A Mount Gambier partnership has already provided emergency housing for four families\u00a0as innovative solutions are implemented by ac.care to help people affected by the regional housing crisis.<\/p>\n
A three-bedroom house has been secured thanks to a $19,720 donation from the CMV Group Staff Foundation \u2013 which is supported by Barry Maney Group staff \u2013 with the money funding the first 12 months of rent.<\/p>\n
The significant donation has allowed ac.care to house families of up to four children in the\u00a0self-contained property, which features large outdoor play areas to provide a welcoming and safe environment for children.<\/p>\n
In a positive outcome, three families who have lived in the property and benefited from the stable and secure environment have since found long-term housing.<\/p>\n
A local mother who moved into the home with her two children after previously sharing a bedroom in a relative\u2019s house said the property was \u201cexactly what we needed”.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is room for everyone to have their own space \u2013 I can\u2019t express how much this means to us,\u201d she said. The mother said other living arrangements, such as a motel, would have proven<\/p>\n
difficult for the family of three, with one of her children having special needs. \u201cThis is perfect and there is everything we need,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kitchen is so well set up and I\u2019ve found nothing missing that I might need. I don\u2019t know where we would be without this property and the support ac.care has given us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The house has become the second emergency relief property managed by ac.care in Mount Gambier, with a two- bedroom unit also used to house vulnerable residents. That property was established under similar circumstances thanks to the generosity shown at the Limestone Coast Support Homeless People Luncheon, an initiative which is the legacy of the late Barry Maney OAM.<\/p>\n
ac.care homelessness and community services manager Trish Spark said the larger, family- orientated property filled an important need in Mount Gambier. \u201cWe do have families that come to use with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep at all,\u201d Ms Spark said. \u201cThe option had been they would sleep in their car or we have to give them a tent. \u201cNow that we\u2019ve got this property, it\u2019s a nice home that<\/p>\n
\u201c…we do have families that come to use with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep at all…\u201d Trish Sparks (ac. care homelessness and community services manager)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c…I don\u2019t know where we would be without this property and the support ac.care has given us…\u201d ac.care emergency housing recipient<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEverything they need is there, they\u2019re safe, warm, the kids can still go to school, the parents can do what they need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Spark said the two-bedroom unit, used by ac.care for emergency housing over the last four years, worked well for single people and couples, but fell short of providing adequate space for families with children.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really quite small and there is no backyard or front yard for the kids to get outside and to run around \u2013 it\u2019s hard to keep children really quiet if they\u2019re locked inside all day,\u201d she said. \u201cThis property is so important because we can fit bigger families and there is space for the children to play inside or outside depending on the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Ms Spark said despite the positive outcomes provided by the property, there was still a dire need for more affordable housing to meet the needs of vulnerable people in Mount Gambier.<\/p>\n Barry Maney Group general manager Shannon Wilson said the local business was proud to continue its strong support for ac.care. \u201cThe Barry Maney Group has had a really long-standing relationship in supporting ac.care and all the good work they\u2019ve done around the community for many, many years,\u201d Mr Wilson said. \u201cThe luncheon has been the biggest thing over the years with<\/p>\n Barry Maney Group\u2019s Barry Stafford heavily involved in that in recent times and Barry Maney before him.<\/p>\n \u201cBarry Maney himself, who built the business we all get to work for, had been a wonderful community ambassador and we\u2019ve really tried to keep his legacy running into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Wilson said issues like homelessness and poverty were not always visible in the Mount Gambier community, with people also struggling to balance home budgets. \u201cIt pulls at the heart strings when its families and small kids involved and struggling to integrate into the community through their school or sports or creating friendship groups,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a really good thing to support locally because you don\u2019t want those people forgotten about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c…it pulls at the heart strings when its families and small kids involved and struggling to integrate into the community through their school or sports or creating friendship group…\u201d Shannon Wilson (Barry Maney Group general manager)<\/strong><\/p>\n Explaining how the donation was allocated, local CMV Group Staff Foundation representative Jason Peake said a submission was put to the foundation, which collects contributions from staff working at CMV Group sites during the pay cycle. \u201cThat gets matched dollar for dollar by the CMV Group,\u201d Mr Peake said. \u201cAt the moment we probably have over 400 staff that donate across the CMV Group so every little bit helps – we just try and give out as much as we can and give back.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Spark said the support of the Mount Gambier community was vital in increasing the impact of the Limestone Coast Homelessness Service. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we continue to receive and increase that support so we can continue to deliver new projects like this one,\u201d Ms Spark said.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout the support of Barry Maney Group and CMV staff we wouldn\u2019t have the opportunity to have this property so we\u2019re really grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n