Sydney's Co.As.It. is celebrating its 50th anniversary of service to the Italian Community.
We interviewed the president of the Italian association of assistance, Lorenzo Fazzini.
History of Co.As.It.
Co.As.It., the Italian Association of Assistance, was first established in NSW in 1968, under the auspice of the Italian Government.
The initial aim of the voluntary organisation was to assist the large numbers of Italian migrants who came to Australia in the Post World War II era. Co.As.It. was formed with two distinct aims: to assist migrants through a coordinated settlement welfare program, and to preserve and promote an awareness of the Italian language and culture in Australia.
Today Co.As.It. NSW is one of the major and most active ethnic voluntary agencies, offering a wide range of services and programs focused on community services, educational and cultural activities.
Co.As.It. is a registered charity and in 1983 was incorporated under the NSW Companies Code. It is managed by an annually elected Board of Directors which is assisted by appointed Sub-committees. The quality of assistance offered by Co.As.It. is without discrimination in relation to age, sex, religion or political affiliation.
There is a genuine need for Co.As.It.'s services. Through continued Australian and Italian Government funding, the support of over 300 dedicated volunteers and a growing membership base, Co.As.It. will continue to meet the ever-changing needs of the Italian-Australian community in NSW.
Today there are three subcommittees, Community Services, Education and Italian heritage.
