During the month of December, which is one of the best months of summer, staff and volunteers at Stella Maris will be holding numerous BBQs for the enjoyment of the seafarers. Traditional pork and beef sausages, along with a variety of salads and drinks will be on offer throughout the month. Sausages made from kangaroo meat will also be on offer for those crew members who like to try something a little different from the norm.

The food provided is free of charge to all seafarers and is kindly provided from some money donated to the Stella Maris from the Melbourne Port Welfare Association. Stella Maris is also providing funding towards the food and drinks. This will culminate with a large party on Christmas Day with gifts being on offer for crew members who happen to be in Melbourne over the Christmas period. The centre will be open every day over the Christmas period.

Some crew and volunteers enjoying the spoils from one of the December BBQs.

Late this year we were fortunate in receiving a grant from the AMWS for the purchase of 6 new computers plus a new server. These extra computers are of a great benefit to seafarers wishing to catch up on news back home plus receiving and sending of emails to loved ones. The new computers are also all fitted out with webcams and micrphone headsets so that seafarers can use them to communicate with family and friends all over the world.

These computers are provided free of charge to seafarers and are becoming more and more popular with
seafarers from all nationalities.

Seafarers making use of the new computers and the wireless network available free of charge at Stella Maris

Anzac Day, this year, was celebrated at the Stella Maris Centre with over 150 veterans from the Malay Borneo Vets, the Korean Vets, the Retired Merchant Navy Vets and the British Airborne Forces Association Vets. A light lunch was provided for the veterans and their families. The weather was great and the atmosphere even better. The large Home Theatre screen was down so that those veterans who could not make the full march to the Cenotaph were still able to feel present by watching the march on tv. Once the march was finished, the traditional game of football between Essendon and Collingwood was screened for all to see.

Click the red poppy to see photos from the day.

LEST WE FORGET

Stella Maris Melbourne is now registered as an agent for Western Union. Money transfers to more than 200 countries around the world can be made from our Centre. Money transfers are ready to be picked up within half an hour from being lodged at Stella Maris. Money may also be picked up as well.



NEED TO SEND MONEY OVERSEAS IN A HURRY - SEE STELLA MARIS FOR ASSISTANCE

Stella Maris Melbourne now has installed webcams on all of its 6 computers. Now by using either MSN, ICQ, Yahoo Chat or Skype, seafarers can chat to their friends and family overseas and use the webcams to see whoever they are chatting with. The webcams have been a great success and proved very popular amongst the seafarers.



A seafarer from the m/v Irenes Myth makes use with one of the webcams to communicate with his wife back home in Russia.

Due to the ever increasing number of seafarers with their own laptop computers Sella Maris Melbourne has gone ahead and installed its own wireless network within the centre. Now seafarers can bring their laptops into the Centre to send and receive their emails, download essential updates or just browse the internet at their leisure, either inside the centre or sitting out in the pleasant garden area.




Sergei from Krasnodar Region in Russia uses his laptop to catch up with local news and sports

The Apostleship of the Sea has produced a CD that has been designed to provide help, assistance and information to seafarers and their families. It is called the Seafarers Information CD 2006 and is full of useful information beneficial to seafarers. Subjects such as Seafarers' Rights, SeaTV, Worldwide Welfare Organisations, information about the Apostleship of the Sea and what it does, a world wide geography on all countries, seafarers prayers, plus a multitude of other interesting items.
This CD is free of charge and available from any Stella Maris centre in Australia. Make sure you ask to get your copy of it. It is hoped in the near future that nearly every seafarer will have a copy of it.
Another important subject on the CD is contracts as those provided by FOC companies, plus your rights within these companies in concern to illness, repatriation, wages etc. A MUST for all seafarers, the AOS hopes to have thousands of these printed to be mde available to everyone who needs it.

This week just gone saw the first pilot Ship Visitors' Induction Course held in Melbourne. It was conducted by Damien Crowley on behalf of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board in England. The nduction Course was also assisted by the ITF who paid for airfares and accommodation for those ship visitors who came from interstate. Altogether a total of 16 people were in attendance and all thoroughly enjoyed the course. Members from the AoS, MtS, Family Mission and the Ukrainian Catholic Church greatly benefited from the Induction Course.
The course went for 2 days and involved powerpoint presentations, along with a few Case Studies. An written assessment was held on the final day, with everybody passing successfully.
There is another Induction Course planned for Mumbai, India in December this year, and then hopefully interested people from different countries will be themselves trained so that they may run the Induction Courses themselves in their respective countries.

Father Luis Vergara, Bobby Grech and Scott Cook from Stella Maris Melbourne along with the MNWB Instructor from England, Damien Cowley.