Creating inclusive communities
Fundraising success and collaborations at Catherine House October 2021 saw the establishment of a new partnership with the Department of Correctional Services and Catherine House, to deliver four supported housing places in a newly developed program supporting women exiting the prison system with great success in its pilot year. The Catherine House Art Exhibition hosted by Eastwood Community Centre was truly a highlight. Showcasing the art of women involved in the Catherine House Art Bus program, the exhibition provided a space for women to share their art, share their stories and give voice to the power and restorative potential of art. Again, it is in the words of one of the 376 women assisted across our programs at Catherine House in the last year that speaks to the deep impact of the service to the individuals it supports. “I thought coming to Catherine House would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me, but I now know, it was the best thing.” In early 2022, partial four-year funding for Catherine House was restored by the newly elected South Australian Government. While the funding represents approximately half of what was lost, it does go a long way towards stabilising the services we provide to women in crisis who need the support and accommodation provided by our team at Catherine House. The commitment came on the back of the most successful fundraising year ever for Catherine House. The $2 million raised, including $245,000 at the annual fundraising dinner continues to cover the operational funding shortfall and ensures other programs can also be maintained in the coming year. We simply could not do this work without the support of our donors and community fundraising partners. As we head to the 35th Anniversary of Catherine House in 2023, we hope to maintain the continued support of the South Australian community and look forward to the next 35 years.
A nest of his own
When Housing Choices South Australia resident Kevin was allocated his Mellor Street property in Adelaide last year, he set to work helping at Housing Choices SA’s Common Ground Community Garden. “The Garden is in the old Franklin St bus shelter. We have a bunch of volunteers from Housing Choices and the local community who go every Friday to work on it and grow plants and all sorts,” he said. Kevin’s green thumb has helped transform the local green area into a thriving garden, attracting the attention of passers-by. “The Garden is an inspirational space, and Kevin has fitted right in here,” said Housing Choices SA Inclusive Communities Team Leader Mark Kruszynski. The 50-year-old resident also helps care for the chickens who call the garden home. “I clean out their pen. It gets a bit untidy,” Kevin said. “One of the chooks, Ghost, is the friendliest. She lets you hold her, and she’ll sit on your lap.” Before Kevin found stable, affordable accommodation with Housing Choices SA he was sleeping rough. “I came back (to Adelaide) last year from Sydney and was homeless for about a month. I got into some accommodation through the men’s shelter and then I got onto Housing Choices. I filled out all my application forms and got a property,” he said. “I’ve been with Housing Choices for nine months and it’s fantastic. There are no words to describe it – I’m just overwhelmed.”
The SA Inclusive Communities Strategy sets out a plan for working collaboratively with local government, business and non-government organisations and resident focus groups to deliver a diverse program of activities and events and opportunities. Resident engagement and participation continue to grow with over 270 activities and more than 3,440 face-to-face activity attendances in the year. Major community events included an annual end of year resident celebration, a Children’s Christmas Party, Reconciliation Week activities, Men’s Health Breakfast, COVID and Flu Vaccination Clinics, and Neighbour Day. A collaboration with the Office of Ageing Well helped to secure funding to commence the creation of a new Mellor Street Community Space. The project will be delivered under the mentorship of The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI). Following the inclusion of Catherine House into South Australian operations in 2021, a focus throughout the year was to bring teams together into a combined operational structure. There are now 78 staff (61.47 FTE) working across ten teams in South Australia with almost half engaged in delivering support services and programs for residents. The start of 2022 brought with it preparations for scheduled triennial Australian Service Excellence Standards (ASES) accreditation for support services. This accreditation brought services and operations before independent external assessment. In the latest accreditation, it was pleasing to see delivery of supportive housing practice and client centred services not only achieve accreditation, but that the strength of our collective mission, aligned values, and a strong and harmonious operational culture was acknowledged in the process.
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2021-22 annual report
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