EV Strengthening Communities

25/08/2026

Professor Kathy Eagar spent months pulling apart the code behind the Support at Home algorithm. Last night, she told the Senate inquiry exactly what she found: only 23 of 622 questions decide your funding, while dementia, mental illness and elder abuse barely factor in at all. Here's exactly how the whole system works.

Link: https://hellocare.com.au/unpacking-the-aged-care-algorithm-how-the-system-is-weighted-against-those-who-need-it-most/

25/08/2026

Addressing loneliness is about more than helping people feel less alone. It's about creating opportunities to participate, connect and belong.

For some people, that means having transport to get to a medical appointment, community activity or social outing. For others, it's finding a volunteer role that builds confidence, friendships and a sense of purpose. It's support for families in the early years, pathways to employment, or helping community organisations create places where people can connect and contribute.

For 50 years, EV Strengthening Communities has been working alongside communities to make those connections possible. Through Community Transport, volunteering programs, employment initiatives, early years services, and support for community organisations, our goal has always been the same: helping people participate, contribute and belong.

As we reflect on our August theme of addressing loneliness, we're reminded that stronger communities are built when people have access to the support, opportunities and relationships that keep them connected to the people and places around them.
That's what EV has been doing for 50 years, and we're proud to continue that work every day.

25/08/2026

Manager Aged and Disability Liz Mcfarlin, CEO Viv looking down on our Social Support group enjoying their MCG tour. Liz and Viv are at the CHSP summit at the MCG discussing ongoing funding for these great services.

19/08/2026

For 50 years, EV Strengthening Communities has helped people find connection, belonging and community through volunteering.
For people building a new life in a new place, volunteering can be more than an opportunity to give back. It can be a way to meet people, build confidence and feel part of a community.

As we celebrate 50 years of EV, we're reflecting on the role volunteering can play in creating connection.

When Mariyam arrived in Australia, she left behind the family, friends and support networks she had always known. Years later, after struggling to find opportunities, a friend encouraged her to try volunteering at EV. It was her first volunteer role.
Starting as a volunteer receptionist, Mariyam quickly found something she hadn't expected: a place where she felt welcomed, supported and valued from day one.

"Everyone was super friendly and helpful. No one knew me, but people came up and introduced themselves. It was very refreshing for once."

Through volunteering, Mariyam built confidence, developed new skills, formed meaningful connections and eventually progressed into a leadership role. Today, she is a Transport Operations Team Leader, helping support both staff and volunteers.
Stories like Mariyam's remind us that volunteering isn't just about giving back. It's also about friendship, belonging and finding your place in a community.

For 50 years, EV has been creating opportunities for people to connect, contribute and feel that they belong.

18/08/2026

https://hellocare.com.au/cruel-by-design-four-corners-exposed-how-labor-built-a-machine-to-say-no-to-older-australians/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hellocare-tuesday-newsletter-18082026

Last night's Four Corners investigation exposed how Labor built a machine to say NO to older Australians more efficiently, and quietly redefined how it counts wait times to make a broken system look better on paper. Cruel by design, not by accident. Behind the numbers: real families like Audrey's an...

17/08/2026

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-17/inside-the-black-box-aged-care-algorithm-for-support-at-home/107033970

Using expert analysis, evidence revealed by bureaucrats at Senate estimates, and documents obtained under FOI, Four Corners reveals the fullest picture yet of the secretive algorithm affecting the lives of tens of thousands of older Australians and their families.

16/08/2026

I encourage our EV community and partners to watch this https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-13/the-waiting-game/107031466.

Four Corners is the home of Australian investigative journalism.

13/08/2026

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-13/the-waiting-game/107031466

Four Corners is the home of Australian investigative journalism.

10/08/2026

National Youth Volunteer Week is almost here!
To celebrate, EV Strengthening Communities is offering FREE access to two online learning pathways from 10-16 August.
A 3-module suite for organisations looking to attract, support and engage young volunteers
A 3-module suite for young people interested in starting their volunteering journey

The organisation-focused suite is normally a paid resource, but during National Youth Volunteer Week we're making it available free of charge for one week only.

Whether you're an organisation wanting to build stronger volunteer programs, or a young person looking to gain skills, experience and connections through volunteering, these modules are for you.

Create a free account and get started at learning.ev.org.au

10/08/2026

As part of EV's 50-year celebrations and our focus on Addressing Loneliness, we're reflecting on a story from 2002 that reminds us some challenges remain as important today as they were more than two decades ago.

A Maroondah Leader article highlighted the Do Care program, where volunteers were matched with older community members experiencing loneliness. For Kay Read, those visits became much more than support. They became friendship, connection and a reason to get out and engage with her community. As volunteer Margaret Rigney explained, "The carers enjoy it just as much."
At the time, EV supported this work through its Volunteer Resource Centre, helping recruit and match volunteers to programs like Do Care. While Volunteer Resource Centres were defunded in 2020, EV remained committed to helping people connect through volunteering and went on to create the Virtual Volunteer Navigation Hub, which continues to help people find meaningful volunteer opportunities and support community organisations.
The story may be from 2002, but the message remains the same: connection matters, and volunteering continues to be a powerful way to bring people together.