Celebrations are in order for the Bakhtar Community Organisation following the official opening of their new distribution centre in Hallam.
A family fun day was held on Sunday 20 November to welcome the community to the new space, where the organisation will distribute food and electronic good to those in need and hold classes for the community.
The centre will partner their original warehouse facility in Noble Park.
“The facility will be used to run focus groups, workshops for jobseekers and provide work experience opportunities for jobseekers in the area,” Bassir Qadiri, founder and chief executive of the Bakhtar Community Organisation, said.
“It’s connecting people with employers, providing interview training and more.
“There are a huge number of families recently settled in Casey, particularly in Hallam, Narre Warren and Cranbourne.
“This facility is not only for the Afghan community, it’s open for the wider community. You can call us at any time and make sure you receive the support you require.”
A Monash Health vaccination bus attended the event on Sunday, with Pashto and Dari interpreters helping to translate critical health information to community members who don’t have English as their first language.
“We were able to provide them with Covid-19 information, showing how we support Monash Health and vaccinations, giving assurance to the community.
“You’re not only keeping yourself safe, but the community too. Especially now that numbers are rising again with the new variant.”
Beginning early next year, Bahktar will launch their Bakhtar Response Team project, which will work with emergency service teams to provide assistance to people in Casey and Dandenong with volunteers speaking a range of different languages.
It will be modelled off the Hatzolah service, which functions similarly for the Jewish community.
“In emergency situations, they may have difficulty communicating with an ambulance,” Mr Qadiri said.
“The volunteers can assess the situation and determine whether an ambulance is required, and save ambulance for priority people in real need.
“It’s connecting the CALD (Culturally And Linguistically Diverse) community with the wider community, providing tools to be connected and supported.
“We have seven volunteers training to be fully equipped and ready for an emergency by January.”
The new facility is located at 23-47 Gunns Road, Hallam.
