Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Sunday I attended the Sisters Cancer Support Group fundraising luncheon at the Harbourfront Restaurant, organised by Nesrin Salem and Maha Elhage. The fundraising luncheon was a huge success, and I thank the entire committee for their assistance in this event and all the amazing things they do in our area.

The Sisters Cancer Support Group is a community based not-for-profit registered charity organisation that provides support for women from multicultural backgrounds who are affected by cancer. They are also the first multicultural cancer-specific support group registered with Cancer Council NSW and Breast Cancer Network Australia. They host monthly cancer support groups that provide a safe, sensitive and culturally appropriate environment where participants can share their thoughts and their personal experiences of their cancer journey, give and receive social, emotional and spiritual support, and learn about cancer prevention, treatment and management.

Last year I attended their incredible Multicultural Health Week. With the assistance of the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra and the local health district, this event brought together local health services and community groups to host information stalls, live healthy food demonstrations, aerobic exercises, cancer screenings and free health checks. The day also included four interpreters for Arabic, Macedonian, Turkish and Burmese language speakers to ensure accessibility.

A special shout-out must be given to Thit Tieu, the group's founder, chair, and facilitator. Thit's enthusiasm and dedication to our community is unwavering.