2020 Grant Recipients
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Congratulations to our Primary Recipient Weave Youth and Community Services, who received our $50,000 Special COVID-19 Primary Grant
Weave provides a way up and a way forward, supporting children, young people, families and communities facing complex situations. They have been doing this for over 40 years. In Sydney today there are many people impacted by intergenerational trauma and complex social issues resulting in significant disadvantage. The people most impacted are children, young people and women. Weave Youth and Community Services (Weave) exists to level the playing field for those people, who so often fall through the cracks. Their mission is to empower people to change their lives. Around 70% of the people they support are Aboriginal people.
A crucial service is their Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Program, operating out of the Weave Women and Children’s Centre in Waterloo. The DFV Program provides wrap-around support for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and abuse, where the woman wants to leave the relationship. The program provides an opportunity for women and children to live a life free from violence and abuse. There are no time limits on how long they work with a woman and her children and this allows them to provide long-term support to ensure lasting, meaningful change. They offer a broad range of strengths-based, culturally safe, holistic support specifically tailored to the needs of each individual circumstance, recognising and respecting that the woman is the expert in her own life and is also best placed to understand the needs of her children. An average of one woman per week is killed by her current or former partner in Australia. Social isolation and other restrictions necessary due to COVID-19 are exacerbating this already critical social issue. COVID-19 is changing the landscape of DFV.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports Weave’s DFV Program, in particular essential home safety audits and security upgrades in line with the current upsurge in demand Weave is experiencing. This includes the implementation of life-saving security upgrades for 20-30 women and their children, giving families the choice to remain in their own homes, or to relocate to a safe, appropriate home.
Congratulations to our three Finalists who each received $20,000 Special COVID-19 Grants
Asylum Seekers Centre
Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) was established in 1993 as a place of hospitality and welcome, a safe place for those who have fled situations of great danger. Before the pandemic, ASC provided practical and personal support in one single welcoming place at their Centre in Newtown. Their services include accommodation, legal advice, financial relief, health care, employment assistance, education, food, material aid and recreational activities. Since the pandemic, ASC has proactively pivoted their services to be delivered to people’s homes (for food, medication and mobile equipment); by appointments at their primary Health Clinic and tele-health consultations; and by phone or video calls for all other services.
People seeking asylum don’t have access to government-funded income allowance. The number of people supported by ASC, 4,000 including 1,000 children, has grown by 20% each year. They come from 95+ different countries seeking protection in Australia for various reasons. They have been forced to flee persecution or human rights violations such as torture, armed conflicts, crises or violence, for their ethnicity, religion, sexuality or political opinions. They live and work in the community and usually wait an average of 2.5 years, but up to 5-7 years, to receive an outcome for their application for protection.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports the ongoing work of ASC, including the employment of an Office Administrator for 12 months. This is a new role created in 2019 to replace the rotation of caseworkers who used to work one day a week to welcome clients. The role has become particularly crucial as a result of COVID-19, providing the main point of contact for “front of house” queries and assistance, administration and is the key coordination point for the staff and volunteers working remotely.
Lou’s Place
Lou’s Place was established in 1999 and is Sydney’s only daytime women’s refuge. It is a community-based refuge for women in crisis, feeling isolated or needing support. Most of the women who visit Lou’s Place have experienced multiple traumas in their lives and the majority are facing issues of homelessness, domestic violence, mental health or addiction. Approximately 500 women each month visit the service, however in April 2020, new requests more than doubled. At any one time approximately 20% of their clients are rough sleepers and over 70% are homeless women, the remaining clients are typically from local Public housing communities. Approximately 20% of clients identify as ATSI, and they regularly support women with a disability.
Lou’s Place is a low barrier centre, meaning women can still be struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and/or mental health issues and as long as they are safe to come into the house, they are welcomed at Lou’s. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic Lou’s total weekly distribution of food has risen significantly, mainly due to many other food vans and outlets having closed their doors or reduced their services during the crisis. Each day they are seeing more women who are suicidal, fleeing domestic violence, or recently assaulted needing to access their service, so Lou’s Place felt it was imperative to continue to offer a drop-in service for women in acute crisis. The additional numbers of clients are adding a strain to the bottom line mainly because the weekly food donations they normally rely on for about 60% of meals has been reduced or are no longer available.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports the work of Lou’s Place, including the provision of daily nutritious home-cooked meals. Women in need benefit most from a welcoming environment that feels like a good home and, above all, offers safety. The meals provided at Lou’s form part of a holistic approach to nurturing the complete woman whatever her circumstances.
StreetWork
StreetWork has been delivering prevention and early intervention strategies to at-risk young people in Sydney’s North since 1980. StreetWork’s mission is to ensure at-risk young people have the same opportunities as their peers, which is to grow, to achieve their dreams, and to develop as a person with a high self-esteem through the delivery of innovative and effective early intervention programs. The organisation supports young people aged 11-25 and seeks to stabilise and/or improve a young person’s risk across five key areas: mental health, suicide and self-harm, youth crime, early school leavers not engaged in employment, and youth homelessness. They aim to improve access to education, training and/or employment as well as provide assistance in addressing mental health concerns, alcohol or substance misuse and youth crime. This is essential to alleviate long-term disadvantage and promote general wellbeing.
StreetWork has adopted a two-pronged approach to service delivery during COVID-19: structured programs including the KickStart Mentoring Program and the PRIDE Empowerment Program and outreach services. KickStart provides one-on-one mentoring to vulnerable young people. Each participant has an individually developed case management plan, documenting their short and long-term goals. StreetWork’s Youth Case Workers determine areas of change in partnership with each participant and support them to achieve their goals. This tailored approach has a proven history of delivering positive, tangible results for vulnerable young people. The organisation’s unique service model seeks to overcome poverty and distress by building protective factors such as community connectedness and engagement.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports the work of StreetWork, in particular allowing it to increase its service capacity for the KickStart Mentoring Program and better respond to a recent spike in at-risk young people seeking their support, particularly among young people experiencing mental health concerns, social isolation and financial hardship. StreetWork aims to assist at least 300 at-risk young people as part of its KickStart Mentoring Program over the next 12 months.
Congratulations to our four Semi-finalists who each received $5,000 Special COVID-19 Grants
Dandelion Support Network
Dandelion Support Network has been assisting children from disadvantaged families from the Greater Sydney area for the past 81⁄2 years, during which they have helped over 9,500 families with essential nursery items for their babies and children. Many disadvantaged parents are struggling to provide food and a roof over their heads, let alone having enough funds to purchase expensive items such as cots, bassinets, prams and car seats for their children. Added to this, the pressure COVID-19 is placing on families. They expect a dramatic increase in the need for their service, especially following September when assistance packages cease.
Families often face other challenges as well. Women and children escaping domestic violence often leave with little else but the clothes they are wearing, while refugees have uprooted their lives and left everything behind in the hope of providing a safe life for their family in Australia, only to find they can’t work while their paperwork is being approved. While it may seem trivial to provide essential nursery items to a family, it can really make a difference in a disadvantaged family’s life. This year to date (June 2020) Dandelion has assisted 653 families (1094 children) compared to the same time period last year, when they assisted 532 families (887 children). They expect as time goes on and more of their social welfare partners return to full capacity, plus the effects of COVID-19 are fully felt, there will be a further noticeable increase in the number of families needing assistance.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports the work of Dandelion Support Network to assist disadvantaged families and their children by providing essential nursery equipment to those most in need.
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
JRS, founded in 1980, serves more than 3,500 people seeking asylum and migrants in vulnerable situations every year through a combination of professional casework support, emergency relief, foodbank, legal clinics, social support programs, English classes, employment support and a project specifically focussing on the support needs and capacity building/leadership opportunities for women at-risk of or who have experienced sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the people JRS served were already amongst the most disadvantaged in the community. The effects of the COVID-19 crisis on their clients have been devastating. People seeking asylum and migrants in vulnerable situations were largely in insecure casual work and among the first to lose their jobs as businesses shut due to social distancing regulations. While many Australian citizens or permanent residents could claim JobSeeker or JobKeeper payments to get through this period of great uncertainty, including additional subsidies relating to COVID-19, people seeking asylum and migrants in vulnerable situations are ineligible due to their temporary visa status. People seeking protection can’t leave Australia either as they have outstanding protection claims. Referrals to JRS have increased by more than 224% as a result of COVID-19. They are focusing on their emergency response providing people seeking asylum and other migrants in vulnerable situations with food support and basic emergency relief payments to ensure they are able to maintain their accommodation and cover the costs of food, medicine and travel while they are looking for work.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports JRS’s Employment Program in response to COVID-19, as well emergency relief resources to help meet the immediate needs of people seeking asylum and migrants in vulnerable situations.
Phoenix House Youth Services
Phoenix House Youth Services has a 30 years track record of youth support services for ‘youth-at-risk’ (aged 14 to 24) in the Northern Sydney region. They provide solutions for young people who are disengaged from education, victims of family breakdown, mental health issues, a history of abuse, drug and alcohol addictions, bullying and experiences with the juvenile justice system. Their vision is to provide all young people with the opportunity to realise their full potential, through their innovative programs and services, so they can contribute productively to society. Programs, case management and counselling services offered at Phoenix House are free-of-charge.
Their key objective is to level the playing field for these disengaged young people. They do this through an integrated alternative education program with intensive case management and counselling support. The 2017 Grattan Report identified 1 in 4 students being disengaged from schools. Schools attendance rates are 92%, with 8% of young people dropping off the school system. Through their alternative education and training programs, young people are given the opportunity to break free from disadvantage and homelessness. They receive a qualification allowing them to progress onto further training, education or jobs. The holistic approach at Phoenix House include wrap-around support services of counselling, case management, employment opportunities, resilience and living skills workshops, life family support seminars and recreational activities. Each year, they provide support programs to more than 200 young people. Many have dropped out of mainstream education with little or no options. Phoenix House helps them to realise their dreams and aspirations, unlock their potential, achieve their goals and transform their lives.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports Phoenix House case management services to support young clients in the Northern Sydney area, focusing on the Northern beaches and Lower North Shore.
Taldumande Youth Services
Taldumande, established in 1976, supports vulnerable and homeless children and young people aged 12 to 21 years, and their families across Sydney. On any night they have 65 children and young people in residence. Taldumande remains one of the few organisations offering young people a pathway from the crisis refuge, to case-worker supported accommodation, to independent living. It is this that makes for stronger outcomes for young people and measurable success. COVID-19 has increased the need for their services across the board. They had a five-fold increase in requests for help during March and April compared to the same months last year.
Through its work with homeless youth, Taldumande has identified a need to support young girls aged 12-18 who are homeless due to the decision to escape being forced into marriage. In 2015-2016 the Australian Federal Police (AFP) received 69 referrals related to forced marriage, representing 41% of all referrals to the Human Trafficking Team of the AFP. In 2018-2019 there was a significant increase with numbers rising to 91. Taldumande is the only provider in NSW with an established accommodation program for young girls aged 16-18 who are victims of forced marriage. They have been providing this accommodation and care since 2016 and have achieved great success in transitioning these young women successfully into long term safe and affordable housing. As international travel is curtailed at the moment, this is an ideal opportunity to focus on prevention.
IMPACT100 Sydney North funding supports the work of Taldumande, including their program to help victims of forced marriage.