CEO update

As we consider the past year, and look towards the coming 12 months, we are heartened by the fact we have offered hope, and will continue to offer hope to some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Inspired by the spirit of the Daughters of Charity, our mission and values remain central to the way we serve those who rely on us for help. This year, St Mary’s House of Welcome celebrated its 60th anniversary in May. That is, 60 years honouring our commitment to standing with our community. One of the highlights of this year has been the way our small organisation has responded to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. I am very proud to have worked with such a committed team who were focused on ensuring that, during this period, we have continued to provide food security, outreach support and have strengthened partnerships. Our NDIS program has continued to respond to need with the aim always to be significant in the life of each person we assist. The service is giving support, hope and the ability to focus on each client’s own goals and abilities to develop solutions to their individual concerns. We have been able to provide purposeful change in small and significant ways, supporting skill development from financial self-sufficiency, to deciding which recreational goals are important to individuals. The simple act of going shopping, or a walk in the park, allows one-on-one time with their support worker to talk about life and future hopes. It’s a time to support participants to take greater control in their lives with someone to listen and support them grow as they grow in confidence. As we look to, and prepare for, a year unlike we have known before, we confidently see the House of Welcome as a very real and strong presence for those in need in our community. We foresee a very different future for service delivery with those in our homeless and disability sector. We will focus on developing new ways of community and program delivery in Covid-safe ways. We look forward to re-engaging with our amazing volunteers - the life blood of our service model. We will keep the Welcome very much alive. I would like to acknowledge the tireless work of the senior management group as we have adapted quickly to changed circumstances. None of the work we did in our community this year would have been possible without our wonderful staff and volunteers and the incredible support we have received from our donors and supporters. Each member of the broader St Mary’s House of Welcome community has played a vital role in helping us provide exceptional care, build strong connections and ensure our service users experience our values of respect, relationships and hope. Our vision is that St Mary’s House of Welcome will be universally acknowledged as a professional, cost efficient and effective organisation providing relevant services to the homeless and disadvantaged in accordance with the Vincentian Spirit. We will continue our strategic focus on evidence-based models of service delivery, building effective partnerships and industry connectedness, with an eye to secure public and private funding and the pursuit of opportunities to establish satellite services as demand grows as our operating hallmarks.

Thank you,

Robina Bradley