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.

Sleeping out for equality

For Adelaide’s Juliette Warnes, the opportunity to transform the lives of homeless Australians motivated her to brave a night out in the cold as part of Mission Australia’s Winter Sleepout. This is Juliette’s account of the experience.

I decided to participate in the Winter Sleepout as an individual fundraiser before asking a couple of friends to join to me. Pretty soon we had a team of about 25 young people in our fundraising group, ‘Team Radelaide’.

We began our Sleepout at around 6pm and shared soup for dinner. We had some time to chat and get to know each other while we started a small campfire to keep warm. Some of us brought along boxes and tarps to use as a basic shelter in case it rained. We spent the night talking, laughing, sharing stories and had a couple of sing-alongs.

Importantly, we set aside some time throughout the night and in the morning to reflect on what homelessness is and how we could best support people who are experiencing it.

A big highlight of the Winter Sleepout was seeing the young people involved begin to comprehend what homelessness is. A person sleeping from couch to couch is homeless, just as a person sleeping on the streets is.

I learned that we can never truly understand what it’s like to be homeless. We can go home to our comfy beds, with our supportive families who put food on the table, who ask us how our day was and offer us the emotional and mental support we need. But it is very hard for us to really grasp the reality of life for a person who is homeless.

I think the challenge of doing Winter Sleepout is keeping young people engaged in the learning experience after the event. It is easy for us to do a one night challenge, but to keep enough momentum to take action after the event is much harder.

I chose to support the people who Mission Australia helps through the Winter Sleepout because I believe in what the organisation is about. I believe in Mission Australia’s commitment to seeing equality and dignity restored to those in need.

Winter Sleepout is a Mission Australia event to raise funds and awareness of homelessness in Australia.

To find out more about Winter Sleepout and register a team visit www.wintersleepout.com.au

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

Creative Youth Initiatives fundraise over $2,000 in overnight Winter Sleepout

Sydney's Creative Youth Initiatives (CYI) team are back at work and reflecting on their 15-hour Winter Sleepout late last week.

Since the first Winter Sleepout in 1988, thousands of people have registered to give up their warm beds in the height of winter for one night to fundraise for homeless services.

This year the CYI team decided to arrange their own overnight sleepout at their Surry Hills workshop - with enough fun and games for the team to (mostly) make it through the night without a wink of sleep.

The Creative Youth Initiatives' art and music studio, with access to piano, guitars, electric drums, and facilities for painting, was ideal for the team to remain preoccupied while staving off the slumber.  View photos from the night here.

Games, drinks and food were organised through the night, while an office was turned into a 'chill out' zone where the team could retreat for some well-deserved down-time.

The team managed a tremendous effort, with almost $2,200 funds raised, granting them pole position in Winter Sleepout's leader board of group fundraisers.

At the ground level, CYI provides free creative programs for young people aged 16 - 25 who are facing varied challenges in their lives, such as homelessness, mental health issues or family breakdown, and have been reflecting on their Winter Sleepout experience.

Team member Melissa Fenyo said "Winter Sleepout is there to raise awareness of what it must be like to be homeless...but there is nothing trivial about not having a home."

"For many being homeless means sleeping on the streets, in parks or bus shelters - exposed to the elements.

"Many young people who are homeless would be couch surfing, never quite sure how long it will take before they outstay their welcome.

"Then there are the homeless who are in boarding housing or caravan parks with no lease to give them long term security and not knowing when they might get booted out. No ongoing stability and security can exarcebate any mental health issues and make life even tougher.

"The CYI winter sleepout was an opportunity for staff to appreciate their work place, their homes, raise awareness in the general community and also to develop a greater understanding and deeper empathy for many homeless young people who access their services. Lack of sleep made life the next day very difficult.. whatever goes up must come down.

"Being homeless would often mean not having a good nights sleep, making it hard to stay focused and motivated. The Winter Sleep out is a fantastic Mission Australia initiative and one which CYI will continue to be involved with.

"CYI staff would like to thank everyone who donated to our winter sleepout. We are proud to say we have raised $2,195 and are still open to take donations until the end of August."

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View the photo album from the event at the link below.  Updates were provided througout the night by the team on Twitter and Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/MissionAust?v=photos&ref=sgm#!/album.php?aid=247652&id=17311508507

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Sydney youth service to host Winter Sleepout - with a creative edge

Mission Australia's Creative Youth Initiatives (CYI) team are getting prepared for their inaugural 'Art-and-Music-athon', a 15-hour creative drive hosted at their headquarters in Sydney's Surry Hills.

The event is set to kick off at 6pm, Thursday 22nd July, to run through the night to 9am the following day.

CYI's creative team will perform at the event and are each fundraising through CYI's Everyday Hero page to help achieve the fundraising target of $4000.  Supporters contribute to the event by making a donation to individual team members.

The 'Art-and-Music-athon' is a fundraiser for the Winter Sleepout appeal, which in turn strengthens ground-level services such as CYI, or neighbouring services Mission Australia Centre or Missionbeat.

CYI Service Manager, Irene Drivilas, is getting excited about hosting the new event in the wake of the successful album launch of Still Spinning.

"The night will be a buzz of creative inspiration as participants add their expressive flavour and style to musical and artistic activities, games, teasers, energisers and dares; all under the direction of the dynamic CYI team."

With the challenge run overnight, participants will be aided by regular breaks, ‘Down Time' rooms, and food & beverages.

Check out the event site for details, all are welcome!  www.everydayhero.com.au/creative_youth_initiatives 

Back by popular demand - Mission Australia's Winter Sleepout

Mission Australia Winter Sleepout 2010:  2-8 August

Australians have been supporting the Mission Australia Winter Sleepout for over 20 years.

Ever since our first Winter Sleepout in 1988, thousands of people across the nation have shown support for homeless Australians by giving up their own warm beds in the height of winter to raise funds for homeless services.

The Winter Sleepout has proven to be an easy, interactive and fun way to raise awareness and much needed funds to support Mission Australia’s homeless services.

While there will be no ‘public event’ this year, we are encouraging Australians to get a group together and organise their own individual sleepout and be rewarded with sponsorship from family and friends.


While we are encouraging sleepouts to take place during National Homeless Persons Week, August 2nd - 8th, participants may choose to sleepout at any time during winter.

Why not get a group of co-workers, family and friends together and sleep-out in your office or back yard?

There are 105,000* homeless Australians who could do with your support, so call (07) 3394 8136 or email PerovicP@missionaustralia.com.au to order your ‘Winter Sleepout Toolkit’ or check out our website at www.wintersleepout.com.au and start organising your own sleepout today!

*ABS 2008. Counting the Homeless, 2006. Australian Census Analytic Program. 

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