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Life with Lily
I love the diversity of people who live here
– especially the mums with kids.
Lily’s Adelaide CBD unit is as perfectly manicured and orderly as you might expect from an ex-schoolteacher. Dotted with knickknacks from world travels, memories of loved ones lost and an impressive collection of very healthy plants (Lily is a previous ‘Best Garden winner), this unit is clearly more than a house – it’s a home. However, it wasn’t always this way. “When I arrived at Common Ground, I was recovering. I had been in a mental institution with health issues and spent time at Catherine House – an organisation I still support now, in my own way,” said Lily. Common Ground’s case coordinator services, as well as the safety and security of the unit were integral to Lily getting to the place she is today – planning overseas trips and living a full life. “I had a case coordinator for seven or eight years. I was at a stage where I would only share what I was going through with them.” “I think people might not realise how much you can bond with a case coordinator. You can drop your façade with them and find ways of tackling something together.”
As a self-confessed people-person, Lily initially threw herself into every activity the Inclusive Communities team had to offer, however has now built her own community and hobbies. “It’s not like living in a street where you don’t know anyone – I love the diversity of people who live here – especially the mums with kids. You know people are here because they have been through something stressful, or are just starting out, but I really enjoy the diverse range of people around me and getting to know the people on my floor.” While Lily is happy call her unit her forever home, she recognises that for some it is more like a stepping stone in their life. “I see how it can be a transient place - kind of like a bus terminal - where people are passing through but friendly while waiting. While I’m happy here, I’m also so pleased that people who come here move on or move up and step on from here.”
“That’s why Common Ground, as part of Housing Choices SA, is so important.”
COMMON GROUND IMPACT REPORT 22/23
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