Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson has welcomed a new and essential community service to be launched on April 20 that will provide vulnerable Western Australians with the support they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The essential shopping and delivery service will be provided by Cahoots Connects in partnership with the Department of Communities, National Disability Services, suppliers and retail partners, including supermarkets and pharmacies.
The service will support individuals isolated in their homes, including people with disability and mental health conditions, older Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through a central 1300 helpline, with information and links to emergency relief services.
Cahoots Connects is free for eligible Western Australians. People pay only for goods purchased, with experienced staff and volunteers available to take calls and deliver essentials.
Cahoots will manage the project and oversee all delivery to ensure a quality service is delivered across the State. Eligible people will also receive training through the help line to use pre-existing online shopping services.
Cahoots (previously Kids’ Camps Inc.) is a non-profit organisation supported by the State Government through the Department of Communities, Disability Services to provide inclusive opportunities for children and young people with disability and others who face exceptional challenges to develop friendships, skills and confidence.
It is also registered through the NDIS to deliver individually-funded social, recreational and respite services to people with disability and their families.
Cahoots Connects will be launched on Monday April 20, 2020. Call 1300 103 880 or visit https://www.cahoots.org.au/cahootsconnects for more information including eligibility details.
As stated by Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson:
“The McGowan Government wants to ensure that quality supports and services are maintained for vulnerable people and their families for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s very reassuring to know that Cahoots Connect, in partnership with Department of Communities is able to provide this vital service to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
“Cahoots Connect allows people with disability and other vulnerable people to self-isolate without fear of going without essential items.
“I’m proud to support organisations like Cahoots and National Disability Services that provide invaluable services to people living with disability.”
As stated by Cahoots CEO Jess Karlsson:
“Cahoots Connects is accessible to people living with disability, facing other exceptional challenges and older Australians over 65, with no other informal or formal supports to access essential supplies due to being isolated.
“Cahoots has always been about connection, we’ve been connecting people and enriching the lives of individuals, families and the community for over 35 years, through supportive and inclusive opportunities.
“In our current crisis, people at risk desperately need this connection more than ever to get their essential services and supplies, so my team and I are excited to launch Cahoots Connects, a free, essential shopping delivery service.”