Interchange creating opportunities and choice
Interchange Outer East transforms lives. We provide opportunities for children, young people, families, volunteers and staff to have a range of experiences through which they can thrive.
Our primary focus is to support children who have a disability and their families, but that’s just the start of it! Whether it’s a young child with a disability going on their first overnight camp, a young adult travelling to Italy, a teenage volunteer being responsible for another person, a mum connecting with other mums, a family having their first holiday on family camp, or a staff member running a day activity – many, many experiences are available.
These transformation opportunities are backed by a culture that values people as being more important than anything else. A pragmatic approach to rules and regulations, a maxim to make things work and solve problems rather than avoid them, and a desire to do the best we can.
We provide services in Melbourne’s outer eastern region for over 850 families who have a child with a disability. We have 313 registered volunteers, aged from 14 years up. We have serviced the outer eastern region of Melbourne, covering the Knox, Yarra Ranges and Maroondah local council areas for over 30 years.
Interchange Outer East programs include 1:1 flexible support, school holiday program, family support comprising mums, dads and siblings programs, youth groups, adult and children’s recreation, adult day service and post school options and international travel for all ages. Based in Yose Street Ferntree Gully, we also have sites at Station Street in Ferntree Gully, Bayswater and Lilydale.
Come in and say hi, meet the staff, volunteers and participants and find out what we’ve been up to.
We work with all areas of the community to create opportunities for people. We are always on the look out for new ways to connect with the local community, and we ask community organisations, clubs, businesses and individuals to contact us if they would like to explore ways in which we can work together to make Ferntree Gully, Knox and the wider community a more connected, inclusive place.
Whether it’s a business giving an opportunity for meaningful work to a young adult with a disability, a group raising money to allow a family to spend some rare quality time together, a sporting club creating inclusive opportunities for children and adults with a disability at their club, a high school student volunteering on camps or activities, or a
family hosting a child for one weekend a month – the possibilities really are endless.
Volunteering with Interchange Outer East is a unique and life changing experience. Our youth volunteer program is setting the standard for young people in the area. If you volunteer with us, you will be accepted, you will make friends and make a genuine difference in many lives – and there’s one other guarantee – you will have fun.
To find out more about Interchange Outer East, please visit the website at www.ioe.org.au and don’t forget to ‘like’ the Interchange Outer East page on Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest news and events.
Faye Lougheed
