Honouring Victoria’s Jewish senior citizens
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced today that a re-elected Labor Government will invest $3.4 million in a historic boost to multicultural senior citizen organisations.
Premier Daniel Andrews
Labor will provide each and every one of Victoria’s 862 multicultural senior citizen groups with a $4,000 grant in 2019 to assist them in holding activities for their members, including excursions, cultural dancing, singing, and religious feast day celebrations.
The historic funding boost will see $52,000 flow directly to 13 Jewish organisations across Victoria, supporting the role that these groups play in building a sense of community and pride in Jewish culture and heritage.
The multicultural senior citizen grants can also be used for much-needed equipment upgrades that would assist groups to hold future events that benefit the social wellbeing of older culturally and linguistically diverse Victorians, including commercial kitchen appliances, fridges, and barbeques.
Over 70 different ethnicities and religious groupings are represented across Victoria’s multicultural senior citizen groups, reflecting the diverse multicultural fabric of our state.
This investment honours the sacrifices made by older migrants who, in many cases, came to Australia, worked hard for decades away from their immediate family and built a brighter future for their children and our state.
Daniel Andrews said: “Older migrants came to Australia and worked hard all of their life to build a better future for their children. In doing so they helped to build this nation—as Premier of Victoria, I say thank you.”
This announcement builds on Labor’s commitment to invest in a strong public health system, and $625,000 to Jewish Care Victoria to go towards upgrading and renovating their aged care facilities.
Only Labor recognises the vast contribution of older multicultural Victorians and is willing to make the investments that really matter.
Eligibility for the grants will be open to all multicultural senior citizen groups funded as part of theVictorian Budget’s 2018/19 Senior Citizens Organisational Support Grants program.
Labor Candidate for Prahran Neil Pharaoh told media: “We’ll never be able to repay our older Jewish migrants for their many contributions. But we can make sure we deliver the investments they deserve.”
“Labor will make sure Jewish senior citizens are supported with this massive boost so they can continue to celebrate our unique culture and heritage” added Labor Candidate for Caulfield Sorina Grasso.
