In 2006 St Mary’s House of Welcome was the first homelessness agency to set up an Enrol to Vote program for the election. Since then St Mary’s senior social worker David Ring has helped more than 250 people to enrol to vote and more than half of them have never voted before due to fears of being fined and because many had no fixed address.

When the 2010 Federal Election was called David worked tirelessly to help as many St Mary’s clients as possible to get enrolled before the deadline. His hard work paid off when on the 5 August bus loads of St Mary’s clients went to the polling booths and voted early in the Federal Election.

For the State Election later this year, St Mary’s will have a dedicated polling booth set up in the St Mary’s courtyard and a BBQ to celebrate.

W E L C O M E NE

WS

SPRING 2010

250 new voters enrolled to vote from St Mary’s

Thank you!

www.smhow.org.au

The majority of people who are

helped by St Mary’s House of

Welcome are suffering from

a personal crisis generally caused

through poverty, mental illness,

and/or a relationship breakdown.

St Mary’s House of Welcome is a drop-in Day Centre, opened in Fitzroy by the Daughters of Charity in 1960.

The Centre provides free meals, recreational activities, emergency relief, psychiatric disability support, social work services and a sense of community for homeless people and people with mental health issues.

Winter Appeal Results

Message from the CEO 1Entertainment Day 1No Limits program 2Ladies pamper day 3Richmond players help out 3A fine catch 3Roseanne rides again 3Award winning architecture 3Volunteers 4Fundraising news 4Diary Dates Back Donation Form Back

Inside this issue

Our 2010 Winter Appeal raised $84,000!

Thanks to all of our supporters who donated.

Your donations are supporting our core

programs of healthy meals, hot showers,

social support and psychiatric rehabilitation

services and also our social integration and

activities program.

2

No Limit to our creativity

No Limits classes and entertainment

Spring has seen the No Limits program introduce new groups into its

already fun filled program schedule. A client forum was arranged in

June which provided the opportunity for our clients to inform us of the

direction they would like to see the program take. From the valuable

feedback provided by our clients we saw the creation of a writing group

as well as a much needed chill out group. Both of these new groups

have been well received by our clients and we would like to share with

you a poem written by one of our participants in the writing group.

The aliens amongst usThey’re lurking here and thereAlthough I see them alwaysMost are unaware

Can’t you see them lurkingConfoundedly and smirking And snuffling away withTheir tentacles in the air

Their disguises are quite cunningWhether whistling or runningTheir taste in hairstyle and in fashionIs just beyond compare

But see the soulless eyesLook through the disguiseYou will start to spot themYou will know they’re there

They fart while they are speakingThey scratch when they are eatingTheir faces look like plasticI know this sounds fantasticBut they suck oxygen not air

Even if I don’t show them Surely you must know themBy the horn and pointy tailOn their bright green derriere

Yes there are aliens. Yes they are among us. Anyone prepared to open their eyes and mind can see them

They use ray guns to zapThey use two hands to clapSeeing them eat potato is extremely rare

Darryn Byrnes 2010

No Limits is a day program for

people with mental health issues

which offers a supportive and

welcoming environment where

individuals can explore their

recovery and rehabilitation

through recreation, relaxation

and socialisation.

1

No Limits Entertainment Day

Message from the CEO

At the Entertainment Day in July, everyone

had a chance to get together and have

fun while demonstrating their considerable

talents.

The singing and dancing classes held in the

No Limits community have been very popular

this year. As well as learning some new skills,

they have provided a great opportunity for

people to get to know each other and often,

simply, to relax.

Those who had written poetry read to an

attentive audience and guitar players also had

the chance to perform.

Everyone enjoyed the day and all are looking

forward to the next chance to show what they

have learned in the many classes provided in

the No Limits program.

CEO Tony McCosker chatting in the courtyard.

No Limits participants kicking up their heels

Thanks a million to our many supporters,

particularly the Ian Potter Foundation,

StreetSmart and the many people who give

us a variety of goods and unsolicited food

donations.

Simply Energy continues to support us

this year, providing new furnishings for the

dining room.

After twelve months, we are very happy in our

new building and our program participants

are loving it. We have welcomed new staff

members Lee Esposito (Manager of Mental

Health Programs) and Sarah Thyssen

(Fundraising and Events Coordinator)

and we have farewelled Lara Denes

(Fundraising Manager) and Martine Moor

(Mental Health Manager).

Recently, I have attended two important

conferences: in Melbourne, the United

Nations Non-government Organisation

Conference; and in Brisbane, the National

Homelessness Conference. These

conferences addressed the issue of

disadvantage, poverty and homelessness

not only on the local level but also on the

international level. The issues are huge and

the solutions are not easy – but every little

bit counts. We can be overwhelmed and

paralysed; or we can establish strategies and

act! That is what your support is enabling us

to do at the local level.

Thank you,

Tony McCosker, CEO

Ladies’ Pamper Day

Richmond players help out at St Mary’s

A fine catch for our fishing group

Roseanne rides again!

Award winning

3

No Limits Entertainment Day

“ I’ve never had a

facial or pampered

myself before;

it’s been such a

lovely day.”

Top: Dan hard at work at the BBQ Middle: Fishing trailer shopping Above: Roseanne getting ready

Pampering in the Art Room.

St Mary’s has started holding pamper days

for the members of the Women’s Group in

partnership with Reclink. The first one was

in April and all the St Mary’s women were

treated to massages, manicures, facials,

a make-up workshop and a light lunch.

Everyone received a goody bag at the end

and enjoyed the time out to relax with their

friends. The Women’s Group is a safe place

for women to relax, feel at home and talk

about problems. The pamper days have been

crucial in helping to build self esteem and

group acceptance. if anyone would like to

donate or get involved please contact Sarah

Thyssen, sarah.thyssen@smhow.org.au

We welcomed Richmond player Daniel

Connors to St Mary’s in May and June. He

volunteered full time for seven weeks with

us while having time out from training with

Richmond and quickly became a popular

member of the St Mary’s team. When he

left, a farewell BBQ was held for him with

all the clients. He will still be volunteering

at St Mary’s regularly together with other

Richmond players.

Thanks to the support of the Clifton Hill/

Fitzroy North Community Bank branch of

Bendigo Bank and the City of Yarra who

helped our men’s Fishing Group buy a trailer

for their overnight camping trips.

The trailer comes with sink, hot plate and

water, and space for all of the group’s

fishing gear.

Roseanne will repeat last year’s successful

ride along the Great Ocean Road with

Ron Barassi, Crackers Keenan and Wayne

Schimmelbusch in the St Mary’s Footy

Greats Bike Ride 2010.

To donate or participate go to the St Mary’s

website or contact Sarah Thyssen:

sarah.thyssen@smhow.org.au

The refurbished St Mary’s building won

the Australian Institute of Architects

2010 Victorian Architecture Award for

Public Building: additions and alterations.

Congratulations to designers, Six Degrees

Architects.

In praise of our volunteers

Fundraising News

4

Our volunteers at

work

Middle: Tin shake at the ‘G’ Above: The pasta night winner by popular acclaim

Thanks to all St Mary’s volunteers

St Mary’s has over 100 active regular

volunteers, our kitchen and dining room

couldn’t function without them!

On 13 May during National Volunteer Week

our Volunteer Coordinator Meg Jenkins

held a thank you event for volunteers with

catering provided by the Asylum Seeker

Resource Centre. Guest speaker, Director of

Lixivium Psychology and St Mary’s supporter

Warren Senn spoke about the importance of

understanding client interactions and working

with difficult people.

St Mary’s House of Welcome is most

grateful to the Erica Foundation which has

provided support for our Volunteer and

Client participation programs.

With the support of the Richmond Tigers, we

held a very successful tin shake at the MCG in

May, raising $2000. Thanks especially to the

commitment and hard work of 60 volunteer

tin rattlers from St Mary’s and Tabcorp.

St Mary’s also held the first Italian pasta night

in June with nearly 60 people attending. Five

guests brought different pasta sauces for all

the guests to try and judge. Fresh pasta was

donated to accompany the sauces, and also

fresh fruit and tiramisu for dessert.

The winner by popular acclaim was Fran

Coslovich for her roasted eggplant sauce.

She was awarded the Rob Braun Memorial

Perpetual trophy, established in memory of

St Mary’s client and volunteer Rob Braun.

The night raised $2000 which was a great

help in providing St Mary’s clients with hot

food and support through the cold winter.

The pasta night will be held again in 2011

so start perfecting your pasta sauce recipes!

To find out about upcoming events and sign

up to the events newsletter contact Sarah

Thyssen sarah.thyssen@smhow.org.au

Sandra Almond

has been knitting

beanies, scarves,

teddies and blankets

for St Mary’s House of

Welcome and lots of

other agencies and hospitals

since she went blind as a result of a

car accident three years ago. She is

hoping to get a guide dog soon.

“It keeps me busy and happy that I am

giving something back.”

Sandra buys all the wool herself and

gets some odds and ends of wool

donated by friends and the resulting

beanies and scarves are very bright and

cheery and a patch of colour in a grey

and gloomy winter!

Held monthly, the St Jude the Saint dinners are in aid

of St Mary’s House of Welcome

Last Thursday of every month.

Book Now!

St Mary’s House of Welcome

165-169 Brunswick Street

Fitzroy VIC 3065

PO Box 60 Fitzroy

Ph: 03 9417 6497

Fax: 03 9416 3263

Email: admin@smhow.org.au

Contact us

www.smhow.org.au

Dates to remember

Annual Great

Debate

28 October Anti-Poverty week

“The houses of parliament should be turned into

homeless shelters”

St Mary’s will hold the first ever Victorian Wine Rules event this year in Elwood Park.

Based on an event run by our sister organisation, the Hutt St Centre in Adelaide for the past five years, this event is a touch football competition for wineries. Over 20 wineries will donate wine for tasting by renowned UK wine

critic Matthew Jukes, and enter the competition to play touch football against other Victorian wineries.

www.winerules.com.au

It’s going to be a great day out with lots of sport, wine, food, bands and entertainment .

See you there!

Victorian Wine Rules

21 November

For more information on

all the upcoming events go to

St Jude’s Dinners

YES, I want to support St Mary’s House of WelcomePlease find enclosed my tax deductible donation of: $25 $50 $100 $250 $ ________ Other amount

I would like to donate by cheque (payable to St Mary’s House of Welcome)  

(or) Please debit my:

Visa MasterCard Amex Diners Club

_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ /_ _ _ _ Cardholder’s name _______________________________________________

Signature _____________________________________ Expires _____ /_____

I authorise St Mary’s House of Welcome to make automatic deductions from my credit card until further notice to the value of $ every month or year

Credit card donations can also be made by calling 03 9417 7985 or by visiting our website www.smhow.org.au All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.

�ank you for your support

I would like to receive more information about: Making a bequest to St Mary’s House of WelcomeBecoming a volunteer

Name

Organisation

Address

Postcode

Email

Phone (h) (w)

Mobile

PRIVACY STATEMENT St Mary’s House of Welcome adheres to The Privacy Act 1988 Please return this coupon with your cheque or credit card details to: St Mary’s House of Welcome

PO Box 60, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Phone: 03 9417 7985 Fax: 03 9416 3263

    ABN 54 050 278 754

Standing with the disadvantaged. Support - Solutions - Hope

I would like to opt out of receiving any further communications from St Mary's House of Welcome

(or)

St Mary’s will be hosting the Big Give

again this year, for over 300 homeless and disadvantaged people on Christmas Day, because it is important to celebrate the day

with people who care and to capture the true meaning of Christmas.

If you would like to get involved and/or if your workplace would like to sponsor

or donate to The Big Give 2010 visit

www.thebiggive.org.au

We invite you to support St Mary’s House of Welcome

03 9417 7411, St Judes

The Big Give

2010