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Articles of Salvos support to people in need

The information below is about the assistance given by Box Hill Salvation Army in 2019/2020.

This content can be used in the Red Shield Appeal campaign in 2020

Additional Red shield resources can be found at https://my.salvos.org.au/red-shield-appeal/

Updated 21 May 2020. For more information about this document contact Rendle Williams.

Update - HELP US HOUSE THE HOMELESS - Melbourne

HELP US HOUSE THE HOMELESS

Your 2020 Red Shield Appeal donation will help raise much needed funds to provide long term housing for Melbourne's most vulnerable.

Together with Project 614, The Collingwood Football Club Foundation is responsible for providing housing for 150 people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. There is urgent need for the program to be expanded as the crippling economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increases numbers of people at risk of homelessness, and to transition those accommodated in temporary housing.

An independent report from Deakin University has found that quality of life of participants in the Magpie Nest Housing program “had improved dramatically as a result of their joining” and that Magpie Nest was delivering an economic benefit to the community of $4 million per annum.

A partnership with Project 614, the Magpie Nest Housing Program has secured 50 houses from the private rental market, providing stable and affordable accommodation embedded in local communities.

Magpie Nest aims to make a genuine difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage by providing a network of support services and safe, affordable accommodation. Tenants are involved in volunteering in other programs at Project 614 and are connected with a range of supports that enable residents to access free legal assistance, education, training, employment, health services and, where necessary, drug and alcohol treatment programs. Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said, “We are tremendously proud to support the Salvation Army Project 614 Team to deliver the Magpie Nest Program. Collingwood has a long and proud history of helping vulnerable people in our society.

We seek a major role of social responsibility in our community and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Salvo’s to help people who experience disadvantage, homelessness and isolation.

The entire club is behind the Magpie Nest Café and programs and we look forward to growing the program and supporting the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Magpie Nest also receives generous support from Coles, the Major Community Partner of the Collingwood Football Club and the Major Partner of Magpie Nest.

“We are tremendously proud to support the Salvation Army Project 614 Team to deliver the Magpie Nest Program.” – Eddie McGuire, Collingwood President.

Update - Homelessness Assistance in Box Hill

Homelessness Assistance at Box Hill Salvos

Why we need you: A 60+year old male (KB) presented to Box Hill Doorways recently asking for assistance, as he was on his last few hundred dollars. He was living out of his car, with no income. He was previously living with mother as her carer - she passed away several years ago, hence his carer payments stopped. Her house was sold and proceeds divided amongst the family. KB’s share was not enough to purchase property, so he lived “itinerant” until he presented recently with only a few hundred $ left. Box Hill Salvos were able to provide the following support:

• We immediately assisted him with food and fuel for his car until temporary accommodation was sourced (a matter of days, through Salvo Care Eastern)

• We paid for KB to apply and get an urgent copy of his birth certificate, which then enabled him to make application to Centrelink for regular income.

• KB has now shifted into permanent accommodation in the inner eastern suburbs.

Financial Assistance at Box Hill Salvos

A 50+ female (CS) approached Box Hill Doorways for immediate financial assistance. CS’s partner passed away a few years ago, and her partner’s employment plus her part-time work meant that they could cope financially. This is now not the case. CS has approached us for assistance towards rent on four occasions (twice unsuccessfully because we did not have funds available). CS has had a number of short-term jobs in recent months, but none have turned into ongoing employment. She is currently applied for the Jobseeker payment, which takes some time to access after a period of employment.

Box Hill Salvos were able to provide the following support: So that she can contact potential employers, we paid her outstanding telephone account of more than $400. Assist with food on a regular basis, and sometimes food cards (as they are available).

That’s why we need you. That’s why we need your help with the 2020 Red Shield Appeal, which is happening online because of Covid19. You can help us help others when life has not been kind, fair or safe.

Assistance for Man living out of his car at Box Hill

A 50+ male (AK) presented to Box Hill Doorways for financial assistance. AK is living in his car. AK has a pet, which he is unwilling to relinquish, making most permanent accommodation options difficult to secure. Because of his homelessness it is expensive to provide meals for himself. The Police have advised him that the vehicle is still required to be registered otherwise it will be impounded.

Box Hill Salvos were able to provide the following support: We paid for a period of car registration for him, but have had to decline a second period due to lack of funds. A hamper of food has been provided.

Assistance for family doing it tough at Box Hill

A 50+ male, with a spouse and 2 children presented in financial crisis. Both adults in this family work within the “arts” community, where permanent employment is more difficult to obtain. While they are generally self-sufficient and resilient, this has changed recently with a diagnosis of a severe life-threatening health condition for one of the parents.

Box Hill Salvos were able to provide the following support: Education expenses for the children at school. To allow the family keep in touch with medical support, we have ensured that telco assistance has been made. A Hamper of food has been provided to the family.

Support for the InfoGuy of Melbourne

Matte was living a street-type lifestyle and was basically self-sufficient. He squatted in several places in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and came to the Box Hill Salvos looking for someone to talk to. The Salvos were happy to be his companion.

Matte has a gentle charm about him, with an incredible memory. He has represented Australia in Scrabble. Over the last 10 years several Salvo personnel have been able to help him in the various issues he has had to deal with. With the Salvos assistance, Matte was able to start and complete a Linguistics degree from Latrobe University.

Using his memory skills, and charm, and his have-a-go spirit, Matte started a tips-based business called the InfoGuy; assisting people navigate the city at night. ‘I have been telling people where to go since 2008’ he quips. Matte is well known as the InfoGuy of Melbourne.

The Box Hill Salvos have recently had the privilege to support Matte in his successful application to have InfoGuy work out of one of the available CBD street cylinders in Melbourne. The Covid-19 restrictions across Victoria have stopped his business completely. Matte is still doing life his way, and with the support of the Box Hill Salvos, as well as other good supporters across Melbourne, he is making for himself a better and more stable life. Due to the pandemic Matte recently needed some practical assistance as well as support. Box Hill Salvos have recently been able to assist him again.

Workplace Experience at Café Salvo, Box Hill in 2019/20

Café Salvo, run by The Salvation Army in Nelson Road, Box Hill, has engaged with different disability organisations to provide support and practical experience to those in our community living with a disability. What started with 1 or 2 volunteers has grown over the last 18 months with Café Salvo supporting special needs volunteers on almost everyday of the week.

Box Hill Salvos have been able to provide practical placement for Box Hill Institute TAFE students studying to complete their Certificate II in Work Education. The Café has provided a space for these special needs students to practise and develop their skills in the following areas:

Communication - participating in an interview, asking questions to clarify instructions, engaging with customers and staff, participate in discussions about work performance, and developing a timetable of work tasks to participate in.

Self-Management - Coordinating independent travel to and from the Café, self monitoring appropriate workplace behaviour, attention to personal grooming and managing time to complete tasks

Work Skills – Each student rotates through different areas in the Café, front counter, kitchen and barista station to experience all aspects of Café work

“Our aim is to provide a nurturing environment to encourage self-confidence, participation, sense of belonging and practical skills that can be applied to other work places.” said Jenny Messenger, the Café Salvo Manager. “The terrific experience and the support given to our students whilst at Café Salvo, has been excellent. Thank God for the Salvos.” said Andrew, the students’ TAFE supervisor.

Other volunteers have been placed in Café Salvo for long-term work experience through Disability services such as Alkira, as well as other people looking for hospitality work experience.

That’s why we need you. The monies raised by the Red Shield Appeal in Box Hill will continue to assist people looking for hospitality work experience and support.

Cafe Salvo

614: Georgia & Kids are safe now

Why we need you!

Georgia* came in to see us at the Melbourne Project 614 Marketplace. She had four hungry kids, a broken pram and no idea how she was going to get through the week.

Before we met her, Georgia had secured emergency accommodation for herself and her kids. Her partner, abusive and controlling, was a threat to the wellbeing of her and her children.

Finding a safe space for the kids to play, we spoke to Georgia about how we could help. She left us with several parcels of food, some toiletries, a few toys, books and some kids’ clothing. And, encouragingly, a broad smile on her face.

The aftermath of selfishness, cruelty and substance abuse leaves Georgia and her children in a vulnerable, precarious situation. We were able to help a bit, and she has qualified people helping her through her transition to a secure environment; but Georgia and the kids have a long journey ahead of them.

*Georgia’s name and some details of her story have been changed for her protection.

Keeping the doors of the Salvos open in Melbourne during COVID-19

“No deaths, no sicknesses at 614.” That was the goal for the Salvos at Melbourne’s 69 Bourke Street when the world changed and COVID-19 became a byword for loneliness, fear and stress.

Through social distancing, rigorous hygiene and use of masks, the Salvos have kept on keeping on. While three of the Salvos’ clients have taken ill and been tested for COVID-19, thankfully there have been no positive tests for the Coronavirus.

As I write, on 22 April, 74 Australians have died of covid19; there are 6647 cases in Australia and more than 2.5 million cases of infection globally. Things could have been, and could still be, so much worse in this country.

The Salvation Army’s Melbourne 614 was deemed an essential service, in consultation with the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government. The Salvos’ doors stayed open, and their staff stayed on deck, helping people, when so many other doors were closed and other workforces were directed to work from home.

In addition to continuing to care for the 140 people living in Magpie Nest accommodation, reaching out to make sure their physical, social and health needs were met, the Salvos moved 216 homeless people into accommodation in hotels and motels across the city and outlying suburbs such as Lilydale and Dandenong.

This was unprecedented.

Some people have slept rough for 30 years. For some of them, a pandemic is not going to move them. Nor would an earthquake or a flood.

Salvos staff do after-midnight outreach with members of the Victoria Police, walking the streets of Melbourne’s CBD to ensure rough sleepers are okay. All the while, from 100-125 meals a day are being served out the windows of the 614 cafe, morning, noon and night. More than 1,260 meals are also being distributed to the homeless people in those hotels and motels, and hundreds of food parcels are being given out each week.

Think about that - more than 1,000 meals per week have been cooked, delivered and eaten; stemming from Parliament House’s three industrial kitchens on Spring Street, and eaten at the Salvos in Westwood Place or delivered across Melbourne by Salvation Army staff.

These actions have made a difference, in keeping people safe and helping to reduce the possible rate of infection. They have kept people fed and housed.

As Ross Gittins had written for the Sydney Morning Herald, “if you leave the poor – the unemployed, the casual workers, the sick and the homeless – feeling ignored and excluded, you rob them of both the motivation and the financial and physical ability to play their part in not spreading the virus to others. If you’re not caring, they become the weak link in your efforts to lower the infection rate.”

That has not happened, thank God.

Many of the people who had been sleeping rough and then placed in accommodation were particularly at risk of contracting COVID-19, with vulnerable immune systems and pre-existing respiratory and other health issues that placed them in harm’s way if they’d stayed on the streets as winter kicked in.

Those who chose to stay on the street or who came in to see friends and Salvos staff – a figure ranging from dozens to scores of people, depending on the day – are receiving medical care and support from St Vincent’s Hospital nursing staff who are embedded with the Salvos.

Spatial distancing is a difficult thing to get used to – the use of masks seemed alienating early on. The trust and connection between staff and clients meant distance was respected.

Melbourne 614 wants to thank its partners who have helped them help others. As mentioned, the kitchens of Victoria’ s Parliament have been working constantly, providing soups, meals, cakes, and fruit salads to homeless people. Nine tonnes of fresh food were donated by Crown, and Collingwood Football Club helped to store that food and the meals that were subsequently cooked from it. Crown also donated toilet paper and hand sanitiser.

Australia Post provided 2,000 facemasks.

Coles provided 2,000 meals to other supplies to the people living in Magpie Nest houses.

We’ll leave the last word to Bernie, a regular at Melbourne 614.

Bernie asked Major Brendan Nottle where the food had come from, and Brendan explained the help the Parliament was providing.

“Those guys cook for kings and queens, now they’re cooking for us?

“This is better than MasterChef!”

From The Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614, May 2020

Short Articles of people assisted from Salvation Army services

Homelessness Case Story

Discharged from the military and unable to find work Archie* became homeless.
"I was living real rough," he says. "I slept on the concrete. I wouldn't eat. It would get really cold!"

Archie was referred to The Salvation Army's Veteran Support Program where he was offered secure housing and ongoing support.

* Name changed to protect privacy

Poverty Case Story

When serious health issues became costly, Myrna and her husband struggled to make ends meet. Then a knock on the door changed everything – it was a Red Shield Collector.

"I said, 'It's me who needs help!'" Myrna recalls.

Helping with food, bills, financial counselling and emotional support, the Salvos were there when they needed it most.

Family and domestic violence Case Story

In hospital again, covered in cuts and bruises, Sarah* barely survived the latest vicious attack by her partner.

After being discharged, Sarah went straight to The Salvation Army Family and Domestic Violence accommodation service.

"I was frightened," she says. "But when I got there, for the first time, I felt safe."

* Name changed to protect privacy

Thank you for giving hope where it's needed most

Day in, day out, the Salvos are here for those in need. You can help keep our essential services running.

Your donation will help people who are struggling with homelessness, addiction, disadvantage or family crisis. Your support will help them find independence, hope and a way out of their situation.

COVID-19 Response by the Salvos

While the country adjusts to isolation, shortages of basic necessities, shutdowns, job losses and a struggling economy, The Salvation Army is needed now more than ever. Social and economic difficulties are being made worse in this crisis. It is so important to make sure that the harmful impacts of what is happening do not leave those experiencing hardship or injustice even more isolated.

The Salvation Army will continue to provide practical, emotional and spiritual support to all Australians, without discrimination, over the coming weeks and months. We will do this by reinventing and re-imagining the way we deliver our vital services in these uncertain times.

The constraints put in place to contain COVID-19 may have changed some of the methods of delivering services but not the mission. Across the country Salvation Army workers continue to reach out to the community and support the most vulnerable.

Major Brian Saunders, and his team at Nelson Road, Box Hill Salvation Army have been delivering essential supplies to vulnerable older people in the community. At this time, we have really minimised our community connections but we have a list of people who are really struggling. We are shopping for them as well as dropping off food and essential items to them and keeping in touch from a distance.

Big Issues addressed by the Salvation Army

Family Violence

The Salvation Army provides a wide range of services around the country to support women and women with children impacted by family and domestic violence. We understand that experiencing family violence can be frightening and isolating. We offer refuge, children’s and parenting services, counselling, support, men’s programs, accommodation and advice to women and children who are experiencing, or who have experienced, family violence.

The Salvation Army is committed to providing services that are inclusive to people of all genders, ages, people living with a disability, and those from LGBTIQ+ and CALD communities.

Addiction - Alcohol and other drug services

Our alcohol and drug services are committed to bringing hope, freedom and wholeness to all people adversely affected by alcohol, other drugs and gambling.

We provide safe, high-quality and evidence-based support that enables people to pursue holistic transformation, to improve outcomes for themselves, their families and communities.

Our services are designed to help people at all stages of recovery. Our services include:

detox/withdrawal management
residential rehabilitation programs
non-residential programs
primary health and harm reduction services

Accommodation and homelessness services

We value people at all stages of their lives, and we will work alongside to help them achieve their personal goals.

We exist to bring support - practical, emotional, relational and spiritual - to those who want and need it. For those experiencing homelessness, we don’t just offer accommodation or provide services, we journey with them.

We understand that restoration is different for every person. Our Community Resource Workers and upfront Intervention Teams work with people to help them achieve their housing, personal and life goals. Providing customised care to one person at a time helps build healthy communities around Australia.

Rsa2020

Major Brian asks the BoxHill SA family to be involved 100% in the Red Shield digital door knock

Major Brian Saunders encourages the Box Hill Corps family to get involved with the Digital Door knock for the Red Shield Appeal 2020 = see https://digitaldoorknock.salvationarmy.org.au/t/box-hill-salvos