APAC / Business Awards 2021 15 , Established in 1987 by a group of Greek-Australian parents who were filled with an unwavering belief that their childrenwith a disability were entitled to the same access to programs and services as other communitymembers without prejudice or disadvantage. Recognised as the Community Organisation of the Year, AGAPI Care Inc is committed to delivering tailored services and supports to people with disability. in Victoria tomeet their identified needs and goals. AGAPI Care Inc emphasises on working with people with disabilities as partners, placing them at the core of its service delivery process. Having a disability of any kind isn’t something that should ever be prejudiced against, and certainly, children should not be left out of any opportunity due to it. Therefore, AGAPI Care provides a broad range of services to support people living with disabilities and have them identify, contribute and plan a range of services that they may require, fully incorporating the thoughts and needs of their clients. CEO Mary Gakopoulos explains, “This encompasses an individual’s equal right to choose the types of disability services and supports that best match his/her assessed needs, and to participate in, and actively engage with his/her community.” At AGAPI Care, people are treated equally, as deserved, with dignity and respect, regardless Community Organisation of the Year 2021 - Victoria of gender, race, background or beliefs. The organisation regards its workers, carers and clients like a family, with everyone involved understanding and supporting the social environment, underpinning disability discrimination and disadvantages. The organisation was created to provide support with the client’s goals and aspirations, allowing the client to plan and contribute to the type of services provided and underline any potential barriers that might affect their goals. By doing so, the organisation can promote the rights of people with disability that is equal to the rights of all citizens; this is integral to the business ethos and core of the services provided by AGAPI Care. However, like for many businesses, 2020 was a year that everything changed. The COVID-19 pandemic affected people’s personal lives and businesses, who had to overcome one of the most volatile economic climates on record. Therefore, to keep up and survive the pandemic, AGAPI Care had to take quick and innovative action. With a flexible and adaptable approach, the organisation provided the necessary services to its community, based on information collected during the 2020 survey. “As one of the preeminent ethno-specific social welfare organisations, we organised a survey in 2020 to capture relevant information as to what was impacting our community and to determine service delivery,” states Mary Gakopoulos. Some of the year’s emerging trends were the continuation of remote working, business adaptability, digital platform making, and status reports to utilise data collected. Overall, AGAPI Care measures any impacts or changes the organisation makes by regularly requesting feedback from clients and their families, continuously reviewing the effectiveness of its service for clients and the community. Despite a worrisome few years with the pandemic creating many challenges for the organisation and the lives of its clients, AGAPI Care has maintained a financially viable status and continues to focus on building longer term financial sustainability to ensure the provision of disability services and supports to Victorians. Thus, AGAPI Care will be expanding its skill development, in-home care, age care and day program services within 2022. Its holistic approach to caring for community members provides a much-valued service for all those involved with the organisation, including its clients, carers and extended family members - taking care of all those engaged with the organisation, just like the world should be working towards. Company Name: AGAPI Care Inc. Contact Name: Mary Gakopoulos Web Address: http://www.agapicare.org.au Contact Email: [email protected] Oct21879
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==