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Two weeks ago, we were looking at a very different world.

As of this writing, all pubs, libraries, cinemas and places of worship are closed. Restaurants and cafes are takeaway or delivery only. From today, anyone arriving via an interstate border crossing will be forced to self-isolate for 14 days. Premier Mark McGowan said these measures could be in place for as long as six months.

As for us, the entire YACWA team are now working out of our bedrooms, kitchens and offices. Shout Out, our speaking program for schools and non-profits, is now delivering content to school students via Zoom. The Youth Educating about Waste Project, our brand-new peer education initiative encouraging young people to reduce waste, has remodelled itself to create a vast suite of online content. Our policy team, even in this period of great upheaval and uncertainty, are working to make sure the needs of young people are kept at the forefront of our rapidly changing circumstances.

Tomorrow we’ll be hosting a series of online workshops via Zoom with members and youth sector stakeholders to help us understand how you’re weathering the storm and how we can best help you get through this. Because that’s the only way we’re going to be able to get through this – by understanding each other, by communicating and by being kind.

We know you’re all inundated with stories of empty shelves, Centrelink queues around the block and reminders to wash your hands. So in addition to some youth sector specific-resources, we’ve taken a different tack in this edition of and gathered some stories of people adapting, surviving and even thriving among these unusual times. They’ve brought me a sense of peace and comfort – I hope they’ll do the same for you.

Ross Wortham
CEO
YACWA

Coronavirus Supplement Payments

The Australian Government has ti will roll out the Coronavirus Supplement payment to eligible recipients, starting 27 April and lasting for at least six months.

Existing recipients of Youth Allowance, Jobseeker payments and other Centrelink payment programs will receive their top-up automatically, while carers, permanent employees who've been stood down and workers whose income has been reduced as a result of the pandemic will be eligible to apply.

Coronavirus Supplement Payments

The ABC's Guide on Centrelink Applications

Funding & Contracting Services Update
The Department of Finance's Funding & Contracting Service have issued a bulletin addressing the specific circumstances of community services amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic. The bulletin, linked below, addresses organisations can best respond to changes to service delivery.

FACS Special Bulletin

Social Distancing in a Sharehouse

Over at the Foundation for Young Australians newsroom, Ari Moore shares some tips for how to get through social distancing when you're living in close quarters.

"Cook separately, wipe down surfaces after you’ve used them, wash your hands. Sounds easier than it is, but one way you can get everyone into good habits is making sure that all the equipment you need to clean is readily available. Leave out antibacterial products such as wipes, hand sanitiser, hand wash, multi-purpose spray and paper towels to remind everyone to sanitise stuff before and after use."

LinkedIn Learning: Working Remotely

A lot of us are figuring out how to work remotely for the first time, the YACWA team included. Scheduling, back-to-back conference calls, the absence of office banter - it can be a big adjustment, particularly when it becomes the norm so quickly.

While we're all bombarded with resources for how to maximise efficiency from our own homes, those wanting a deep dive might benefit from the suite of resources that LinkedIn learning has just made freely available - from the ins and outs of Zoom to time management and leading your team virtually.

Working remotely

TikTok in the Age of Quarantine

For the Atlantic, this short video explores TikTok as a coping mechanism for Wuhan citizens in quarantine through the eyes of expat comedian Jesse Appell.

Watch the video

Air High Fives

Our friends at Headspace Pilbara find a way to spread good vibes while maintaining a healthy distance.

Air High Fives

Love in the Time of Corona

Over at The Believer, cartoonist Amy Kurzweil illustrates love in lockdown.

Love in the Time of Corona

Tech Resources for Not-for-Profits

A number of organisations have are offering free, discounted or extended trials of their services to make working from home a little easier, including Google's Not-for-Profit arm, Microsoft, Dropbox and Atlassian.

Tech Resources for Not-for-Profits

Hope in the Time of Coronavirus

Over at The Guardian, Van Badham writes about finding glimmers of light among these dark days - and the opportunity for change that greets us on the other side.

"Hope in the time of corona lies in rebuilding the role of government, supporting the institutions that support people and dispensing with the proven lunacy that insists fattening corporations and “the market” delivers “healthier, wealthier, more motivated and productive workers”."

Hope in the Time of Coronavirus

P.S. We're Still Here

The whole team's working from home at the moment. Over the next couple weeks we're meeting with Ministers and sector leaders about how we can best help our young people and the whole youth sector as we get through this crisis. If you need to get in touch, you can reach us over email - yacwa@yacwa.org.au. Stay safe.

YACWA respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this country. While our work is state-wide, YACWA's office is based on the land of Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation.

We wish to pay our respect to Elders past and present and extend this to all Aboriginal people seeing this message.

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