- In the absence of Yvonne Hurrell, while she is recovering, Noeline has agreed to be the Almoner for our meetings. Noeline will give an update on those members currently suffering ill health.
- Our meeting nights are still in question, as the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays as planned, are in fact, not available at the Goolwa Hotel. To avoid the public holiday on 14th June, we have booked the Hotel for Monday 7th June and then 28th June. Changeover date and venue yet to be advised.
Membership – Satellite Club.
- After extensive research and many, many meetings by the Membership committee, it has been decided to no longer pursue the idea of forming a Satellite Club. We have realised that the targeted age demographic is not feasible … they are simply too busy, with mostly both parents working and juggling their children’s activities.
- We have decided that gaining new members will be best achieved by raising our profile in the community, thus attracting the interest of potential new Rotarians.
- So, we are now upping the ante.
- David Baker is already involved in uploading info on our Facebook page. Please if you have a Facebook page, like & share our news.
- Roger & Andy are looking after our website. So, any stories and updates give to them. Please check our website out, if you haven’t for a while.
Connunity
Thank you to our Community Committee for great photos & stories on providing the Goolwa Uniting Church a new stove & rangehood to allow them to better provide community lunches for disadvantaged residents.
Also where we handed over 4 backpack beds, for those sleeping rough and 10 sleeping bags for those couch surfing, to Mary McInnes of Whalers Peninsula Community Housing for use in the Fleurieu.
Recently when I attended a membership session at the District Assembly, the speaker (a journalist) quoted “If there isn’t a picture, it didn’t happen !” So please take pictures whenever you’re doing anything Rotary ….…. at meetings, social events, having coffee … fun photos too.
We want to let the community know what we do, and that we have fun doing it!
I encourage every Rotarian to bring along one person to Rotary as a way of increasing our membership.
Speakers.
- As we haven’t a scheduled speaker tonight, Duncan has offered to talk about homelessness and how people get there. Duncan, in his most recent career, was the Affordable Housing Coordinator for the James Brown Memorial Trust. Duncan managed 79 cottages across 5 sites in Adelaide, involving both the management of the assets and importantly that the tenants achieve positive life outcomes.
2-minute spots
Tony McWhinney - Fundraising Lunch
The lunch is a fundraiser for ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children). The lunch is on Sunday 29th of August, 12:30 to 4pm at the Adelaide Pavilion, South Tce, Adelaide. Fundraising has been limited, but many children in Pacific countries still need ROMAC support, which they get in Australia, as they cannot get it in their own country.
The lunch features a dance from a Pacific Island cultural group, compere Tony Pilkington, a 2-course meal, plus an inspiritional talk from Rosie Lotowa, ROMAC's 5th patient and now our ROMAC ambassador. Also a 75 minute recital from the 14-piece band, Brilliant Brass. The cost is $65/head. Tony then passed around a sheet for people to add their names to if they wished to attend.
Kevin - Club activities.
Kevin delivered a wine carton full of postage stamps from the club in McLaren Vale, a project which Lynne Harris had been driving. Kevin also delivered 25kg of ringpulls (3 cartons) at the collection point in Wingfield. Kevin also dropped off 20kg of foreign money. This project is run by the Rotary Club of Hornsby, but they are currently unable to repatriate any money until after June 2021.
Noeline, almoner.
Yvonne had open heart surgery 2 weeks ago in Calvary hospital and is now in the rehab unit.
Lynne Harris has been in Flinders, but is now home.
Guest Speaker
Duncan Norris - Homelessness.
There are 3 kinds of homelessness.
- Primary homelessness, experienced by people without conventional accommodation (e.g. sleeping rough or in improvised dwellings);
- Secondary homelessness, experienced by people who frequently move from one temporary shelter to another (e.g. emergency accommodation, youth refuges, "couch surfing")
- Tertiary homelessness, experienced by people staying in accommodation that falls below minimum community standards (e.g. boarding houses and caravan parks)
How many in SA; There are 6,224 people in South Australia experiencing homelessness.
- Improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out 7%
- Supported accommodation for the homeless 18%
- Staying temporarily with other households 15%
- Boarding houses 15% e.g. Harry experience
- Other temporary lodging 1%
- “Severely” overcrowded dwellings 44%
- Under 12 - 14%
- 12-18 - 10%
- 19-24 - 15%
- 25-34 - 18%
- 35-44 - 14%
- 45-54 - 12%
- 55-64 - 8%
- 65-74 - 4%
- 75 and over 2% (2,028)
Why are they homeless?
24% Domestic and family violence
20% Financial difficulties
16% Housing crisis
11% Inappropriate or inadequate dwellings
8% Other relationship issues
5% Other accommodation issues
4% Health issues 2% in South Australia Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues.
2% Transition from custody agreement
1% Itinerant
1% Lack of family/community support
Footnote: The programme that I ran, received no Government Financial Support other than Grants achieved for rebuilding sites and furnishings. Rental income, which was on average 19-20% of a Disability Pension, was how the entire budget was funded.
One of the most important benefits of providing good accommodation for homeless people is that it gives them back their dignity and self worth. To the point where a lot of them became volunteers.
There are currently about 150 people sleeping rough in Adelaide, and about 41 in the Goolwa area. This is due to our more moderate climate.
Duncan is our Community director.
President Wendy Lippett
Secretary Greg Casson
