reinoso
• Exceptional Project in a Not for Profit Organisation Nominated: Stay-At-Home Drive
• Outstanding Project Promoting Social Cohesion and Community Harmony Award: Support of Refugees and Migrants through one-to-one mentoring (Mentoring Men & CORE Arabic Men’s Group)

CORE Community Services was formed in 1979 to provide English classes for new arrivals and refugees and has continued to expand to deliver more programs and services across South West Sydney. We now cover Aged& Disability Care, Children’s Services, Youth Services and Multicultural Communities. The organisation also convenes a number of networks and partnership to leverage the importance of collaborating resources for the best outcomes for the communities of South West Sydney.

‘It has been a tough time for the community we serve, especially in the last two years, as our community was hit harder than any other and enhancing the service provision through collaboration and partnership among our local service providers improved our COVID response collectively,’ said Mrs. Reinoso. ‘We exist to support the local communities, we play an integral part of working together with businesses and state and local departments to better enhance the communities of south-west Sydney.’
As a leader, Juana had worked on a range of initiatives to provide for the community, build strong ties to South West Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), partnering with local organisations, businesses as well as local and state government. This has provided many opportunities for access, especially during the height of the pandemic, where we worked with key service providers to alleviate food insecurity which was a key issue for many during the pandemic and still is a big issue for the community.

Juana says she is confident in the community and recognises the collective efforts needed to collaborate and work together, sharing ideas, resources and expertise and expects there will be more challenges, “we’ve partnered with the best local services to give access to our community. We believe that the ability to address issues to its full potential is through collaboration” she said.

Chairperson of CORE Community Services, Yvonne Santalucia said ‘This is a testament to our CORE values, as a not-for profit organisation, our people and, of course, centring around embracing community. This is a huge step forward in the way we deliver services.’

For more information about how you can work together with CORE Community Services, please contact partners@corecs.org.au or call (02) 9727 0477
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Media Enquiries:
media@corecs.org.au
CORE Community Services

Harmony day celebrates the country’s cultural diversity. Join us in celebrating Harmony In Fairfield.

Immerse yourself in each other’s culture and celebrate the many things that diversity brings to our community.

23rd March 2022 at the Crescent Plaza, Fairfield (Opposite Fairfield Train Station). From 1pm – 5pm

This event is open to all ages and there are activities for each age group.

We will have live performances and acts from Heartdancers_Inc, Anthony Snape, Qing Fong Lion Dancing, interactive stations and also our friends from different organisations and services on the day Host International, Hume Housing, South Western Sydney Local Health District, CORE Community Services.

Bringing Harmony in Fairfield

School for any age can be scary, but ensuring your child is equipped and well prepared helps alleviate any anxious feelings they may have and will help them feel more confident about the big changes that are about to happen and what to expect at their new school.

You can help your child to develop a love for learning, so the move is a happy and positive one.

The following points are some things to do to prepare children in starting their first year of school:

We are available to assist and are contactable through phone and online inquiries.

Youth Services: 32 Harris St Fairfield and Queen St Campbelltown are currently closed until the 10th of January.
Our school holiday programs are also cancelled, although please keep an eye on our social media for new and exciting activities.
For more information, please contact Youth Services directly on 9755 8000.

Multicultural Communities: 165 Railway Parade Office is closed until the 17th of January. All other offices and programs are currently open, although this is subject to change. For more information, please contact Multicultural Communities on 9727 0477.

Aged and Disability Care: 22 Nelson St Fairfield is currently closed to visitors. Aged and Disability assistance are still being delivered to clients in a COVID safe process during the closure period.
For further information around our Aged and Disability please contact on 8717 1500.

Our centres will be closed from 25th December 2021 – 3rd January 2022.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on 4th January 2022.

Our Preschool will be closed from midday 24th December 2022. Preschool looks forward to welcoming our early learners from 27th January 2022.

We wish you a happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you next year.

🚨For emergencies, please contact 000.

🏡Link 2 home 1800 152 152

⛔NSW Domestic Violence Line on 1800 65 64 63. Available 24/7.

As 15th December 2021 rolls around, apart from Miller that has been operating to public all throughout lockdown. We are opening some of our sites to the public.

The following centres will be open from 15th December 2021 – 24th December 2021:

• Canley Heights (41 Peel Street, Canley Heights)
• Cabramatta (165 Railway Parade, Cabramatta)
• Mount Pritchard (476 Cabramatta Rd W, Mount Pritchard)
• Miller (16 Woodward Crescent)
• Fairfield (39 Harris Street, Fairfield)
• Fairfield (32 – 36 Harris Street, Fairfield)

❓ Make a Referral here

For general enquiries please contact (02) 9727 0477 or email us on info@corecs.org.au

Aged & Disability Care Services
Our social support groups will resume in 2022. We continue to provide ongoing essential services to our elderly, seniors and people with a disability.

Please continue to contact us (02) 8717 1500 if you require any support or assistance for Home Care service, Home Modifications & Home Maintenance and NDIS program.

Children’s Services
We are continuing to provide Preschool to our early learners to continue to support our families. Contactable on (02) 8582 4288
Children’s last day to Preschool is 22nd December 2021.
We welcome our families back on 27th January 2022

Multicultural Communities
Our centres will be open from 15th December – 24th December 2021.

For Mount Pritchard 02 8582 4170 or The Hub at Miller 02 8582 4110.
Settlement Services are contactable on 02 8582 4140

Youth Service
Youth services are contactable on (02) 9755 8000 or email them on youth@corecs.org.au

A young person can access support through our Youth Homelessness Service. This service provides support to young people aged between 12 -25 years broken down into 3 services; Early Intervention and Prevention, Crisis Refuge and Intensive Support Program

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Last year we provided refuge to a young man of 17 years old experiencing extensive family violence due to his “differences”, he was scared to live who he was. He came to the refuge and relished in the opportunities we at CORE Community Services provided; he completed his TAFE course in beauty therapy, which was only made possible by access to funding of the makeup kit and tutoring services in English. He tapped into his creativity by making videos and practising photography.

Furthermore, he attended fortnightly sessions with our on-site physiologist to explore his emotions. He began to thrive in confidence, and even he changed his name. He was linked to an LBTQI transitional service for longer-term housing and social inclusion. He had the opportunity to perform alongside singer Sam Smith at the Mardi Gras parade.

He now holds a job in retail and hosts a beauty YouTube with make up tutorials. The young man speaks very highly of his time at CORE Community Services and recently referred a friend for support.

Employment confidence gives young people experiencing homeless a much greater chance of maintaining long term housing and overall wellbeing.

Contact our youth services on

☎️ (02) 9755 8000 ☎️ 1800 074 922 or email us on youthcorecs.org.au

Brief Summary of the Report One of the most significant challenges experienced by humanitarian entrants in Fairfield LGA is the high rental costs. This is often in response to the influx of large number of humanitarian entrants. The arrival of humanitarian entrants does not stimulate housing development and often humanitarian entrants are competing with others who can pay rent at higher rates to secure accommodation. Therefore, humanitarian entrants in Fairfield are more likely to experience rental stress as they spend a significant proposition of income on rent. Service providers see clients who pay up to 80% of their income on rent. This has detrimental effects on the ability of humanitarian entrants to settle and adjust to life in Australia. Humanitarian entrants, who struggle to find employment on arrival, may not be able to meet basic needs of their households   The situation of humanitarian entrants on arrival in Fairfield City suggests that a rent subsidy scheme tailored specifically to meet their needs can help ease housing stress and improve the critical early settlement experience. This report proposes a rent subsidy scheme for 50 humanitarian entrant households in Fairfield as a pilot modelled on existing schemes in NSW. Interviews with local service providers and the Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment (MWIA) were used to assess the potential impact of the proposed pilot on the mental wellbeing of humanitarian entrants in Fairfield. The results show that the proposed subsidy and support would improve their mental wellbeing.  

The Fairfield Housing Taskforce The Fairfield Housing Taskforce was set up to address housing issues as part of the Fairfield City Settlement Action Plan (FCSAP). FCSAP outlines issues and challenges associated with refugee settlement and aims to identify solutions and actions to help address them. It provides a collaborative and strategic approach to the delivery of settlement services in Fairfield City. Fairfield City Council endorsed the FCSAP. The Housing Taskforce represents various agencies including Department of Communities and Justice, Hume Housing, Settlement Services International (SSI) Core Community Services (CORE CS) Assyrian Resource Centre and South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD)

6th August 2021

The quick spread of COVID-19 in Fairfield City has been linked to household transmission within large families. But this is not the full picture of large households in the area. Many Fairfield residents are experiencing severe overcrowding.

“Overcrowding is a big problem in Fairfield. There is a shortage of affordable accommodation, there may be 2 families living within the same house. So when we have heard that large families are contracting the virus, some of these cases are linked to overcrowding. ” explains Juana Reinoso, CEO of CORE Community Services, an organisation working with the local migrant and refugee population in Fairfield City.

Fairfield City is one of the most disadvantaged cities in Greater Sydney based on low employment, low educational attainment, and higher levels of employment in unskilled occupations. Fairfield City is a place where the majority of people from refugee backgrounds start their life in Australia. Nearly 60 percent of people in Fairfield City were born overseas and three quarters of households speak a language other than English.

“Service providers see clients who pay up to 80 per cent of their income on rent,” explains Juana. “This affects the ability of humanitarian entrants to settle and adjust to life in Australia. Humanitarian entrants, who struggle to find employment on arrival, may not be able to meet basic needs of their households.”

“Affordability is the huge issue in Fairfield and the high rental costs means it is common to see families of 5 people living in a 2-bedroom home, and grandparents, parents and children all living in the one house”. Juana explains

A new report by the Fairfield Housing Taskforce and the University of New South Wales titled Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment of Refugee Transitional Housing Support Program looked at the impact of congested living on mental wellbeing of refugees. The lack of freedom and personal space from overcrowding has led to poor mental health outcomes. Evidence from settlement caseworkers identified rental affordability as one of the key factors which contributes to congested living arrangements.

Fairfield Housing Taskforce spokesperson Marie Saliba explains that “the COVID outbreak in Southwest Sydney has again brought to the forefront the inadequate living conditions of many living in Fairfield city, which has increased their exposure to Covid-19. The extended lock-
downs targeting the city will only push more people into poverty, exacerbate existing mental health issues, and create more demand for social housing which is of huge under supply and investment by government”.

The Fairfield Housing Taskforce calls for federal and state government to make investment in sustainable, quality social housing in the area a priority. This would create local jobs, stimulate the economy, improve the health and wellbeing of residents, and improve the health and safety of the entire Greater Sydney population.

Media Enquiries

Media@corecs.org.au