National Palliative Care Week is an initiative to mark the importance of palliative care in the Australian community. The theme for this year’s National Palliative Care Week is

‘You matter, your care matters’

Palliative care can make a difference’. The theme addresses the need for aged care services to provide palliative care where appropriate.

“People in aged care often have more than one chronic illness which affects their health in different ways. Palliative care can help manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.”

Get involved this May by:

• Joining a twitter conversation or competition using #npcw17 #dyingtotalk
• Getting a conversation going in the community
• Spreading the posters
• Volunteering with the foundation
• Donating

For more information, visit: http://palliativecare.org.au/national-palliative-care-week/

International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities. The Day represents an annual landmark to draw the attention of decision makers, the media, the public, opinion leaders and local authorities to the alarming situation faced by lesbian, gay, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people and all those who do not conform to majority sexual and gender norms.

“1 in 5 LGB people have experienced a homophobic hate crime or incident in the last three years, yet just 1 in 4 reported them to the police”

Get involved this May by:

• Donating to the foundation
• Showing your support on social media
• Organising a fundraiser
• Educating yourself on the issue and passing on the information in the community
• Handing out the promotional merchandise or watching the available videos

For more information, visit: http://dayagainsthomophobia.org/

National Families Week is a time to celebrate with family, make contact with extended family and friends, and share in the enjoyment of family activities within the wider community. It is a time to celebrate the meaning of family and to make the most of family life.

“Families are society’s most important building block. Strong families equate to strong communities because they embody caring for others, connectedness with people, and providing hope, support and comfort.”

Get involved this May by:

• Reaching out to your own family
• Planning and Organising an event
• Handing out the promotional products
• Watching the video on the website
• Raising awareness on social media

For more information: http://nfw.org.au/

International Nurses Day

International Nurses Day provides an opportunity to recognise nurses around the world for their contribution to health care. The day is celebrated on 12 May as this is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, the founder of modern nursing.

This year the theme for International Nurses Day is

Nurses: A voice to lead – Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Nurses are consistently named one of the most trusted professions, year after year. Taking care of people during times of vulnerability allows nurses to form a special bond with their patients.”

Let us acknowledge their services by:

• Donating
• Showing appreciation to the nurses in our local community
• Volunteering
• Raising awareness on social media

For more information, visit: http://www.icn.ch/publications/international-nurses-day/

World Lupus Day is designed to raise awareness about the disease Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that may cause abnormalities in the function and structure of vital organs such as kidney, brain, lungs etc.

“Lupus affects one in 700 Australians. Nine out of every ten people with lupus are women, with the onset of disease usually occurring between 20 and 50 years of age.”

Fight Lupus this May:

• Organise a fundraiser
• Download toolkit to gain information regarding the issue
• Sign the petition
• Raise awareness on social media
• Donate

For more information, visit: http://www.worldlupusday.org/

National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day is an initiative to honour those who have been victims and survivors of Domestic and Family Violence. The theme for 2017 is ‘don’t be silent but speak up and obtain support’. Unfortunately domestic and family violence is not always reported to police and there are still some concerning statistics surrounding Domestic and Family Violence:

“85% of domestic violence victims are women”

Get involved this May by:

• Attending the Domestic Violence remembrance breakfast
• Volunteering
• Raising awareness on social media
• Showing your support in the community
• you can donate to several organisations, which are involved in assisting the victims in various ways. Donate generously.

The Starlight Day is a national campaign involving the painting of streets to Power the Happy for seriously ill children. The Starlight Children’s Foundation has brightened the lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children, and their families, throughout Australia.

“Research shows sick kids and teens face different challenges to adult patients and are entitled to play, imagine and dream so they can continue to develop physically, mentally and socially.”

You can contribute by getting involved this May by:

• Raising awareness on social media
• Donating to the foundation and helping them reach their goal of $1.3 million
• Volunteering with the organisation
• Holding a fundraiser to raise money for the cause

For more information, visit: https://starlight.org.au/what-we-do/campaigns-and-events/national-campaigns/starlight-day

Kiss Goodbye to MS is a campaign designed to accelerate research targeting the prevention, better treatments and a cure for multiple sclerosis. Ultimately, MS Research Australia is working towards freedom from MS. Multiple sclerosis is a condition of the central nervous system, interfering with nerve impulses within the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

“MS affects over 23,000 in Australia and more than two million diagnosed worldwide.”

Get involved this May by:

• Making a donation
• Registering as a fundraiser
• Raising awareness on social media
• Informing family and friends
• Wearing red lipstick

For more information: https://kissgoodbyetoms.org/

World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an international campaign to promote safe and healthy work ethics. These are crucial in moving ahead in our fast paced society to maintain quality of life and working standards.

“Every year some two million men and women lose their lives through accidents and diseases linked to their work.”

Get involved this April by:

• Learning about the safety and healthy protocols
• Donating to the foundation
• Raising awareness on social media
• Informing family and friends of the risks

For more information, visit: http://www.un.org/en/events/safeworkday/

World Malaria Day is a chance to shine a spotlight on the global effort to control malaria. The theme for 2017 is ‘END MALARIA FOR GOOD’ and highlights the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. Malaria remains both a major cause and a consequence of global poverty and inequity.

“According to the World Malaria Report 2016, in 2015, there were 212 million new cases of malaria and 429,000 deaths. One child dies from malaria every two minutes.”

Fight against malaria this April by:

• Raising awareness on social media using #EndMalaria
• Donate to the foundation
• Organise your own fundraiser
• Volunteer
• Inform family and friends of the harms

For more information, visit: http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/calendar-of-events/world-malaria-day