The Medibank Community Fund (MCF) has awarded a $25,000 community grant to Mission for Improvement and Boosting Services to the Community (MIBOSCO) in Morley, Western Australia.
The grant will enable MIBOSCO to initiate the 'Eat well, live well and do some exercise for life' program for newcomers to Perth, so they can seamlessly integrate into Australian society.
Approximately 245 people, including single mothers from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds with a history of being sexually abused, will participate in the free integration program.
Medibank State Manager for WA, Andy Bray, said the program embraced the Medibank Community Fund's priorities of promoting healthy eating, physical activity and greater community connectedness -the key selection criteria for the MCF grants program.
"Medibank employees on our Regional Council from across WA, expressed overwhelming support for MIBOSCO's application because their program aims to respond to the needs of new families migrating to Australia with a strong focus on providing basic health education through informative sessions that promote a healthy diet, physical activity and self-confidence", said Mr Bray.
"The Medibank Community Fund grants program supports local, grassroots initiatives that aim to create a lasting and positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of people in the community and Mission for Improvement and Boosting Services to the Community and its 'Eat well, live well and do some exercise for life' program are doing just that".
Mission for Improvement and Boosting Services to the Community's, Samuel Mwenelokole, said the program is a vital resource for migrants and their families coming to Australia.
"The aim of the project is to respond to the specific needs of the new comers and their families in the process of social integration into Australian society in health and community wellbeing," said Mr Mwenelokole.
"The project will focus on basic education, informative sessions and an awareness campaign on healthy diet and how to prevent food related diseases along with socialisation and interactive classes to build confidence and self-esteem and physical activities to improve participants overall health and wellbeing."
Mission for Improvement and Boosting Services to the Community is one of 42 recipients chosen from more than 900 applications across Australia and New Zealand to receive a 2014 Medibank Community Fund grant.