Catherine House Celebrates 35 years In May, Catherine House celebrated its 35th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre with 530 guests. The largest fundraising event Catherine House has held, it was a wonderful opportunity to honour the journey of so many women who have so bravely walked through our doors throughout that time. Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas MP and Foreign A airs Minister, Penny Wong attended and gave their thanks for all the work done to support women experiencing homelessness. Hundreds of generous individuals and businesses made this night possible, through corporate sponsorship, donating items to the auction and rae, or volunteering their time and services. The Gala Dinner raised an incredible $288,000 – all of which directly supports the Catherine House Crisis Accommodation Service, which is currently facing record demand.
Sandra’s voice of experience
About Catherine House Catherine House joined the Housing Choices group in 2021, combining decades of experience transitioning women out of homelessness to a life of recovery, stability, and independence with access to a national, not-for-profit community housing provider, that could assist with long-term housing. Sandra is one of the women who has benefited from this merger. Following a stay at Catherine House, Sandra was able to secure a stable, long-term home through Housing Choices.
Housing Choices resident Sandra lives with her cat Savannah in a cheerfully decorated apartment overlooking the Adelaide CBD.
Sandra experienced homelessness and was supported by crisis accommodation service Catherine House. “I count my blessings that I was accepted into Catherine House. The support and guidance o ered at a very vulnerable time was immensely appreciated. I made some dear friends whilst with them and felt supported in everything I needed and wanted to achieve,” Sandra said. Sandra then found her ‘forever home’ with Housing Choices, a brand-new apartment close to all the things she holds dear – including her son, grandchildren and the close-knit community she has built through her connections to both Housing Choices and Catherine House. Sandra is now giving back in a unique way – having spent the past six months drawing on her lived experience of homelessness as a member of the South Australian Government’s Housing Security for Older Women Taskforce.
Sandra is part of a diverse group of women with lived experience, expertise, networks and community to create meaningful change. They are using their own personal insights with homelessness to co-design an action plan and innovative recommendations to address this concerning issue. Final recommendations are expected to be completed in the next few months. “We all have the same goal in mind and that’s getting to the crux of the issues that aren’t working,” she said. “I’ve seen so much progress in our Taskforce meetings. It’s exhilarating to know we can actually make a difference.”
Federal Foreign A airs Minister, Penny Wong
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Annual Report 2022-23
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