Emerald Community House is focused on providing short courses that energize wellbeing, children’s programs and food provision in support of working families and isolated individuals. Our purposes to meet core essential needs brought on by Covid and other current events have helped us to address the things that matter most to the local community.
ECH’s current short course program caters for those who want to work with their hands and expand their minds, whether it is writing stories, crafting clay or digging in the garden. Our creative writing courses, through Learn local, are full of aspiring hills story tellers who are benefitting from ECH’s publishing successes. Permaculture Design is under way for the last time with Pete the Permie. First Aid is set for 22 April and is a typical requirement for many volunteers and staff in the hills. For more program information, check out https://www.echvic.org.au/.
Our affordable licensed Childcare Programs have been steadily growing with people returning to work or moving into the area. We have increased the number of educators to cover the demand and our new playground shelters have expanded the usability of the playground in any weather.
ECH is part of a healthy free food network that supports the Dandenong Ranges to help people stretch their shrinking dollar. Emerald Community House provides free food (frozen and non-perishables) to the broader community using resources such as Foodbank, Woolworths and Cockatoo Bakery. Food is available 24/7 from a storage cabinet on our front veranda, in the Dig In Community Grocery and by appointment.
With the increasing threat all around us of identity theft and privacy security, ECH keeps its member details offline, under lock and key. ECH is committed to protecting personal information in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act and associated amendments, especially considering childcare user families who make up most of our membership.
