Zen Tea Lounge Foundation

16/10/2026

This Vietnamese Women’s Circle workshop was a gentle reminder to pause, listen to our bodies, and make space for our health.

With the theme “Staying Well and Preventing Cancer,” we came together to learn, share, and have honest conversations about caring for ourselves and noticing the small things that can make a difference.

A heartfelt thank you to our guest speaker, Thi Kim Ha, Multicultural Services Health Officer at NSW Health, for sharing valuable knowledge and practical guidance on cancer prevention and staying well. We’re also grateful to our community partner, Liverpool Women’s Health Centre, for supporting this meaningful workshop.

As always, our two-hour session was more than a workshop. It was a safe and welcoming space where the women in our community could gather, connect, share experiences, and support one another.

Taking care of our health is not only a gift to ourselves, it is also a way of caring for the people we love: our family, our friends, and those who depend on us.

Sometimes, a simple reminder to book a health check-up, listen to our body, eat well, stay active, or talk to someone can make all the difference.

Thank you to all the women and partners who joined us and made this circle another warm space for connection and care.

To learn more about our Vietnamese Women’s Circle, contact Zen Tea Lounge Foundation today.

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Cùng nhau sống khỏe, cùng nhau quan tâm.

Buổi Vietnamese Women’s Circle vừa qua là một dịp để các cô cùng nhau chậm lại, lắng nghe cơ thể và dành một chút thời gian quan tâm đến sức khỏe của chính mình.

Với chủ đề “Sống khỏe và phòng ngừa ung thư”, chúng ta đã cùng tìm hiểu, chia sẻ và trò chuyện về những điều tưởng như nhỏ bé nhưng có thể tạo nên sự khác biệt trong việc chăm sóc sức khỏe mỗi ngày.

Đặc biệt, xin cảm ơn cô Thi Kim Ha - Multicultural Services Health Officer tại NSW Health đã dành thời gian chia sẻ những kiến thức và thông tin hữu ích, giúp các cô hiểu hơn về việc chăm sóc sức khỏe và phòng ngừa ung thư.

Xin chân thành cảm ơn Liverpool Women’s Health Centre, đối tác cộng đồng đã đồng hành và hỗ trợ buổi gặp gỡ ý nghĩa này.

Như mọi lần, 2 giờ đồng hồ không chỉ là một buổi chia sẻ kiến thức. Đó còn là một không gian an toàn và thân thuộc để các cô gặp gỡ, kết nối, chia sẻ những câu chuyện của mình và cùng nhau nâng đỡ nhau.

Chăm sóc sức khỏe không chỉ là món quà dành cho bản thân, mà còn là cách chúng ta quan tâm đến những người mình yêu thương - gia đình, bạn bè và những người luôn ở bên cạnh mình.

Mong rằng sau mỗi buổi gặp gỡ, chúng ta lại mang về một chút kiến thức, một chút kết nối và một lời nhắc rằng: sức khỏe của mình luôn xứng đáng được quan tâm.

Cảm ơn các cô đã cùng tạo nên một không gian thật ấm áp để chúng ta được gặp nhau, chia sẻ và cùng sống khỏe hơn mỗi ngày.

Visit: https://www.zentealoungefoundation.org.au/uniting-voices
Email: [email protected]
Call: +61 2 8667 8666

15/10/2026

A cup of connection at Wholeheartedly Her.

Our D4S team was proud to bring Zen Tea Lounge Foundation's Café Cart to Liverpool Women’s Health Centre for Women’s Health Week, as part of Wholeheartedly Her event.

From a warm Vietnamese coffee to a refreshing iced lemonade or a cup of herbal tea, our Café Cart offered guests a little moment to pause, recharge and connect throughout the day.

More than just serving drinks, it was about being part of a day that celebrated women, wellbeing and connection. Seeing people come together, share stories, enjoy activities and simply spend time with one another made the day especially meaningful for our team.

We’re grateful to the organisers and everyone involved in creating such a warm and uplifting event, and to the community for welcoming our team and our Café Cart.

Every event gives us another opportunity to do what we love - serve the community, create connections and open pathways to meaningful employment for people of all abilities.

Thank you for having us, Liverpool Women's Health Centre.
Until the next cup!

To learn more about our Café Cart initiative: https://www.zentealoungefoundation.org.au/cafe-cart
📧 [email protected]
📞 02 8667 8666

14/10/2026

Sometimes the first step forward is simply finding a place where you feel welcome.

A place to meet other women.

To share ideas.

To learn without judgement.

And to remember that the experience, culture, knowledge and strengths you already carry have value.

This is where our Women’s Leadership, Empowerment & Employment Pathway begins.

Women from multicultural communities across Fairfield are coming together to build confidence, strengthen connections and explore what their next chapter could look like.

There is no single definition of success.

For one woman, it may be learning a new skill.

For another, returning to work.

For another, discovering her leadership potential.

Every journey is different. Every woman has something to contribute.

With heartfelt appreciation to Fairfield City Council and Mounties Group for helping create opportunities for women in our community.

Know a woman ready for her next chapter? Share this with her and help open another door.

Email: [email protected]

13/10/2026

Every child deserves to grow up knowing: My voice matters. My boundaries matter. I can ask for help.

That simple belief is where Break the Cycle: Empowering Children to Prevent Violence and Abuse begins.

Across Fairfield, Zen Tea Lounge Foundation is creating positive, age-appropriate opportunities for children to learn about personal safety, boundaries, trusted adults and speaking up.

We are not teaching children to fear the world.

We are giving them practical knowledge to navigate it with greater confidence.

And we are bringing parents, carers and educators into the conversation - because children should always have informed adults standing beside them.

With heartfelt appreciation to Fairfield City Council and Cabra Leagues for helping bring this important initiative to our local community.

Start one conversation today: Ask a child, “Who are the trusted adults you know you can always talk to?”

Stay tuned for our upcoming Break the Cycle workshops: https://www.zentealoungefoundation.org.au/building-resilience-workshop-for-kids

12/10/2026

Every person who joins the Zen journey leaves their own imprint on our community.

We celebrate Kevin and Sidhur, and the care, kindness, and presence they bring to our shared space each day.

Thank you for being part of the Zen family and for helping create a community where people feel seen, supported, and connected.

We are grateful to share this journey with you and look forward to the seasons ahead.

11/10/2026

Behind every strong community movement is a leader who chooses compassion and turns it into action. 💛

This month, we are proud to spotlight one of our sisters - Thao Le, Founder of Miss Compassionate NDNA Pageant Inc, whose vision has grown from celebrating and empowering Vietnamese Australian women into a multicultural platform recognising women who lead with heart, service and purpose.

On Friday, 30 October 2026, Miss Compassionate Ambassador 2026 – Beyond Boundaries will bring together women from diverse cultural backgrounds across Australia to celebrate beauty, confidence, compassion, leadership and community connection.

More than a pageant, the evening will feature multicultural fashion, entertainment, music, dancing, dinner and meaningful community connection, while continuing Miss Compassionate’s long-standing commitment to humanitarian causes. This year, the event will also support Dementia Australia, helping raise awareness of the impact of dementia on individuals, carers, children and families.

We warmly invite our community to stand behind Thao, support this beautiful initiative and join what promises to be a memorable evening of culture, compassion and connection.

Event details
📅 Friday, 30 October 2026
🕠 Red carpet & arrivals: 5:30pm
🕖 Main program: 7:00pm
📍 Mounties Showroom, 254 Humphries Road, Mount Pritchard NSW

🎟 Bookings: 0412 580 815
📧 Email: [email protected]

Come along, support the participants and celebrate women who are using their voices and actions to make a difference.

Beyond boundaries. Beyond cultures. United by compassion. 💛

09/10/2026

Ten Years of Gratitude

Ten years ago, Zen Tea Lounge Foundation began with a simple belief: that every person deserves to be seen, heard and given the opportunity to move forward.

Around the same time, our journey crossed paths with Dr Hugh McDermott MP, Member for Prospect.

Back then, our centre had leaking roofs, broken equipment and limited resources. Our coffee machines, cool room, freezer and training equipment were constantly at risk of breaking down - yet they were essential to helping people build skills, confidence and employment pathways.

Then COVID came.

Jobs disappeared. Families struggled. Our community was under enormous pressure.

During that difficult time, Hugh quietly reached out to local businesses, community leaders and organisations, encouraging them to connect with us and offer support.

That meant more than people may ever realise.

The response was extraordinary. Even members of the Australian Air Force and Navy stepped in to help us deliver essential items to people and families who were isolated and unable to access support.

Those moments reminded us what community really means - people from different sectors coming together, not for recognition, but because someone needed help.

Over the years, his support also helped us access community grant funding that contributed to improving and renovating our centre.

What was once a struggling little space became a place where people could learn, connect, rebuild and belong.

Today, more than 35,000 people have been supported through Zen Tea Lounge Foundation.

Behind that number are women rebuilding their independence, young people finding direction, people with ability gaining opportunities, families receiving support, and community members discovering their own strengths.

One thing we have always valued is sitting together - Hugh’s team and our Zen team - sharing a meal, talking openly about what is happening on the ground, where the gaps are, and what our community truly needs.

For us, this has never been about politics.

It is about recognising people who listen, show up and help turn community needs into real impact.

Hugh, thank you for walking alongside us over these years.

Thank you for opening doors.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for helping strengthen a space that has now supported thousands of lives.

Most of all, thank you for recognising that our people are more than statistics.

They deserve to be seen.
They deserve to be heard.
And they deserve the opportunity to build a better future.

Thank you for your 12 years of service, sir. Your support, leadership and commitment to our community have made a lasting difference.
We are truly grateful.

Amy Nguyen and the Zen Tea Lounge Foundation community ❤️

08/10/2026

Be part of the community and join our beautiful sister Sokka Ung for a morning of connection, movement and reflection in nature.

Come walk with us, meet new people, recharge and grow together at Mount Annan Botanical Gardens.

✨ FREE | ALL WELCOME
📅 Wednesday 14 October | 9:00am–11:00am

👉 Register now and bring a friend: tinyurl.com/hiking-community

Let’s walk, connect and strengthen our community together. 🌱

🥾HIKING COMMUNITY PEER CIRCLE - Mt Annan Botanical Gardens🌿

What if a morning walk could be more than just exercise?

Come join us for the Hiking Community Peer Circle at The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan - a welcoming space to connect, move, reflect and grow together:

🌿 Walk in nature
💬 Have meaningful conversations
🤝 Build connection and confidence
🧘 Ground yourself through mindful movement
💚 Explore healthy relationships, communication, resilience and leadership

Each month, we’ll discover a new scenic location and create space to Reflect. Walk. Submerge in Nature and Ground ourselves.

📍 Location: Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
📅 When: Wednesday 14 October
⏰ Time: 9:00am–11:00am
👣 Facilitator: Sokka Ung
💚 FREE ENTRY | ALL WELCOME

Come as you are with a hat and a drink bottle. Bring your walking shoes, an open mind and a willingness to connect.

👉 Scan the QR code or register: tinyurl.com/hiking-community

Let’s connect, walk and grow together. 🌱🥾

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06/10/2026

What if the next school holiday could help a child know their boundaries, speak up and feel confident saying “no”?

Today, in partnership with Prairievale Public School, we brought our Children Empowerment Workshop to children through fun, age-appropriate activities focused on body safety, personal boundaries and speaking up.

We explored how children can:

✨ Know and respect their personal boundaries
💬 Use their voice and say “no”
🙋 Speak up when something doesn’t feel right
🤝 Know which trusted adults they can turn to

Because body safety education isn’t about fear — it’s about confidence, knowledge and giving children the tools to speak up and ask for help. 💛

A BIG shoutout to Nadia, our Community Hub Leader, Shabnam, our facilitator, and our amazing volunteers Maria and Smriti for making today happen! 🧡

And thank you to Prairievale Public School for partnering with us and creating space for these important conversations. 🌱

⸻

🏫 COULD WE BRING THIS TO YOUR COMMUNITY NEXT?

Looking for something meaningful, fun AND FREE for children this coming school holiday? 🎉

Our Children Empowerment Workshop is FREE for community partners.

✨ You provide: the space + help with registration
🌈 We provide: the facilitator, activities, resources and workshop

You bring the community. We bring the workshop. Together, we empower children.

📩 Want to host a FREE workshop?
DM us or email [email protected]

👉 Let’s make the next school holiday count!

05/10/2026

What’s your favourite thing to do at Zen Tea Lounge?

We asked our Design for Success (D4S) team one simple question, and their answers reminded us that every day at Zen Tea Lounge Foundation is about more than learning new skills.

Whether it's making coffee, creating artwork, working with friends, serving customers, or simply being part of a supportive community, everyone has something they love most.

Watch the video to hear what makes Zen Tea Lounge Foundation special through their eyes.

Want to be part of a community where you can learn, grow, and belong?
Visit: https://www.zentealoungefoundation.org.au/design-for-success
Email: [email protected]
Call: +61 2 8667 8666