Help Missionbeat reach out to rough sleepers

This National Homeless Persons’ Week, Mission Australia is launching an appeal to keep our iconic Missionbeat vans on the streets of Sydney.

Patrolling the city’s streets, alleyways and parks in vans and on bikes, Missionbeat outreach staff provide first aid, hand out blankets and swags, and offer support – and a friendly face - to find rough sleepers. They also help to organise a bed for the night and link homeless people with other support services.

With the public’s help, we aim to raise over $100,000 to keep the vital Missionbeat service on the streets this year and support more people like Hayley*.

Hayley turned to drugs as a way of coping when her parents' marriage was falling apart.

The 18-year-old became addicted to drugs and started experiencing severe mood swings. Fearing for the safety of their two younger children, Hayley’s parents kicked her out of home.

Missionbeat met Hayley earlier this year. We keep a look out for Hayley when patrolling the inner city to see if we can help her find a bed for the night. We are encouraging her to seek help to combat her drug addiction and rebuild the relationship with her family.

"Missionbeat is someone to talk to when there’s no one else," Hayley says.

To help Missionbeat reach out to more people like Hayley, please support our Missionbeat Appeal – so we can keep the vans on the street, and homeless people off them

*Name and image have been changed to protect the identity of the people we help.

Westpac staff warm our hearts

Mission Australia wants to send a warm thank you to all the generous Westpac staff who donated clothes as part of the recent Winter Warmer Appeal.

Fifty wheelie bins’ worth of jumpers, jackets and other warm clothes were collected from six Westpac sites in the Sydney area - George Street, Martin Place, Market and Kent Street sites in the city as well as Concord and Parramatta to the west.

The team at Mission Australia’s Big Heart collection warehouse at Bellambi, NSW, is always in need of good-quality clothes to sell from its seven op shops in Shoalhaven, the Illawarra and Campbelltown. This year the need is even greater, given that much of the warehouse stock was destroyed by fire in March.

“We lost so much in the fire so we desperately need to restock,” said NSW Service Manager Social Enterprise Andrew Douglas. “At this time of year people traditionally give away their summer clothes, having donated winter garments around Christmas – but of course the need during the colder months is for warm jumpers and jackets that keep out the chill.

“If you have good-quality clothing in the back of the wardrobes that you never wear we’ll gratefully accept them to help people in need.”

Anyone in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven areas who would like to donate good-quality warm clothes can drop them off into a local Mission Australia Big Heart donation bin or at any of the seven stores.

Other ways to help this winter
You can also support Australians doing it tough by making a donation to Mission Australia’s Winter Appeal – if you act today you’ll still be able to make a tax deduction for the 2010-11 financial year.

Mission Australia has already raised more than $663,000 thanks to community generosity, but we still need you help to reach our $860,000 target this winter. Every dollar makes a difference to the lives of struggling families and individuals.

Another great way to support Mission Australia this winter is to host a Winter Sleepout event. Whether you get your workplace together for a small gathering and have a gold-coin donation or you throw the event of the year, every dollar counts.

Perfect time to support Australians in need

With the financial year ending tomorrow, it’s the perfect time to make a difference in your community and to your tax return through donating.

By giving to our 2011 Winter Appeal you’ll not only support families and individuals who have fallen on hard times, but also maximise your tax return.

In Monday’s Australian Financial Review, Phil Hayes-St Clair, Executive Chairman of HSC and Co, put forward Mission Australia as one of seven charities worthy of an end-of-financial-year donation – namely due to our transparency and effectiveness.

Even a small tax-deductible gift – anything over $2 - can make a huge difference to Australians whose lives have spiralled out of control because of a series of unfortunate incidents and plain bad luck like a job loss, poor health, the death of a loved one or lack of a support network. Sadly, it’s an all too familiar story.

For example when Gracie’s dad, Paul, was made redundant the family fell behind in their rent and the settled life they knew spiralled out of control within weeks.

Gracie and her brother soon found themselves sleeping in the back seat of the family car, with just a plastic bag of clothes and toys to call her own.

We urgently need your help to provide families like Gracie’s with a roof over their heads and the support they need to make a new start.

Donate before 30 June - and your kind gift can also be claimed as a tax deduction this year.

*Names and images have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

Make a difference to your community… and tax return

With the end of the financial year days away, many Australians are starting to think about the best way to maximise their yearly tax return.

By far one of the best ways to receive a tax deduction is by opening your heart and wallets to others and making a charitable donation.

Any donation you make over $2 to a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) such as Mission Australia is tax-deductible – and even a small gift can make a huge difference to someone like Sheree*.

Sheree had been beaten continuously by her husband for the past five years. One night he hit her so hard that she blacked out for a few minutes. But it wasn’t until her children were hospitalised due to his beatings that Sheree realised she had to get away from her husband for good for the sake of her young family.

While he slept one night, Sheree quietly put the children in the back of the car and fled to the care of Mission Australia.

Unfortunately, Sheree’s situation is all too common – she and her girls make up just one of many families we work with every day at Mission Australia. Your generous donation today will help hundreds of Australian women and children in similar desperate situations to find pathways away from poverty, violence and homelessness.

We urgently need your help to provide families like Sheree’s with a roof over their heads and the support they need to start a new life.

Donate before 30 June and your kind gift can also be claimed as a tax deduction this year.

*Names and images have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

Help a family stick together

The theme of National Families Week - ‘Sticking together: families in good and tough times’ - encourages us to think about the things that make families strong in both good and tough times whatever their circumstances.

As part of Families Week, which ends on Saturday, Australians have been asked to all take time to explore ways we can support each other - in our families and communities - through all the ups and downs of daily life.

Mission Australia would like to thank the many generous people who have responded to our story about struggling families like Gracie’s and donated to our Winter Appeal.

Like so many, the family found themselves homeless due to a series of unfortunate incidents that began when Gracie’s father lost his job. Within months they were spending cold nights huddled in the family car.

We’re now at the halfway mark of our 2011 Winter Appeal, but still have to raise a further $300,000 to reach our target and help bring more homeless Australians in from the cold and back on track.

If you’d like to support an Australian family who has hit hard times, you can donate online or call us on 1800 88 88 68.

And for everyone who has already got behind our appeal, thanks for making a difference!

Further reading:
‘Families in Australia 2011: Sticking together in good and tough times’

Mums staying connected at Chigwell House

With Mother’s Day coming up, we’d like to share some wonderful feedback we received from Amelia*, one of the mums who benefited from our Parents Staying Connected Program at Mission Australia Centre Chigwell House in Hobart.

The program is one of many offered at Chigwell House to help people address personal issues and secure and maintain stable housing. Parents Staying Connected provides opportunities for families to access ongoing learning and play sessions, create links to education and parenting support, attend social events, increase confidence and work in a community garden. It’s designed to help families to work toward brighter futures for themselves and their children.

Amelia is a 22-year-old single mum of two children under five who has turned her life around thanks to the Parents Staying Connected program. Here she kindly shares her experiences about the support she received at Mission Australia Centre Chigwell House:

“When I went into the Parents Staying Connected Program I was scared how people would treat me, look at me, think of me! My confidence was very low as I have just come out of a difficult relationship and living from place to place. My two children are very clingy and won’t leave my side, but when I walked into Parents Staying Connected at Chigwell House we were very welcomed!

“I sort of didn’t know how to approach people and what to say. I was very nervous about meeting new people as I thought everyone there had normal relationships, a house and everything was sweet. I felt so alone and depressed. I remember just saying to myself ‘just open up and be me’, so I did and I got along with everyone. The kids and I played and laughed and I had a really good time.

“Staff made me feel like I had always been a part of the group and I chatted with other mums about everyday things and the time flew by. I was really wrapped in myself and the kids. My son kept on asking me ‘Mummy, when’s playgroup? Can we go now?’ That made me smile as he was never like that before.

“It was also great to see some friends I went to school with there. As time went by I got some really close friends now who have been through the same as what I went through. I finally wasn’t going through it on my own.

“My children are now starting to go and play with other children - they wouldn’t do that before. I was so wrapped when I heard I could do a first aid and Save a Mate course there, so I can further my skills and my children could come with me. I have now done these and I’m really happy where I am at. I have now got a house, my kids are happy and we look forward to going to Parents Staying Connected every week.

“It’s now just over a year since I started coming to Parents Staying Connected, staff from Mission Australia have helped me put my children into day care so I can study community services. My aim is to work with the youth. My children are happy, my depression and anxiety are up and down but under control as I’m building my future.

“I feel that I have came along way since starting Parents Staying Connected and I hope my future goals come together and my confidence builds stronger every day.”

You can help build brighter futures

On 25 May Mission Australia is hosting The Ultimate Taste Test at Cooleys Hotel, Moonah, to raise funds for Mission Australia Centre Chigwell House and support more families like Amelia’s. Guests at this secret five-course degustation will be asked to guess the key ingredients in each dish and the type and origin of each matching wine. Tickets are $120, including five courses with paired wines. For more details or to book call Erica Loring on (03) 6234 3240 or email loringe@missionaustralia.com.au.

You can also assist Mission Australia to help more families and children to get their lives on track by making a donation to our Winter Appeal.

*Name has been changed

Building a better life

Seven-month-old Lily* was born into homelessness. While her parents excitedly awaited her birth, they felt weighed down by the uncertainty of not having a roof to put over her head.

Lily’s dad had hurt himself at work and lost his job as a mechanic just a month before she was born. With the breadwinner of the family suffering from a back injury and unable to find work, the family fell behind on the rent and soon found themselves sleeping rough, struggling to make ends meet.

Every night for eight months, the family packed up their belongings and moved to a different place, staying in motels, caravans and, at times, even in a tent. It was exhausting and stressful, and Lily’s parents felt powerless to change their situation.

Lily’s parents were incredibly grateful when they were welcomed to Mission Australia’s Brighter Futures service in nearby Goulburn, NSW. They were filled with hope that things could change.

In February, we found a safe and secure home for Lily’s family and provided them with clothing, essential supplies for the baby and food vouchers. The family received financial counselling to sort out their finances and career advice to help Lily’s dad find a job.

We recently received a card from Lily’s family expressing their appreciation for the help they received:

“There are so many Australians in desperate need who come through our doors every day. With the help of our supporters, we are able to offer them assistance to pick up the pieces of their lives and rebuild.

"You have all been so wonderful. It is hard to know where to begin to say thank you. Please know that your kindness will always be remembered. You’ve given us the ability to stay afloat and treated us with dignity. We are eternally grateful.”

This young family is now on their way to building a better life - and it couldn’t have happened without the support of generous Mission Australia donors.

You can help many families like Lily’s to transform their lives by giving a gift to Mission Australia’s Winter Appeal.

*Name and image have been changed to protect client's identity

Transform a young life today

Many thanks to everyone who has made a donation to Mission Australia’s Youth Appeal 2011, especially given the tough start to the year experienced by so many Australians.

Such community generosity helps us to continue to run our life-changing programs to support young Australians to overcome very real problems such as substance addiction, family breakdown and abuse.

There is still time to donate
We urgently need more donations to help young people in crisis this year. Your donation will give a young Australian not only the professional support to transform their life, but the courage and self-belief to overcome the challenges they face in the future. This could include a series of one-on-one counselling sessions to help them overcome personal tragedy, abuse or mental illness, or a placement in a youth rehabilitation program.

For more information visit missionaustralia.com.au/youth-appeal

Donate today
$30 can help cover the phone calls of one young person during their stay at a youth rehabilitation program, enabling them to stay in touch with family and loved ones
$60 can help fund one session with a qualified counsellor for a young person overcoming personal tragedy, abuse, or mental health issues
$90 can help fund one young person into a youth rehabilitation program for a night

With your help we can continue to offer our life-changing services to Australians in need.

*Name and image have been changed to protect the identity of our client.

Mission Australia’s New Year Appeal launched today

At this time of fresh starts, Mission Australia is asking generous people across the nation to help disadvantaged Australians find their way in 2011.

Launched on Friday 7 January, Mission Australia’s New Year Appeal aims to raise funds that will assist people experiencing tough times to find a way out of homelessness and disadvantage.

The New Year Appeal highlights how specific Mission Australia services help people strengthen family relationships, escape homelessness, and prepare youth for a successful transition into adulthood.

The profiled services include Chigwell House, which is a family accommodation and support service centre in Tasmania; Mission Australia’s innovative Nightspot service for young homeless people in south-eastern Queensland; and Youth Connections in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

To find out how you can help an Australian in need to find their way in 2011, please visit our New Year Appeal page at www.missionaustralia.com.au/new-year-appeal

Spare a thought for the “hidden homeless” this Christmas

Of the 105,000 people who are homeless every night in Australia, about a quarter are families with children.

With this statistic, staff attending last week’s Westpac Christmas party in Sydney were reminded that not everyone had safe and secure homes to return to that night.

Before the end-of-year festivities, Westpac’s Head of Stakeholder Communications Sean Glover joined Mission Australia Community Services Executive Leader Lincoln Hopper and Missionbeat Manager Daniel Petsalis on stage to provide an insight into family homelessness.

The 20-minute discussion to raise awareness about this “hidden homelessness” came a week after Westpac and Mission Australia launched a partnership to combat family homelessness.

“What makes it [family homelessness] worse is that eight out of 10 families can’t be helped and that tears the fabric of Australia apart,” Mr Hopper said. “It’s a horrible problem that we have to solve and thankfully we are starting to make inroads into that.”

Mr Hopper said a lack of affordable housing was a central cause of family homelessness, but the loss of a job, a financial setback, divorce and mental health problems contributed.

“If you don’t have a job and you’re homeless it’s awfully difficult to find another one. Your kids won’t be going to school, and it’s going to be difficult to do anything but try to search for somewhere to live. That repeated day in and day out takes people into a spiral,” he said.

“People start to rely on the family and friends network… but after a couple of months you’re going to wear out your welcome.”

Mr Petsalis recalled a homeless mother and five children who “outwore their welcome” with family a few days before Christmas 2009: “I made the trip out to pick up her and her five kids. And being a dad of four kids of similar age and knowing this Christmas these kids were not going to be spending it at home, and there was going to be 12,000 kids Santa wouldn’t find, it was sad to see…”

Fortunately, Mission Australia placed the family in accommodation before Christmas and linked them to support services. “It was just by that contact with us that we were able to start that ball rolling, because they were going to hit the streets the next day,” Mr Petsalis said.

Westpac staff were moved to tears when Leslie Butt, Mission Australia Operations Manager Adult Accommodation and Support, shared a poignant story about a young family she assisted at Fairfax House – an accommodation service in Sydney’s west for families in crisis.

“I know how heartbreaking it is to see anyone that’s homeless, but if you’ve ever experienced seeing a homeless child, a homeless family and not be touched by that… Everybody wants to have good things for their families.

For the past eight months, the family had been living in temporary housing and in their car, so they were relieved that a two-bedroom unit was available to them:

“The car had broken down and wasn’t on the road so they had to come in by train and all their belongings were in plastic bags,” Lesley recalled. “And I remember this little girl, she would probably only be about four, came up the pathway dragging her little bag and said ‘Can I stay here?’

“I said ‘Of course darling you can stay, and she was so happy. It stuck in my mind that a little four-year-old girl was asking to stay with her belongings in a rubbish bag.

You can help Mission Australia to overcome family homelessness by supporting our Christmas Appeal.

Woodside Energy volunteers work hard to provide Beds for Christmas

More than 80 generous volunteers from Woodside Energy are getting into the Christmas spirit to perform a 48-hour festive renovation rescue at Mission Australia’s Youth Accommodation and Support Service (YASS) in Perth.

YASS provides crisis accommodation to young people aged 15 to 25, as well as access to counselling, education and support services.

With Woodside Energy’s help, the six bedrooms that provide refuge for young people experiencing tough times will be transformed into modern havens for three young men and three young women, complete with new paintwork and furniture

As part of what has been called the ‘Beds for Christmas’ project, Woodside Energy volunteers will fit new lighting, floor coverings, beds, linen, desks and blinds, all selected by a professional interior decorator.

This year Mission Australia and Woodside Energy celebrate 10 years of working together to help Australians in need. Mission Australia CEO Toby Hall praised the work of Woodside Energy employees, who have raised an amazing $51,000 this year alone through their Christmas Appeal. The staff appeal is managed by Enfield Stybarrow Development Manager Daniel Medd.

“This year marks a decade since Mission Australia and Woodside Energy began working together to help Australians in need. In this time, Woodside employees have raised a staggering $300,000 and given many hours of their time in volunteer work,” Mr Hall said.

“It’s a wonderful relationship that demonstrates the great good that can be achieved in the community when corporate Australia lends its support to such a worthy cause.”

The hardworking Woodside Energy volunteers will complete the renovation this afternoon – you can read about the finished product tomorrow.

Kelly's story

Aged only four years old Kelly* was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, a behavioural condition characterised by social isolation and eccentric behaviour.

By the time she was 17 Kelly had been hospitalised for anorexia and her agoraphobia – an anxiety disorder associated with fear of public places – became worse.

Diagnosed with depression, she began to self-harm and attempted suicide three times. She then turned to alcohol and developed an addiction.

But Kelly’s life took a turn for the better when she completed an intensive 12-week program at Triple Care Farm. With professional treatment from a psychologist, Kelly began to address each of her problems.

Since completing the program in May 2010 Kelly has learnt to manage her multiple mental health issues and has conquered her reliance on alcohol.

She is taking regular medication to control her conditions and receives ongoing counselling from a mental-health service in her home town.

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Spring Appeal

Mission Australia launched the Spring Appeal in August to help raise funds for services that assist young people like Kelly who are battling mental health issues and substance abuse.

How do donations help?

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* Name and image have been changed to protect client's privacy

Help transform a troubled young life - 2010 Spring Appeal launched today

Today Mission Australia launched an appeal to raise money for young people battling severe issues such as mental health disorders and substance abuse.

An alarming 40% of young Australians aged 16 to 24 have experienced a mental health illness at some time in their lives.

This is a crisis that urgently needs to be stopped.

The appeal features Kelly's* story, a Triple Care Farm graduate who has overcome multiple mental health disorders and alcohol addiction. It is a recent example of how Mission Australia transforms young lives.

Each year Mission Australia works with 24,000 of Australia's youth, many of whom are struggling with mental illness. We not only help to identify and treat their problems, we link them to other services for further support.

Timely, specialised treatment is the key to stopping this crisis. By making a donation to this appeal, you will help fund the 93 youth services we operate that are critical to helping young people in need transform their lives.

Support young Australians today! Visit www.missionaustralia.com.au/springappeal

*Name and image have been changed to protect client's identity

Less than eight days left to help Mission Australia face the new financial year

There is less than eight days left for Mission Australia's Tax Time appeal, coinciding with the end of the 2009-2010 Financial Year.

Mission Australia is urgently seeking funds before 30th June to help us run our services at full capacity through the next financial year.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible, and can be included with your next tax claim.

Funds raised are invested in our community services, such as Fairfax House in NSW, Youth Assistance Program in VIC or D.A.Y.S. Withdrawal and Respite Centre in WA.

So don't forget to donate soon and save on your tax return!

Mission Australia launches 2010 Youth Appeal

The journey through adolescence can be challenging, but it’s even tougher when you come from a disadvantaged background.

When adolescents have to cope with financial hardship at home, strained relationships with their families or a troubled group of friends, it can be easy for them to get stuck in a destructive lifestyle.

The statistics are troubling when one in four* Australians aged 14 to 19 have used an illicit drug and nearly 44,000** young people under the age of 25 are homeless. Many young people in this situation simply do not know who to turn to for help.

We are appealing to supporters to make a donation and help us educate, support and connect young people with the pathways that will help them break free from addiction, unemployment and homelessness.

*Muir et al. (2009) State of Australia’s Young People: A Report. Australian Government.
** Chamberlain, C and MacKenzie, D (2008) Counting the Homeless 2006.

What is your 'New Year's resolution'?

The 2010 New Year Appeal asks the public to think about their New Year’s resolutions. The appeal challenges people to consider adding a worthwhile cause to their list, such as 'helping a homeless person to transform their life in 2010'.

With over 100,000 Australians without a place to call home tonight, the scale of the homelessness problem remains high despite the efforts of government and not-for-profits like Mission Australia.

Daniel Petsalis, manager of Sydney's Missionbeat service, noted recently that the number of homeless people sleeping rough in Sydney is on the rise: "The City of Sydney’s most recent count found numbers had increased by almost 13 per cent between 2008 and 2009 – from 354 to 399," said Daniel.

If you are interested in helping a homeless person this year, donations to the New Year Appeal will help support Mission Australia services like Missionbeat or Mission Australia Centre.

You can help by making a one-off donation, or choosing to donate through our regular giving program.  Alternatively you might like to consider other ways you can contribute - click here to learn more.

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Please email Emmanueld@missionaustralia.com.au for questions about the 2010 New Year Appeal

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Mission Australia thanks the community for their generosity this winter

Australia's coldest, darkest season was made a little warmer this year for many of our homeless clients, thanks to some wonderful organisations and their very generous employees.

During the winter season of 2009, Mission Australia received collections of basics including blankets, grocery items and toiletries to distribute to some of our most marginalised members of society; for these items we owe a resounding and heart-felt THANK YOU!

Something as elementary as seasonal change can pose devastating affects on homeless people's health, especially those that endure rough-sleeping. With many Mission Australia clients surviving without any other support network, these recent donations have been highly sort-after and appreciated.

Below are the very generous organisations involved in this year's Winter Appeal - many thanks to all involved:

• AMP Foundation
• Bayer
• Davis Langdon
• Deutsche Bank
• Hamilton James & Bruce
• Macquarie Bank
• Optus

Without the generous support of the community, Mission Australia wouldnt be able to help so many homeless clients each winter. Last year alone Mission Australia assisted 32,211* homeless pepople to help them transform their lives.

Click here to learn more about Mission Australia Homelessness Services.

*Mission Australia Annual Report 2007-08