| Our First Decade 1987-1997
A group of people with a common vision and goal got together in
May 1987 to establish the Elderly Australian Chinese Homes (NSW) Co-operative
Limited (EACH). Their vision was to provide care for the ethnic
Chinese in New South Wales who are frail and aged.
On 7th October 1987, EACH was registered as a charitable and non-profit
making organization in accordance with the NSW Co-operatives Act
and Charitable Collections Act. During the same year in December,
it was granted the status of a Public Benevolent Society which means
donations to the organization of $2 or more are tax deductible.
The idea of building a hostel for Chinese speaking residents received
full support from the Federal and NSW governments. The Chinese community
had offered their generous donations. Many groups had rendered support
in fund raising, in particular, the Chinese Australian Services
Society, the Chinese Youth League and Sydney Chinese School. Unsecured
loans at $140,000 were also made available by them. The loans were
repaid in 1993.
In October 1989, the Federal Department of Health, Housing and
Community Services approved a grant of $441,520 to assist in acquiring
two adjoining properties at Nos.17 and 19 Brady Street, Croydon
for setting up the current hostel. Renovation and refurbishment
were completed in two stages. The first stage involved the building
in No.17, which was opened on 5th February 1990 to accommodate 10
residents.
Prompted by the increasing demand for aged care service, the Board
of Directors took the initiative to seek funds to carry out stage
two renovation work to the building in No.19. The grant of $169,488
by the Federal Department of Human Services and Health in 1993 allowed
the number of hostel places to increase to 17. In addition the NSW
Ethnic Affairs Commission in between 1993 and 1995 awarded us two
grants of $30,000 and $20,000 respectively to upgrade the facilities
of the hostel to increase the total accommodation to 18, and to
provide a covered verandah and a gazebo.
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