HOME in Queanbeyan is a community initiative providing a loving place for nineteen men and women with enduring mental illness who cannot live independently , or may be at risk of homelessness . We are not here to help people . We are not here to hand out charity . What shapes and drives HOME are these two principles :
That , inspired by Christ , we seek to humbly walk alongside each other , recognising that our dignity and our freedom are caught-up in the dignity and freedom of those we serve and love ; and To build a sense of self-worth and belonging to our residents , encouraging and supporting them to live productive and meaningful lives within their community .
And while we must never presume that we ever meet this standard , as long as it remains so , HOME will continue to be a voice for those in our midst who are isolated by enduring mental illness : our mothers , our fathers , our siblings , our friends , our role models … and our unknown .
HOME receives no recurrent government funding . We rely totally on the generosity of the community .
The combine Holy Cross & St Margaret ’ s “ Good faith Choir ”, following the lead of Kaleidoscope choir with which it performed at its recent concerts , has given $ 800 to Home in Queanbeyan . HOME was very pleased to have the donation and invited choir members to visit for a look around . Our Musical Director , Susan Reid , will be going there on 25 July at 10.30am if anyone would like to join her .
You can make a one-off or monthly donation to HOME by going to https :// www . givenow . com . au / homeinqueanbeyan .
St James Uniting in Curtin hopes to establish HOME in Canberra . St James is heavily involved in the creation of affordable housing as part of it ’ s social justice agenda . This includes through the use of its land to create an affordable housing project : My Home in Canberra .
Last Month St James hosted a table talk on Housing Affordability , guided by facilitator Evan Mann and scribe Kate McLoughlin . Members of the Community participated in the Table Talk and drew on their experiences , including those experiencing or with loved ones who experience : illness , homelessness , a lack of safety , relationship breakdowns and natural disasters .
A summary of the talk is available here : Affordable Housing Table Talk summary .
St Margaret ' s News 12 July 2017