Families, individuals and couples in need from right across regional NSW should now call Open Support for assistance when arriving into, staying in and departing from Sydney for medical treatments and hospital stays.
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This is because, after 28 years of actively addressing unmet social need in the community, the community-based, social welfare organisation Sisters of Charity Outreach has a new name, Open Support.
The not-for- profit organisation - which provides much-needed support services to vulnerable and disadvantaged clients from across regional NSW and metropolitan Sydney – operates both the no-cost transport service, Country Care Link, and the affordable shared accommodation facility, Chisholm Cottage at Westmead.
Both services have assisted thousands of regional NSW people in need over the past 28 years.
“As of (March 21), anyone from regional NSW who is coming to Sydney for medical reasons and wishes to book one of our friendly Country Care Link volunteer drivers to collect them from their arrival point in Sydney to take them to their medical appointment, or wants to book a room at very affordable rate at Chisholm Cottage while they need to be in Sydney, should now call Open Support,” Open Support general manager Gary Sillett said.
Those wishing to book no-cost transport assistance should call Open Support’s Country Care Link on 1800 806 160 and those seeking affordable shared accommodation need to call Chisholm Cottage on (02) 9633 4228.
The announcement was made as part of the launch of the official change of name for the community-based service organisation.
“Our name change from Sisters of Charity Outreach to Open Support represents an exciting and historic new chapter in the 28-year history of our organisation,” Lucy Riggall, Chair of Open Support, said at the launch of Open Support.
With an injection of new volunteers and donors this year, Open Support will continue to be there for those regional NSW people in need, just as it has for the past 28 years.
- St Vincent’s Clinic Chair, Associate Professor Janet Rimmer
“Our fresh and inclusive new name has been derived from the history and heritage of our organisation and its core purpose, which is: being ‘open’ to providing much-needed support to the poor and vulnerable in need.
“Open Support really conveys what this organisation has been providing our community for the past 28 years, with our devotion to Compassion and Action.
“Open Support will continue to provide the same caring services all our clients have come to appreciate.
“But there’s still much work to do out there in addressing unmet social need the community – which is why we are also making an open call for new volunteers and donors to come on board and support the vital services we provide to those in need.”
To do this, Open Support is seeking 40 new, committed volunteers and 100 new, regular donors to support the vital work it does out in the community.
St Vincent’s Clinic Chair, Associate Professor Janet Rimmer said: “With an injection of new volunteers and donors this year, Open Support will continue to be there for those regional NSW people in need, just as it has for the past 28 years.
“Open Support remains an integral part of St Vincent’s Clinic, its strategy and mission.
“Importantly, with the support of St Vincent’s Clinic and all its wonderful volunteers and donors, Open Support remains the same community-based organisation with the same compassionate mission it had when it first opened here at the Clinic in 1990.”
Open Support’s name change is part of a handover of Sisters of Charity ministries within the health, education and social welfare sectors to Mary Aikenhead Ministries. This process officially began in July 2009, and ensures the heritage, tradition and charism of the Sisters’ ministries - including St Vincent’s Health Australia and its various hospitals and other health care services - are taken purposefully into the future.
“Open Support provides services that complement St Vincent’s Health Australia’s hospitals and aged care facilities and we see the rebranding of Sisters of Charity Outreach to Open Support as an exciting new chapter in the organisation’s history,” said Toby Hall, CEO of St Vincent’s Health Australia.
“Open Support offers a great opportunity to open up the development and direction of the organisation and new volunteers and donors coming on board this year will allow it to be able to reach out to, and support, even more country people in need.”
General Manager of Open Support, Gary Sillett added: “Today marks an exciting new era for all our dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters and those many regional NSW families we assist. We look forward to taking Open Support into the future with the same dedication, commitment and caring presence as the Sisters of Charity have done for so many years.
“We will to continue to address unmet social need in the community and, with ‘Open Minds, Open Hearts and Open Hands’, we will continue to provide Open Support to those regional NSW folk in need.”
