Author: Melissa Sabian
Everyone has capacity to lead #IDPWD24
This year, the theme for International Day of People with Disability is amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.
Social inclusion – what it looks like and why it matters
Social Inclusion Week will take place this year from 23 November – 1 December. Often, we’ll hear the words “inclusion” and “accessibility” mentioned in the media and online. They sound like important words, but how important are they, really, to a person’s day to day life? And for a person with a disability, what does an inclusive space look like? We ask our friends at Boonah.
Boonah is Daisy’s happy place
Every Thursday for the last six years, Daisy has attended Boonah Creative Arts Centre in West Pymble. As a creative hub for artists living with a disability, Boonah is a place where artists can unwind, learn new skills, express themselves creatively and connect with others. Boonah is Daisy’s happy place, and her presence there makes it an even happier place for everyone she encounters.
Our annual report is a series of inspiring stories
Our incredible teams continued supporting, educating, encouraging, equipping and advocating for our clients this year. The many testimonies and case studies in this annual report serve to highlight how incredibly well they did this work.
A word from our Executive Director
I had not run a foster care service prior to joining CatholicCare, but I had managed other types of programs for children in Out of Home Care. I knew from my experience that kids in foster care almost always thrived.
Every Monday, I look half decent again!
You can tell it’s Monday at Mary Mac’s Place by looking at the queue for the shower. “Weekends are long because everyone is hanging out for Mary Mac’s to open again,” Steve says, who has been a companion at Mary Mac’s for 20 years.
I don’t even know if I would have survived
Peter never expected to be homeless. Five years ago, he was a married father of four kids, a high-end wall paperer for Sydney’s rich and famous. Learn how CatholicCare rescued Peter from despair and homelessness.
I didn’t realise I was homeless
Life would look vastly different for David, if not for the support of CatholicCare’s Together Home Program and Dom’s Place. “This place saves lives,” David says as he looks around. Now that he has a safe place to call home, David is committed to making his life a meaningful one.
Homelessness – the reality in 2024
Homelessness can affect men, women and children from a wide range of backgrounds. A shortage of affordable housing and high rents means that people on low incomes are increasingly vulnerable to homelessness.
A word from our Executive Director
I am penning this article just a few days out from the Federal budget. The lead up to budgets are usually busy times for CEOs in the social and community service sector as we make submissions to Government in the hope of securing additional funding for the benefit of the clients and communities we serve.
Empowering young people to speak up when something isn’t right
Slowly but surely, domestic violence is becoming less of a taboo topic. Here we explore the importance of teaching young people how to be active bystanders and speaking up when something isn’t right.
Being the face of God in the unknown
The comfort CatholicCare's Pastoral Care team brought during the final months and weeks of my husband's life was beautiful. The Catholic Chaplaincy team became our spiritual family.