Community hubs support thousands of families from diverse backgrounds build successful lives in Australia each year.

Based in primary schools, the National Community Hubs Program supports newly arrived women connect with the school community and with the broader community.

The hubs help build social cohesion in Australia, they are welcoming places where families from diverse backgrounds, particularly mothers with preschool children, come to connect, share and learn.

They are a way of building connections and social and economic capital within culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

And they help bridge the gap between families and the wider community. They connect families with each other, with their school, and with local services and support.

The hubs run a number of programs, including English, engagement (cooking and sewing), as well as vocational programs.

Two community hub support workers are Marta Makkai and Jana Hovic, from migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia. The pair support 23 community hubs based in Melbourne primary schools.

Marta works in Melbourne’s west with Wyndham and Brimbank city councils and Jana in the south-east with the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Casey.

Marta and Jana support hub leaders and school principals, making sure hubs are meeting the needs of the school communities.

Marta told of one incident that typifies the impactful work the pair do.

“I met Lisa*, a single mother of four, in the hub one day as she was using our computer and printer trying to print information about citizenship. I told her about the Youth Citizenship in the West Project (YCWP) information session we had last year and said I would see if it was still available,” Marta said.

“I next met her in the paediatric clinic as her youngest child in Foundation was having difficulties transitioning into school,” she said.

“Lisa had many challenges and was highly distressed – she has had involvement with many support services and is distrustful of most.

“Over a series of paediatric appointments, a relationship was built between the paediatrician, myself and Lisa. The school was able to enrol her child back in kindergarten and this has been successful for both her and her child.

“Our hub has provided food support and a warm, safe environment. I connected Lisa with the YCWP which made an exception to add her to the project.

“With encouragement and support, Lisa attended several meetings with lawyers and collected documents. A happy and proud Lisa met with our principal to have her documents verified and the lawyers have informed me that her application has been successfully submitted. Our community hub has had a huge impact on Lisa,” Marta said.

The four pillars of the Community Hubs Program are English, Engagement, Vocational, Early Childhood.

One program run at Victoria’s Government House over four weeks sees newly arrived people learn about government and civics.

The Community Hubs support 14,000 families across 100 schools nationally. They have helped people improve their English language skills, and they contribute $17 million to Australia’s economy each year through supporting people into employment.

(*Not her real name)