Our Management Team
Jeff Shaw
Founder & CEO
Jeff spent over 25 years as a commercial plasterer, including 5 years dedicated purely to carpentry. Jeff owned and managed businesses and worked on major projects in Melbourne and Canberra.
In 2013, Jeff’s desire to make a difference in the disability sector drove him to start Give a Care, and empower people living with disability.
Jeff is heavily involved with many Advocacy Groups, and resources that will benefit our clients immensely.
Understanding our clients’ needs from the inside out is what truly makes Give a Care a unique service provider. Jeff’s vision for Give a Care is to give all people living with a disability the chance to share his experience of what it’s like to have real control to choose what they want to do with their life.
Jeff regularly represents the broad views of people with a disability and is a member of various advisory groups and committees representing people with a disability. These include.
• Speak up Bayside – (Bayside Council Funded) Self Advocacy Group
• United Brains – Self Advocacy
• With close ties to SARU the Self Advocacy Resource Unit based at Ross house
Give a Care ensures that clients feel empowered and included in the community. All of this is thanks to Jeff’s ideas, dreams and commitment.
Cristina Karvonidis
General Manager
Cristina has a double degree in Marketing and Business and a post graduate degree in Business Administration. Cristina’s extensive experience in Australia, United States, UK and Brazil brings broad knowledge and focus to help Jeff manage Give a Care.
Cristina speaks 5 languages and has over 25 years’ experience working in small to large corporations in a variety of industries and most recently in the Aged Care and Disability sectors.
Cristina has owned and managed successful businesses and wants to make a positive impact in the world. She is passionate about supporting people in the community.
At Give a Care, Cristina’s job is to assist Jeff in managing and growing a sustainable company and empowering people with disabilities to live a healthier and happier life.
Tricia Jasinski
Operations manager
Tricia has been working in the Operations & Finance industries for 17 years, managing great teams. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from RMIT university. Working in different areas within finance has given her an analytical and logical approach to problem solving.
Tricia has previously been involved in product development whilst working in Singapore. Her strong work ethics, planning and organisational skills have allowed her to work well with her colleagues.
At Give a Care, Tricia oversees the Operations department, managing all Disability Support Workers’ shifts, looking after accreditation, governance and quality.
Trudy Coste
Service Delivery Team Leader
Trudy has over 20 years of customer service and business management experience across the airline, banking and retail industries.
Trudy’s passion for helping people led her to complete a Certificate IV in Disability and in 2018 she joined the team at Give a Care as a Disability Support Worker.
Trudy has recently moved to a new role as Service Delivery Team Leader where her experience of working closely with Give a Care clients and their families, together with her customer service skills, will allow Trudy to help ensure that the people she assists are provided with the best support to enhance the quality of their lives.
Trudy is mum to two little girls.
Cherish Cannane
Team Leader, Support Coordination
Cherish comes from a large south American family and has worked within the disability sector for the last 10 years.
With an advanced Diploma in community service as well as Diploma in disability and finishing degree in psychology or counselling, Cherish has spent her career working in case management, child protection, support coordination, direct disability support, day services and home care.
Cherish has worked overseas in volunteer positions and feels very passionate about equality and human rights. She considers herself a strong advocate for anyone who may need it, especially for children and parents. Cherish believes in encouraging people to have the confidence to ask for what they want and not just settle.
Claire Driver
Team Leader, Plan Support
Claire worked in Finance, Contracts and Facilities before making a move to the disability sector, an area that resonates more with her interests and passions. She lives a vegan lifestyle, supports animal fostering, blood donation and other interests in the Bayside community.
Claire has worked as an NDIS Local Area Coordinator at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, assisting participants to secure NDIS funding to support their disability needs.
Claire works for The Give a Care Foundation providing a free service to assist people in accessing NDIS funding, and helping current NDIS participants by getting them ready for their next planning meeting, assisting them at the meeting, if required, and helping them understand and use their funding both creatively and wisely.
