Our mission:

AMCS, a charitable organisation, is dedicated to provide support, opportunity, access and equity for Australia's multicultural community. To lead in the provision of services, advocacy and training interests of our clients to meet their unique linguistic and cultural needs.

Objectives:

• Primarily to extend independent living opportunities for the aged and people with disabilities of multicultural background

• To support all Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the maintenance and development of their cultural traditions

• To promote amongst the Australian people an acceptance of the diversity of cultures and a commitment to Australia as one people drawn from many cultural traditions through high quality training, education and support of all involved in providing services and care to people of multicultural background

• To continually grow services and respond innovatively to changing community needs and the ever increasing size of the Australian multicultural community

• To establish and strengthen links with and between high quality appropriate service providers

• To encourage local, State and Federal governments to become more committed promoting and upholding the rights and needs of people with a multicultural background through advocacy, consulting and research on behalf of our clients

• To provide development and learning opportunities for our staff, stakeholders and adults in our community to assist them to reach their full potential in their personal, educational and vocational pursuits

• To provide direct relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune, disability, destruction or helplessness as arouses compassion in the community

• To promote and celebrate cultural diversity in Australian Society

Australian Polish Community Services (APCS) was established in 1983 to respond to the welfare needs of the newly arriving Polish migrants (as a result of the Solidarity movement in Poland) and the ageing Polish population, particularly in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

Since its establishment APCS has developed and delivered a range of services, projects and initiatives to respond to the needs of the Polish community in Victoria.

Over the years, APCS has received government funding for a range of programs and services to meet the needs of the Polish community. In particular, services delivered have focussed on the needs of newly arriving Polish migrants (until 2004) and the ageing Polish community.

Many aged care services provided by the organisation received their initial funding in 1993 and we currently receive funding for ten ongoing programs delivered regionally, cross-regionally and statewide. In the early 2000s we expanded the Community Aged Care Packages Program to respond to the needs of a number of Eastern European communities.

In the last five to six years we have been increasingly taking on projects and activities that seek to explore and respond to the needs of a more diverse range of communities and to work with various communities. APCS has been exploring the possibility of diversifying its services through a name change and review of our Mission and objectives.

As a result, we have made the decision in 2011 to rename the organisation Australian Multicultural Community Services (AMCS). Whilst many of our existing services will continue to target the Polish community for as long as they need them, new services will be sought to target the broader multicultural communities we work alongside. We look forward to this expansion of our services and the opportunity to work with many new groups and communities whilst continuing to serve the Polish community in Victoria.

A tree, as we know, is a symbol of settlement, finding one’s own place, having roots and making the decision to stay. It is a symbol of stability, hope for growth and bearing fruit. New emigrants, on the day they become a citizen, are often encouraged to plant their own tree in their new homeland.

A tree is also one trunk from which the upper branches are growing, giving beginning to a lot of new branches. The farther from the trunk, the thinner and weaker the branches. But on those farthest, youngest twigs regenerate new leaves and flourish flowers. It is a symbol of unity and democracy of the Polish migrant’s life and common roots.

There is one proudly erected leaf with the Polish national colours on this tree. So it often seems to us that we are the only leaf on a big migration tree and only we are visible.

It is heart-warming, that despite the drought the leaf is still on the tree….

Kajetan arrived in Australia in 1982 and the APCS logo was his first graphic projects. It was designed in 1984.

For nearly 28 years, Australian Polish Community Services has been delivering a range of aged care and other services to the Polish and related communities in Victoria. As we look toward the future we recognise the need to expand who we offer services and support to. As a result we will be changing our name to Australian Multicultural Community Services (AMCS).

Whilst many of our existing services will continue to target the Polish community for as long as they need them, new services will be sought to target the broader multicultural communities we work alongside. We look forward to this expansion of our services and the opportunity to work with many new groups and communities whilst continuing to serve the Polish community in Victoria.