What Malcolm Turnbull didn't tell the homeless man who didn't want more information - just affordable housing

The Federal Government cutting homelessness funding? Charles Dickens' Scrooge is alive and well this Christmas

This sounds like a task for Ballarat Interfaith Network and Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council and Anglicare...
Posted by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh on Sunday, 27 December 2015

Tuesday 29 December 2015.

Father Constantine has replied this morning:

Constantine Osuchukwu Samuel Johnson once said that "the true test of any civilization is how it treats those on the margins." By cutting the funding for the homeless we are really showing what kind of civilization we are building -one that looks after and protects the rich, powerful and influential and ignores or doesn't take very seriously the plight of the 'least among us'. We should be cutting spending on the billions we spend on incarcerating refugees by closing detention centres and use the money on helping our homeless people tackle the issues that lead them to homelessness, like addictions, domestic violence, mental illness, etc. What can I do? May I help? I agree with Brigid that we ought to do something about this FG spending cut for homelessness advocacy.

How people have found a way to help #2

Make your own Homeless Gift Packs to give away. Keep a couple in the car for when you see someone in need!Food...

Posted by Kay Green's Korner on Sunday, 4 October 2015

How people have found a way to help #1 ....

I saw this gentleman in Safeway on 29th tonight. People looked horrified as he walked around the store wearing a blanket...

Posted by Giving Back Packs on Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Can homeless people be trusted? Who are the homeless? Have they brought about their own downfall?

Homelessness - the need for new ideas to solving the problems of those in need

Great idea!
Posted by Pop Up Shop For The Homeless and Those in Need Ballarat - Clothes on Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Notes from a crisis : comments from the Community Forum on Homelessness in #Ballarat

Cross-posted from Beside The Creek
The blog of the Ballarat Interfaith Network.

The above PowerPoint presentation

has been gathered and edited  from 

the feedback of participants at the Forum.

Not only can it be viewd on line -

it can be downloaded and screened.

Please give it wide coverage in your groups and associations/

Please encourage people to attend the next Forum on 9 October.

Details to be announced

On 21 August 2015, approximately 80 people gathered at the Eastwood Leisure Centre in Ballarat for a Forum on Homelessness. The place was packed. The place was lively. 

People working in organisations related to Homelessness were present. Some of these gave presentations of their work. Most of these were in government funded organisations but there were some present who received no government funding whatsoever and relied wholly on community support to fund their activities.  Prominent among the latter was The Soup Bus - a well known #Ballarat institution.  

A favourite of many people was Josh Wilkins, the founder of One Voice.  One Voice operates without government funding and provides free, clean shower facilities for homeless people.  Keep watch because there may be a #Ballarat version pop up thanks to the energies of local people.  A bus has already been given for the purpose but there is much more to be done before bus and showers can hit the road. Josh said that his ambition is to become like the community of Sant'Egidio in Italy who started small but now have moved on to providing health care and facilities.  

There were people from the general community who were concerned about Homelessness and who were seeking solutions to this grave problem. The forum was co-sponsored by Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council and Ballarat Interfaith Network. Many thanks to Father Constantine Osuchukwu (Treasurer, B.I.N. and Interfaith Officer, BRMC) and Margaret Lenan Ellis (Public Relations Officer, B.I.N.) who were at the forefront of organising the Forum and a special thanks for the great job that Father Constantine did in chairing proceedings.

If you attended, the Homelessness Forum or if you were prevented from attending, another gathering will be held on 9 October. Stay tuned for further details.

WA Government using sprinklers to force the homeless to move away from the Arts Centre

From Common Grace:
 
“How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore those homeless on Monday.”

–Common Grace supporter, ShaneClaiborne

It’s not just Jesus who had nowhere to lay his head. 

This week in Perth, 

people sleeping rough were “hosed down like animals”.

Dear Friend,

I (Tim) have had the confronting blessing of working with people who are sleeping rough on our streets. That’s why this news broke my heart: The WA Department of Culture and Arts (DCA) installed a water sprinkling system at Perth's King Street Arts Centre — for the explicit purpose of wetting people sleeping rough, and forcing them to seek shelter elsewhere.¹

I know firsthand that those affected often carry all their world's possessions with them, will have nowhere to go to dry off, and no prospect of a hot shower in winter. Those who end up on the streets are some of society’s most vulnerable; people fleeing domestic violence, those suffering from mental illness or sexual abuse, and war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, are just some of the people sleeping rough in our nation tonight.

Add your voice to Tim’s in calling for the ‘homeless sprinklers’ to be removed and for a compassionate response to those who are homeless.

We welcome news that Mr Ord has agreed to turn off the taps. However we believe that the decent and dignified treatment of people means that they must be removed. We call on the WA government to remove the sprinkler to show their commitment to resolving the core problems that lead to homelessness.

1 in 200 Australians are homeless, and a quarter of these are under the age of 18. Those sleeping rough are statistically at far higher risk of physical assault, sexual abuse and deprivation. Funding for homeless shelters is inadequate, and thousands are turned away every night. These people often have nowhere else to go.

Jesus is found amongst those society considers the "least of these" and asks us to stand with them. 

Let's send this message of dignity and value around Australia.

That’s why I’m thankful for Common Grace. In 24 hours we’ve got over 1,000 signatures. Imagine what could happen if we all got behind this?

Join Tim in signing the petition for the ‘homeless sprinklers’ 

to be removed and new compassionate approach to be taken.

Thanks for putting love in action,
Tim on behalf of the Common Grace Team

References
[1] "WA's Department of Culture and Arts under fire for 'turning hoses' on homeless", Brisbane Times, 8 July 2015
[2] "Sprinkler used by WA government department to drive homeless away turned off", 9 News, 8 July, 2015

Common Grace
http://www.commongrace.org.au/ -=-=- Common Grace · Australia  

Getting it right at Sydney's Wayside Chapel

From here

 

Dear Inner Circle,

Dame Marie Bashir was in our lift yesterday and I saw her put her arms around an aboriginal woman. She said, “Every time I see an aboriginal sister, I just want to say, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Dame Marie was here for our celebrations to mark NAIDOC Week. There were few happier places on earth than Wayside yesterday. We were able to peer into a future Australia that will enter into it’s own maturity because it knows that to love the land means to love the people of the land.

A homeless woman rushed through our front door the other day to say that someone had set fire to another homeless person’s mattress. There is a mattress set up near the theatre right behind us. We were about to rush to the fire and the lady said, “Don’t rush, I put the fire out.” She went on to explain that she’d poured all of her wine over the fire. I’m not sure if she was expecting we’d replace her supply of plonk or perhaps nominate her for an Order of Australia.

A man with quite a sad face approached me this morning. I don’t think we’ve spoken before although I recognised him as someone who appears here from time to time. “I miss Gary” he said. “Gosh, so do I” I replied. It’s been over a year since Gary, one of our much-loved visitors had a massive stroke on the footpath and died. He spoke for a while about how Gary taught him what friendship was. When he was first homeless and sleeping in a park, if Gary had a sandwich, he’d share half with his mate. Gary would choose to sleep in the more exposed spot, offering his mate some sense of protection from danger. He gave me half a dozen examples of the wisdom of Gary. Many of you would have heard me tell a story of a shabby bloke who confronted me one day when I was in a hurry to leave. It was some months after my son had died and I was coping even if I was flying on auto pilot. Gary blocked my way in the front door and I couldn’t get past this shabby man with the goofy look on his face. Eventually he put his arms around me and kissed my cheek and whispered, “That was from your son”. That was Gary and we became close friends and I miss him too.

Another homeless fellow told me that he’d like to buy a farm and help people get off drugs. “I’ve got a couple of million in the bank but it wouldn’t be enough for a farm,” he said. My first reaction was to point out that if he had a million dollars, he could probably afford some warm clothes and a roof over his head. I was quickly reminded of a job I had in ancient times in a boys reformatory. Every little kid had a story of rich parents or a rich uncle whose wealth was beyond calculation. Every little boy had a story about how their rich relative would appear one day soon and all would be revealed. Likewise it’s not uncommon for homeless people to tell me that they’ve got a winning lottery ticket or that they are due to inherit riches. I suspect there is a longing in all of us that intuits worth for which there is no evidence. I suspect it is not an unhealthy response but rather a crude and clumsy attempt to reach for the worth that is given by virtue of being alive and part of society.

Dame Marie said while we were lining up for food yesterday, “I reckon Jesus must peer down from heaven, look at Wayside and say, ‘Thank goodness someone is getting it right.’” It is any wonder that we love that woman so much? Full honour to Monique, Will, Ma’Ata and Annelise in our Aboriginal Project, our volunteers and everyone else who made our NAIDOC Week such a fabulous success.

Thanks for being part of our inner circle,

Graham

Rev Graham Long AM

Pastor and CEO

The Wayside Chapel

Kings Cross

http://www.revgrahamlong.com/

http://www.thewaysidechapel.com/

Silencing community voices ...#ACOSS comments as does Kon from #ASRC

The Australian Council of Social Service today expressed deep concern at extensive funding cuts to community sector organisations  including policy and advocacy work. ACOSS believes this will severely weaken the Federal Government’s ability to engage with the community on important reforms that lie ahead.

“Cutting support for vital community expertise and voices is a major mistake. Community voices play a crucial role in providing on-the-ground advice and an important link connecting communities with government decision-making processes,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

To read more please go to the ACOSS website 
and then there is this from Kon of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
which is related to this

The Commonwealth will only continue to fund agreements that it has a legislated duty to fund, such as the National Affordable Housing Agreement with the states under the Council of Australian Governments process.

 

Bookmark this Abbott Gov saying will only fund NFP areas that it has legislated duty to fund. WOAH! Think about that. #ThanksTony #auspol
— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) December 23, 2014

Christmas Reflection #2: hospitality alive in Australian hearts

Clearly, some people do Christmas better than others -

like those demonstrating Christmas kindness and good cheer

in the pages of #Ballarat's The Courier.

Picture above from here