VASS Support at Home Celebrates Father's Day
VASS Support at Home Celebrates Father's Day for the Elderly Community
Fatherhood is a gift that lasts a lifetime, a legacy of love, sacrifice, guidance, and quiet strength that impacts families and communities generation after generation. For the older fathers who are a part of VASS’s Support at Home community, Father’s Day is a day that should be celebrated, warm and filled with the love of others.
VASS Support at Home, a program of Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS), presented a special Father’s Day celebration for elderly people from our wide community at the Highlands Hotel, where we had a large and enthusiastic group of elderly people, their families, and VASS staff join us for a morning of morning tea, a generous buffet lunch and a heartfelt celebration of the fathers in the group.
The event was an effective demonstration of VASS’s efforts to make all older people feel seen, celebrated and truly valued, both in the daily care they receive and in the moments that make life truly rich.
Highlands Hotel, Craigieburn
The event took place at the Highlands Hotel in Craigieburn, one of the most spectacular and hospitable hospitality facilities in Melbourne. The Highlands Hotel was an ideal venue for this grand and warm event, featuring its impressive contemporary design, generously proportioned dining spaces, inviting natural light, and excellent buffet service.
For many of the visitors, the experience of visiting a place of this quality was in itself a meaningful part of the day: a reminder that they deserve beautiful places, wonderful food, and experiences that would honour their dignity and their place in the community. The hotel’s organization and the friendly service of staff members made the event very comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
What the Day Included
The Father’s Day celebration was planned around three important activities to ensure each participant experienced the celebration for him to feel genuinely celebrated and cared for:
☕ Morning Tea A Warm Welcome
The celebration started with a morning tea, allowing participants to get settled, greet old friends, get to know new ones, and enjoy warm beverages and light refreshments in the grand setting of the Highlands Hotel. The spirit that was set from the opening moment was relaxed and welcoming, an environment the VASS Support at Home program strives to provide for its senior citizens.
Being away from home, sitting at a beautiful venue, with peers that have an understanding of their life and background made the opportunity for many participants something deeply meaningful in and of itself. VASS staff were present and members were greeted and made to feel at ease upon their arrival.
🍽️ Buffet Lunch: A Feast Worthy of Every Father
The highlight of the day was a lavish buffet lunch at the Highlands Hotel which was no letdown. Participants coaxed their way to the buffet stations, choosing from a myriad of hot foods, cold salads, and desserts, and did so at their own pace and in a relaxed setting that worked for all participants, regardless of mobility.
It was decided to use a buffet format to ensure a degree of choice and independence which allows the participant to make his/her own choice on the parts to take, the amount of part to take, and the speed at which to take it. This is in line with the principles of the VASS Support at Home program, which always puts the participant in the driver’s seat, having dignity and being independent.
Celebrating Our Father’s Speeches and Gift Bags
The third and most heartfelt element of the day was the formal celebration of the fathers in the room. As can be seen in the photos from the event, VASS staff stood on the microphone to speak to the group, offering kind acknowledgements to the elderly fathers in attendance, as well as thanking the participants for their trust in VASS. Throughout the day the VASS Victorian Arabic Social Services banner was prominently displayed, a visible sign of the organisations behind this important day.
There was much warmth and appreciation from the participants, and the room was filled with the emotion that comes when older people feel they are truly seen and valued. It was a bittersweet experience for many of the fathers present to be publicly celebrated in this manner with their peers and VASS team.
One of the highlights of the day was the personal Father’s Day gift bags that were given to the fathers in attendance. The VASS staff led a warm and thoughtful transition through the dining room, giving each elderly male participant a gift bag, which was appreciated by many with smiles. Caring for one another was the need expressed in the gift bags, which were a simple yet profound expression of the appreciation of VASS Support at Home for every father in its community.
Why Celebrations Like This Matter for Elderly Wellbeing
The significance of this kind of celebration in relation to the health of older adults
Events such as the VASS Father’s Day celebration are not just fun social gatherings, but a critical, evidence-based part of all aged care systems which are holistic and person-centred. Social isolation is a major risk factor for older people; studies consistently show that loneliness in older people is associated with greater rates of cognitive decline, depression and adverse physical health.
A celebration such as VASS Support at Home can bring benefits to elderly participants who usually do not have much regular social contact and live on their own. Participants go home knowing they’ve been celebrated, eaten with, and laughed with other people from similar backgrounds, and have experienced “full dignity” of being treated as valued members of a community that cares deeply about them.
Culturally safe community events such as this also serve a special function for those who come from Arabic, Turkish and Middle Eastern backgrounds where language, cultural references and shared experiences are not obstacles but bridges and offer connections, opportunities to connect with others and opportunities for mainstream aged care services.
- Safe and supportive setting for people of all cultures in later life years
- The presence of multilingual staff, in Arabic, Turkish and other community languages is supported.
- Community celebrations for community achievements such as Father's Day and Mother's Day.
- Venues that will be accessible and have transport support for all participants.
- Sponsored by the Commonwealth Government's Support at Home program
- Improved by expert and heartfelt VASS Support at Home personnel.
Conclusion: Honouring Every Father, Every Day
The event, VASS Support at Home ‘Father’s Day’ at Highlands Hotel, Craigieburn, was a morning which every participant will remember. The morning tea, the generous buffet to feed the tables, the gift bags and the words of recognition to honour the fathers in the room – every element was carefully considered to make each person feel special.
For many of the visitors, the experience of visiting a place of this quality was in itself a meaningful part of the day: a reminder that they deserve beautiful places, wonderful food, and experiences that would honour their dignity and their place in the community. The hotel’s organization and the friendly service of staff members made the event very comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
For more information about VASS Support at Home, community events or how to access Support at Home funding, please visit us at sahvass.org.au or call our friendly team today.