“I was having a very hard time finding a place to live. I was desperate, going from one end of Melbourne to the other. Not finding anything suitable,” Lisa recalled. That’s when she found a Wintringham flyer through a community centre, a specialised welfare company that provides housing and care to elderly, frail men and women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Wintringham helped Lisa find her Housing Choices unit. “What I like about Housing Choices is when something goes wrong, they come and fix it.” Now living as a Housing Choices resident for over a decade, Lisa has created her own paradise within her urban apartment. The walls of Lisa’s unit are filled with images of African scenery, clippings of articles she has written, and photographs from her African adventure and beyond.
Dozens of red folders are lined neatly on a shelf where Lisa has documented her travels and musings. She channels her creativity through a variety of mediums. Sitting boldly in her living room are two majestic model sailboats she handmade from recycled materials. Lisa’s next project is a glass mosaic peacock made from coloured glass, which she has foraged from op-shops. “I was so disorientated after coming back to Melbourne, that I needed something to relate to, something to ground me. I’ve created my world, it makes me feel good.” When asked what Lisa wants residents to know about her, she decisively said “travel is the best educator. That’s sincere.”
I was so disorientated after coming back to Melbourne, that I needed something to relate to, something to ground me. I’ve created my world, it makes me feel good.
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2021-22 annual report
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