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By LAUREN MARTIN After months of praying for God to provide an opportunity to meaningfully engage with people experiencing homelessness, Coffs Harbour Salvos were delighted with a donation of a food truck. The donation of a large retro-style food van, fully equipped with fridges and cookware, was made by the PAYCE Foundation, a national philanthropic organisation that works closely with The Salvation Army in Coffs Harbour. “It was a surprise when I heard that they wanted to donate a food van to us,” said Coffs Harbour Corps Officer Major Andrew van Gaalen. “As a result of the prayers, we believe that God moved the PAYCE Foundation to supply us with this incredible gift.” The van, donated last month, is already being put to good use. Once a week, Andrew and a team of volunteers park it at the Farmer’s Market, where they connect with the local community and are able to share the good news about how the Salvos are connecting and serving people in need. Also, at the markets, many people experiencing hardship and homelessness are starting to connect with the team. “We love to give them a good cappuccino,” said Andrew. “We often ask them, ‘When was the last time you had a drink like that?’ And for some of them, it has been years and years and years, and we want to make them feel like they are a valuable part of the community. “We carry frozen meals that we can heat up so we can give them a nice hot meal right there and then. We also carry non-perishable food items they can take away.” But for Andrew and the team, the most powerful parts of the mission are the conversations and prayers that result from the initial cup of coffee or hot meal. “The guys who are doing it have a heart for God and a heart for people,” he said. “We are getting to know them, they’re getting to know us, and hearing their stories and letting them know that someone does actually care about them.” On Friday nights, Andrew and the team take the food truck to an encampment in local bushland where many people experiencing homelessness live. They park the truck, and the smell of chef-cooked meals like beef stew and butter chicken wafts out from the brightly lit serving area. Volunteers walk through the bushland inviting people to the van for a free hot meal. “Two nights ago, when we arrived down there, there was a bit of turmoil,” Andrew explained, saying that a resident had passed away. “There was trauma going on, so we were able to minister into that space. We took some food up to the family, and we are keeping in contact. They are very appreciative.” After the community meal, the team packages up leftover meals and walks into places across Coffs Harbour city and surrounding areas the food truck doesn’t have access to. “One guy, he is sleeping under the stars, and he has lots of health issues – we take him down a feed. He wanted a radio, so one of the guys who helps us out went and bought him a radio last week, so we were able to take that to him. It’s a privilege to be able to do it.” The vision for the food truck is to have it operational seven days a week, not just in and around Coffs Harbour but in the neighbouring townships of Woolgoolga, Emerald Beach and Toormina. “In the centre of the city there are plenty of services for homeless people to access – they can get meals pretty much six days a week,” said Andrew. “What’s important to us is finding the ones that are out there on the fringes, who are not getting support.” Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at: https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

By ANTHONY CASTLE Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis, with secure accommodation often in short supply. For decades, Burlendi Youth Shelter in Adelaide has been an important place for young people with nowhere to go, offering somewhere to stay and a way forward. Paul Mundy, Team Leader at Burlendi, says addressing youth homelessness is an increasing challenge. “The young people come in, we work with them, stabilise their mental health,” Paul explains. “We get them ready for a property, but there’s been a couple of residents over the last year that have turned 18, and we haven’t had places for them to go.” Burlendi offers accommodation for young people aged 15-17. The program provides 24/7 support to help the residents develop the life skills needed to transition to adulthood. The Burlendi program, which started in 1984, was opened to address youth homelessness in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, but South Australia is currently undergoing a housing crisis. About 30 per cent of renters are experiencing rental stress, and the number of affordable vacant properties is plummeting. “Two years ago, they would have been able to find a place,” Paul explains. “The rental market is a struggle right now, and I see a lot of people come into the homelessness sector who just can’t find a rental.” Young people have fewer available resources and benefits compared to other demographics. Affordable accommodation services often adapt rent based on residents’ incomes, resulting in young people having lower earning potential and facing potential stigma. Several young people who have transitioned from the Burlendi program have found support through share houses formerly operated in a Lead Tenant program. The Lead Tenant program was developed by Megan Elms, manager of Youth Homelessness. “When I came in eight years ago, we had these properties that were meant to be affordable housing,” says Megan. “We had young people transitioning out of Burlendi, and we often found that time living on their own resulted in an increase in isolation, which impacted their mental health. We needed a better option, so we made use of the houses.” Following the Lead Tenant model used interstate, the initiative grew from one house to four. The Lead Tenant model places young people in shared accommodation with live-in mentors, also known as ‘lead tenants’, who model life skills. The local church community supported the shared accommodation with dinners, transport to events, and Life Groups. “The Lead Tennant part changed over time,” Megan says. “The adult volunteers outgrew the community or got married. We adjusted the model and filled the rooms, so these houses are more of a shared living environment with case management attached.” The young people are offered a place in the shared living accommodation with the understanding that they are pursuing employment, education, or a willingness to volunteer. “It makes all the difference,” Megan explains. “We have seen how it impacts young people to have stability and accommodation to meet their goals.” Young people involved in the share living houses might stay for a number of years, but almost all of the outcomes have been positive, with residents choosing to move out when they feel able. “They move on organically,” Megan says. “One of the original young people is still there, but they’re working and studying. One reconnected with family. Another’s employed interstate, one moved into a house with their partner. One of them worked with a sibling to run a pizza place. What we know about young people is that you can’t make your way in life until you feel safe.” With no end to the housing crisis in sight, young people in urgent need are not often the priority. The need for safe housing and a stable community has never been more evident, even if it’s in short supply. “I want young people to have stable education, improved mental health, more engagement with community, but they need secure housing,” Paul explains. “Without the Lead Tenant set-up, some of the young people wouldn’t have had a chance. A lot of the time, what they need is that community to help sustain it.” Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at: https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

This Homelessness Week, we visit The Salvation Army’s Foley House in Melbourne. Foley House is a facility for men over 40 years of age that offers long-term accommodation to residents. It is a safe place with a strong bond to the community that partners with a number of Salvation Army services. If you, or someone you know, is at risk of losing your home or is already experiencing homelessness, please contact us. We have support services for youth, adults and families: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/home

Australian officers, Commissioners Wayne and Robyn Maxwell (International Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia Zone and Secretary for Women’s Ministries respectively) arrived in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, earlier this week. The commissioners are conducting a review of the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory. The territorial leadership team welcomed the Maxwells at the airport. Lieut-Colonels Chris and Tilitah Goa presented them with necklaces as a sign of welcome, Colonel Pattie Niemand shared a few words of welcome. The Maxwells will be in the territory for one week.

Tucked away on the far southern edge of Brazil, a Salvation Army centre is helping combat the struggles of poverty and hunger for many families. In this under-served community stands a ray of hope – the Pelotas Integration Center – a place where children and families can gather to receive love and care, a good meal and the opportunity for a brighter future. Stretching across nearly 15 acres of land, the community centre provides several services for families and young people in need, including meals for children before, during and after school. The program participants, comprising 80 regularly enrolled children, experience a nurturing and inclusive environment, and the program continues to touch the lives of more than 320 indirect beneficiaries and family members. Activities at the centre include sports and leisure, media and technology, arts and culture and group dynamics. As children engage in these activities, they gain valuable life skills such as emotional intelligence and effective communication. The nurturing environment plays a crucial role in fostering relationships within families, groups, and the community. The waiting list for this centre is long. To help address the need in the community, The Salvation Army established a thrift store on the property several years ago. The Salvation Army World Service Office provided a truck, enabling the centre to pick up larger items for sale and deliver purchased items to customers. This increased the store’s profit margin by 50 per cent. Due to this success, they expanded their impact further by converting an unused corps building in town into a second thrift store location to generate income for the centre. The funds generated by both thrift stores directly contribute to supporting the centre’s operational expenses and enabling more children to be enrolled in the program. With each purchase made at these stores, the lives of the children are transformed. The ripple effect of their efforts reaches beyond the immediate community, empowering children to break free from the cycle of poverty and grasp a brighter future.

People don’t get attacked by wild animals as much as they used to. Sure, you still get the occasional crocodile, shark, dingo or snake trying to take a bite out of someone, but it’s far from a weekly occurrence. For instance, when were you, personally, last attacked by a wild animal? Back in the Old Testament days, we read about lions and tigers and bears attacking folks from time to time (apparently including Dorothy and her little dog too), and the shepherd boy David told Saul about killing lions and bears to protect his sheep. In those days and in those areas, it seems wild animals were quite prevalent. People could build stone or wooden walls, but these would take time and labour and could easily be jumped over by your more athletic wolf (or a coyote with an Acme pogo stick). What was cheaper and more effective was a hedge of thorny bushes grown around your home or yard. These thorn hedges were a common sight, and so, as happens with many common objects in the Bible (e.g. sheep, coins, lamps, pearls, goats etc.), they were given a symbolic meaning as well. In the first chapter of Job, Satan says to God that Job has been well-protected by him, but his faith would surely crumble if God withdrew his support for Job. Satan says: “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (Job 1:10, NIV). Some translations say a “protective hedge” or “protective fence”. Subsequently, throughout the history of the Church, and even still today, you’ll hear people pray for a ‘hedge of protection’ over a person or a church or an event or a family. This ‘hedge of protection’ is a request for God to guard whoever is, apparently, hedged in. Let me be clear: I have no problem with that sort of prayer. I think seeking God’s special protection over a person or people etc. is a good and wise thing to do. My concern is more around the phrase ‘hedge of protection’; I think it’s plantist. Why should God only be able to use hedges? If I’m pretty confident about my faith but just need a little help, can I pray for a mere groundcover of protection or a climber of protection? And if I’m feeling quite weak in my faith, can I pray for a forest of protection? And why just protection when God can provide a range of supports to me? “Lord, today I seek your hedge of protection over me as I serve you in ministry. Fill me with a shrubbery of your love, a creeper of your grace and a tree or two of mercy. In fact, make it three trees: I’m feeling a little merciless today. Let me sense your orchard of care for me and empower me with your jungle of justice for those in our community lost in the woods of … um, the woods of … um … lost in the woods.” We’re a non-discriminatory Army, so let’s not limit our omniscient God to only hedge offerings when he can give us whole woodlands. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

Mornington Corps volunteers have created handmade material bags for homeless people to replace the plastic bags they use to carry their self-care packs of toiletries. “A person experiencing homelessness often does not have the money to buy extras, and it is important to be able to show them thoughtfulness and kindness,” said Mornington Corps Officer Auxiliary-Lieutenant Debbie Taylor. “There are people across the Mornington Peninsula sleeping in their cars while waiting for their name to appear at the top of the government housing list. “Part of the mission of The Salvation Army is caring for people, and the values of integrity and respect can be shown as simply as the gift of a homemade practical item. “The homemade bag gives a little more dignity to the receiver and shows that someone cares about them. Each self-care pack contains basic toiletries, as many people present to our services with nothing.” “The volunteers feel that they are contributing in some way to the dignity of fellow humans, and we are hoping that the homemade bag gives the receiver a sense of self-worth.” A callout for homemade toiletry bags by staff who work in this field was promptly responded to by volunteers at Mornington Corps, who sewed the bags with their own sewing machines and donated material. “The activity was positive and encouraging for everyone,” Debbie said. “Volunteers were willing to offer assistance, and it was a win-win for everyone – the receiver and the volunteer. “The volunteers feel that they are contributing in some way to the dignity of fellow humans, and we are hoping that the homemade bag gives the receiver a sense of self-worth.” Debbie said more people were contacting agencies as the cost of living increased, and interest rates continued to rise. “The cost-of-living crisis has a run-on effect on thousands of families across Australia,” she said. The Salvation Army uses National Homelessness Week, 7-13 August, to raise awareness about the impact of homelessness in Australia and to advocate for solutions for people at risk or experiencing homelessness. Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/ An edited version of an article by Cheryl Brodie of the Mornington News

General Lyndon and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, The Salvation Army’s new international leaders, were welcomed to International Headquarters yesterday by staff, officers and invited guests. Both leaders spoke at the event. “Thank you for your welcome and thank you for who you are as people of God,” said General Buckingham. “May I encourage you to remember that God is able; he is a powerful God. Whatever your needs are, he is able, and I encourage you to find that sweet spot of peace, purpose, and power that can only really be found when you give yourself to him wholeheartedly. May it be so, for the glory of God and for the extension of his Kingdom.” Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, World President of Women’s Ministries, shared from her heart. “Through all the years of my officer service, the Lord has surprised me with what he can do with a girl who was willing to surrender her life daily. I’m going to keep doing that, believing he has much more still to show me about myself and the people I serve. My eyes, ears, hands and life are wide open to receive in order that I might keep on giving.” To read an extended report of the IHQ welcome, click here. A public welcome meeting will take place at Regent Hall Corps on Sunday, 3 September 2023 at 3.30pm (GMT). This live-streamed event will see the Chief of the Staff, Commissioner Edward Hill; and Commissioner Shelley Hill, World Secretary for Women’s Ministries, join with the General and Commissioner to greet the global Salvation Army and lift high the name of Jesus Christ in shared worship. Participating groups include the International Staff Songsters and the International Staff Band. Salvationists and friends around the world are invited to attend this online welcome and service of dedication and celebration. The full event will be live-streamed via The Salvation Army’s international website from 3pm (GMT) for pre-meeting music from participating groups. You can also follow the event live on Facebook at the same time. For more information, click here.

Leanne Foster (Manager of Melbourne’s Gateway Program) says, “There should never be a stigma attached to homelessness. People are people, everyone on their journey of life has a struggle of some description.” Each client at Gateways comes with a unique story, experiences and trauma, and the team works hard to meet the practical, emotional and spiritual needs of each person. Telisha, a Gateways resident, shares how support and kindness at the program have helped her break the cycle of instability for her two-year-old son. In the hope of building a better future for them both.

By KIRRALEE NICOLLE When catastrophic floods devastated the NSW Northern Rivers region in February 2022, the widespread loss of houses and livelihoods left many people struggling. Almost 18 months later, the damage is still being felt in the area, according to Northern Rivers Corps Officer Captain Philip Sutcliffe. The most recent New South Wales Street Count released on 22 June showed a 117 per cent increase in homelessness in Byron Bay from the previous February. This region also contained the highest number of people sleeping rough in the state. However, due to the extreme weather events at the time of the last Street Count, these figures may not fully represent the 2022 numbers. Philip said between the aftermath of flooding, reduced housing availability and the skyrocketing cost of living pressures, it was difficult to pinpoint which were the primary factors in the increase. He said those displaced by the flooding were also quite transient, which meant they sometimes gravitated to the bay from other parts of the region to spend the night. “We’ve got a lot of people that are somewhat transient because they might be working on their places to rebuild and restore but sleeping in a vehicle at night because that’s the safe, warm, dry place at the moment,” Philip said. “Even 16-17 months on from the flood, a lot of people in our community have been in limbo because the government’s been talking about buybacks and land swaps, and so people have been waiting for answers on that. “And, so, people are going, ‘I’ve been living in limbo-land in my car, in my caravan, in temporary accommodation. After 16 months, I could have had most of my house renovated and restored had I known that I’m not going to be eligible for a buyback, which I always thought I was.’” The boutique beachside town of Byron Bay saw a significant increase in house and rental prices over the past several years, according to realestate.com.au. Philip said staff at the corps were seeing an increase in dual-income families looking for assistance. He said many who were flood-affected were paying a mortgage and rent concurrently while they tried to rebuild. He said some moved to the area believing it would be a positive lifestyle change without realising costs were higher than they could handle. “It’s one of the most expensive places to live in NSW,” Philip said. “It’s a tourist community, so everyday things are priced for that tourist market.” He said there was another factor contributing to rising house prices. “There are a lot more places [being listed] online, but the difficulty for landlords and homeowners is that they’ve had to fork out of their own pocket to renovate these places and rebuild them in a flood-resilient way,” Philip said. “The prices are quite high because they’ve had to invest all of this money without government support or backup. So, places that probably wouldn’t have been this price prior to the flood are now this price because it costs the landlords a lot of money to rebuild their places, put them back together and get them ready to be on the market. “So, you have then got that effect on the bigger picture as well.” Philip said he and his wife, fellow corps officer Captain Donna Sutcliffe, were partnering with local initiatives and organisations to deliver assistance in the area as their corps building was located a significant distance from the Byron Bay area. He said they were also working with the local council to find longer-term solutions. Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at: https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

By KIRRALEE NICOLLE The steps of Victoria’s Parliament House were a sea of brightly coloured origami houses on Wednesday 2 August, with representatives from across the homelessness services sector and members of the Victorian Homelessness Network gathering to campaign for increased social housing. The 6000 origami houses represented a request for the State and Federal Governments to commit to building at least 6000 new social houses each year for the next 10 years. Currently, there are 57,000 Victorian households on the social housing waitlist. The event was an initiative by Victorian Homelessness Network in collaboration with other housing and homelessness services groups. Staff from across Salvation Army Mission Delivery services attended the campaign. Among them, Upton Road Youth Services Program Manager Claire Edmanson had been part of the working group organising the event. She said the event was timely as it fell the same day Federal Labor reintroduced the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill to Parliament. “I think it was an amazing launch into Homelessness Week to have [Council for Homeless Persons] there [to] speak and talk about the relevance of this issue and to show the need that there is to address this gap in social housing across Victoria,” she said. “It was also just a really nice event in terms of unity between homelessness services across Victoria. Every region in Victoria was really well represented.” Claire said policy perspectives in the Greens, Labor and the Liberal party differed in terms of priority areas to address the current housing crisis, and the visual aspect of the event as well as the discussions it raised on social media, were an important way to keep the issue at the forefront of politicians’ minds. She said about 30 members of State Parliament attended the event. To find out more about Victorian Homelessness Network, visit https://www.vhn.org.au/ Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE As the sitcom Community depicts, pool tables can be a battleground of competing ideals and escalating conflict. But that is not always the case. In a small crisis accommodation centre run out of Burnie Corps, Tasmania, a well-worn pool table is helping provide healing through connection. The Burnie Safe Space is a short-term accommodation centre for anyone experiencing homelessness on the state’s north-west coast. Acting team leader Michael Parsons said of all the features of the centre, the donated pool table was most invaluable for connecting with clients who had faced trauma. “That eight-ball table is the single best therapeutic tool we own,” he said. “It is amazing how many people will be extremely reticent to engage with us, and then one of the guys will say, ‘Come on, let’s have a game, right?’ “They get comfortable, and then they will start to talk.” The Burnie Safe Space, now entering its fourth year of operation, provides accommodation for 20 people. The team is in the process of expanding the capacity to 24. Michael said that while it was often assumed that the winter months were the busiest for crisis accommodation centres like the Burnie Safe Space, that was not always the case. “We have been at or near capacity for a couple of months now, and it will be interesting to see how that’s going to look over the next three to six months, whether we will stay at that capacity,” he said. The centre is currently in the process of planning for a future influx of people seeking crisis accommodation, as Michael said the full effects of skyrocketing housing and living costs were yet to be seen in the demographic currently sleeping rough. He said he anticipates it will take six to 12 months to see the numbers of those experiencing homelessness primarily due to financial strain, to reach their peak. “There’s a significant lag factor,” he said. “For instance, if you take interest rate rises on mortgages, each one is like a little blade that swings across and chops off the people who are hanging by their fingernails. These people typically transition down to family living arrangements, but because of various stresses and strains, these arrangements can quite often break down. So, then they go down the next rung, which is usually friends, and they then transition down to things like couch surfing, then finally too often car sleeping, and then finally rough sleeping. “So, there are several rungs down the ladder before they will reach someone like us.” Michael said a feature of the Safe Space that set it apart was that clients couldn’t overstay their welcome. “Our ethos is to be a short-term crisis accommodation centre, but some people have very complex requirements, and we don’t put a time limit on a stay here,” he said. “We’re certainly not going to put pressure on people to leave if we know they’re just going to exit into homelessness, but what we can do is leave no stone unturned in our efforts to case manage, link these people with the appropriate supports and services and help them to transition into something better than they’ve been experiencing. Because the more often we do that, the more we are able to take in the next wave of people who require our service.” Michael said the focus of the service was on trauma-informed treatment of underlying causes for homelessness and that the pool table provided a gateway for many who were fearful of opening up. “When people come in here, [particularly] homeless people who have been homeless for some time, they are quite wary of authority and figures of authority,” he said. “And whether we like it or not, we represent an authority figure. But when you’re at the pool table, it’s a level playing field. All of a sudden, you’re not that authority figure anymore. You’re just an opponent on the pool table, and that’s another driver for them to drop their guard and begin to relax and open up to you because they’re not sitting across the room from you. You’re pretty much peers at the pool table. “Almost invariably, it is the gateway into helping us to understand the person because it allows them to feel comfortable enough. Within a week, we have a good picture of who they are, what they’ve experienced and what their problems are now.” Michael said the pool table was often in use up to 16 hours a day and was beginning to show the effects of its busy schedule. “Unfortunately, it’s been so heavily used that it’s now on its very last legs,” he said. “[It] has done so much work in its life here, but it’s now pretty much shot to bits. The felt is ripped. The cushions are shot. If any kind person out there would like to either donate a table or help towards the cost of a table, that would go down very, very well with all staff and clients.” Visit the MySalvos Homelessness Week toolkit at https://my.salvos.org.au/homelessness-week-toolkit-2023/