In 2021, it was estimated more than 9,000 Western Australians were homeless. This is partly due to the end of the COVID-19 rent moratorium, and the numbers have continued to grow this year.
Rotary is well equipped to address the problem and many West Australian clubs have been working on a number of homelessness projects. One example is the Passages Youth Engagement Hub, a joint venture between the Rotary Club of Perth and the St Vincent de Paul Society. It was established in 1999 and helps marginalised homeless and troubled youth.
The Hub, convened by Dr Ken Mullin, has developed a strategic directions paper and a homelessness prevention paper to assist Rotary’s efforts. Ken’s work was a key contributor to the WA Alliance to End Homelessness, especially early work on the Common Ground model in WA.
With Dr Liz Pattison and Homeless Healthcare, Perth now has the Medical Respite Centre (MRC) for homeless people.
The first of its kind in Australia, the centre provides pre and post hospital care for homeless people. Benefits include reduced repeat visits to emergency departments and re-admittance to hospital, addressing chronic health conditions, providing pathways out of homelessness, and delivering significant savings to Western Australia’s health budget.
The MRC was opened by WA’s Community Services Minister Simone McGurk and Health Minister Roger Cook in August 2021. It is now up and running with 20 medical beds and 10 non-medical beds, and residents can stay for a period of up to 14 days in either.
Passages Resource Centre also helps young people living on the streets or in transient circumstances.
The Hub champions the Eye Contact Travelling Photographic Exhibition, which tours schools and community venues, putting a human face on homelessness. It plays a pivotal role in changing public perceptions and has been exhibited in WA Parliament during Homeless Prevention Week and was front and centre at a Lord Mayoral debate in the lead up to the most recent Lord Mayoral election. This spring it will tour Canberra and be displayed in the federal Parliament.
Rotary is also playing a key role in fitting out accommodation for senior women at risk of homelessness, as part of the fabulous My Home project. Read more at www.myhomehousing.org.au.
Sandwich making for Perth Homeless Support Group Since August 2018, the Rotaract Club of Perth has been on a mission to make a positive difference to those experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough on the streets of Perth. In one of the club’s favourite volunteering activities, members come together to make sandwiches to donate to the Perth Homeless Support Group. Each Sunday, the amazing PHSG team, along with Rotaract volunteers, deliver fresh food, toiletries and support for the homeless people of Perth. Members are asked to bring enough ingredients to make 25-30 sandwiches, with the tasty menu including tuna and mayo; curried egg; egg, baby spinach and aioli; sliced meat, cheese and pickles; polony and sauce; and sausage and sauce. To date, the members have made and distributed more than 2,000 sandwiches to those in need of a feed.
