Mission Australia
Our Vision is to see a fairer Australia by enabling people in need to find pathways to a better life
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News Updates
| Paid maternity leave battle reignitedThursday, 02 October 2008In June last year, hundreds of people braved the wet weather to urge the Federal Government to reconsider its position on paid maternity leave. A year on from the launch of Marie Clare's "Push it - Paid Maternity Leave" campaign, Australia is a step closer to achieving the campaign's goal. This week, The Australian Productivity Commission... + Read Full Story |
From little things, big things grow - a story from Mission Australia’s Special Needs Dental Service (SNDS)Wednesday, 12 November 2008When Brian first came to Mission Australia’s SNDS, he was quiet, lacking in confidence and very slow to trust. After a year of treatment, we began to understand Brian’s story, where he’d come from and how something as simple as a good set of teeth could help him on his journey.Raised in a family heavily affected by alcohol abuse, Brian... + Read Full Story | More News Articles | ||
Mission Australia on Blogspot
Mission Australia assists northern small business development
At the annual Mission Australia New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) graduation ceremony last night 84 Tasmanians came closer to realising their business dreams when they were awarded with a Certificate IV in Small Business Management. Mission Australia’s State Director Noel Mundy said the NEIS program, which is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, is designed to assist eligible jobseekers set up and run their own business, giving them the skills to become successful small business owners. “Not only does the program give Tasmanians in need a helping hand but it also gives them the skills and confidence to operate a small business,” Mr Mundy said. “A wide variety of small businesses were developed through the course, ranging from river boat tours and soap making to barefoot horse trimming and landscape gardening and maintenance. “Other business concepts included computer repairs, web page design, freight services and a travel consu...
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Should income support recipients have payments stopped for not complying with Centrelink rules?
In recent days the media has once again begun to ask the question ‘should the recipients of income support have their payments stopped if they failure to comply with Centrelink rules?’ It’s a topic that brings much consternation amongst those who rely on income support to put bread on the table, but it’s an equally vexing question for working Australians who fund that support by paying their taxes. One thing is certain - stripping an individual of their benefits is something that should never be taken lightly. Homelessness Australia has stated, based on data from the Social Policy Research Centre, that 30% of people who have an eight week ‘no payment’ penalty imposed lose their accommodation. And it’s clear that Indigenous Australians – many of who are in a state of great vulnerability – bear the brunt of the Centrelink’s penalty regime. In 2006-07, 68% of those who lost income support payments for eight weeks in northern Australia were Indigenous. In Centreli...
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National Rental Affordability Scheme to address gap in affordable housing
Mission Australia welcomes the federal Treasurer's move to amend the charity and tax laws to allow charities to participate in the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). The announcement means charities like Mission Australia won’t lose their charitable tax status by becoming involved in the scheme. Mission Australia’s CEO, Mr Toby Hall, said community service charities had an integral role in the provision of affordable housing, particularly as a way to combat homelessness. “Mission Australia has a been providing support to homeless people – and those at risk of homelessness – for close to 150 years. If we can prevent people from even being at risk of homelessness through providing a range of affordable housing, that has to be a good thing," Mr Hall said. “Mission Australia’s current response to homelessness – like most other charities in the sector – is related to demand. “But all too often we can’t find affordable housing for our clients, and witho...
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New Survey: Missionbeat operates emergency response vehicles for Sydney's homeless, should they...
...be liable for parking fines while responding to calls of assistance? ...be granted the same access as any other emergency response vehicle? TO VOTE on our homepage, click here now!! ...
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From little things, big things grow - a story from Mission Australia’s Special Needs Dental Service (SNDS)
When Brian first came to Mission Australia’s SNDS, he was quiet, lacking in confidence and very slow trust. After a year of treatment, we began to understand Brian’s story, where he’d come from and how something as simple as a good set of teeth could help him on his journey. Raised in a family heavily affected by alcohol abuse, Brian turned to alcohol and drug use at an early age. By the time he was in his early forties, Brian had come close to death a number of times. After years of struggling with his addiction, Brian finally decided to enter a rehabilitation program in Sydney’s outer suburbs. Following rehab, Brian moved into supported post-rehabilitation accommodation, and he resided there for a number of years. He began volunteering at welfare services in his local area and soon found casual employment there. His experience, intelligence and compassion for others was well-recognised by his colleagues and superiors, but Brian wanted to further his studies in the welfare...
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What will you be doing on Christmas Day?
While many of us wait in anticipation for the festive season, Christmas can be a difficult time of year for people who are less advantaged, isolated and lonely. That's why Mission Australia, with the help of over 400 volunteers, is running the 33rd annual West Australia Christmas Lunch in the Park, to give people who are less fortunate a chance to join in the celebrations. This year we expect to cater for around 2,000 guests, all of whom will enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch, entertainment throughout the day and a gift from Santa. An event of this scale relies heavily on the generosity and support of the public who donate their time and resources... Volunteers greet our guests as they arrive, host tables and help Santa to distribute gifts, which are donated by the people of Western Australia. We also rely on donations from individuals and corporates to fund the event each year. If you'd like to contribute to the success of the 2008 Christmas in the Park, either by becoming a v...
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A homeless mother's story - “We’ve never been so low in our lives"
“We were living in accommodation – it was getting more and more expensive. The landlord kicked us out and we had nowhere to go. I had to take my child from place to place, never knowing where we were going to be next. It was a terrible strain and frightening for a little kid. Christmas time was the worst. It only highlighted what we didn’t have. There was nothing for us to celebrate. We couldn’t buy presents. Knowing my son had to look at other kids with their brand new toys was heartbreaking. Finally someone said that we should go and see Mission Australia. It wasn’t just the fact that they put a roof over our heads, they also helped us deal with other issues that were easier to put to one side than to have to face. We now have some sense of normality – Paul‡ has been at the same school since the beginning of the year and he goes to day care once a week. As soon as he got into school, he blossomed. Mission Australia gave me the confidence to face any problems we ...
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Training investment will boost employment
Mission Australia today welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister’s announcement that an additional $187 million will be spent on pre-employment training saying it will provide a boost for job seekers at a time when unemployment is likely to rise. Mission Australia CEO Toby Hall said that Productivity Places Program (PPP) had been highly subscribed and the increased funding offered an opportunity for the long term unemployed and some of the most disadvantaged people in the community to find work. “The additional 56,000 training places are great news for job seekers,” said Mr Hall. “The PPP has been incredibly successful in providing training for people entrenched in unemployment for longer than 12 months, often with severe challenges to finding a job, including poor literacy and numeracy, mental health issues, disabilities, culture and language barriers.” “In a time of financial turmoil, it’s the people at the margins who suffer first. For many this training program is a pa...
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Mission Australia helping families cut energy bills to prevent poverty spiral
Families in Adelaide’s north western suburbs are slicing as much as $200 from their energy bills each quarter through a Mission Australia program that helps them manage their energy consumption and costs. The Energy Matters program is a joint initiative of Mission Australia and energy provider AGL... With the focus this week across Australia on Anti Poverty Week, Mission Australia’s Operations Manager Carla Leversedge said the program played an important role in preventing a spiral into poverty, by assisting families before problems became too hard or intractable. Ms Leversedge said more than 80 low-income families have participated in Energy Matters since October 2007, receiving support and information from Mission Australia caseworkers about lowering energy consumption around the home, including choosing and using lower energy consuming appliances. The program works in conjunction with Mission Australia’s Early Intervention and Family Support programs to provide support a...
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Anti-Poverty Week this week!
This week is Anti-Poverty Week – a time to recognise the economic and social hardship facing thousands of Australians, and indeed, millions of people around the world and the actions needed to help them. In Australia, particularly after almost two decades of continued economic growth and prosperity, we tend to overlook the extent of poverty in our communities. Yet more individuals and families than ever before are going without even the most basic of life’s essentials. Last year, Mission Australia – along with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Anglicare (Sydney) and the Social Policy Research Centre – devised a new measurement of Australian poverty. Rather than using a person’s income level – the traditional indicator of poverty – the agencies proposed a measurement based on the essentials needed for an acceptable standard of living. They surveyed 2700 average Australians at random, resulting in broad agreement that the ‘essentials of life’ go beyond things which...
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Aussie Rock legends to harness young talent
Australian rock legends Doc Neeson, John ‘Swanee’ Swan, and ACDC’s Mark Evans will be heading for Adelaide’s northern and southern suburbs for two special sessions to nurture local music talent. They’ll be playing live and taking part in a panel discussion about their work and lives, to give an insight into the music industry and maybe help inspire the next Cold Chisel or Hilltop Hoods. Mission Australia’s Kerrie Sellen said the sessions will be a great opportunity for young people to gain from the real-life experiences of some of Australian rock’s real veterans. “Adelaide’s outer suburbs have long been recognised as cradles of South Australia rock and pop, with bands like Chisel and The Angels coming out of the Salisbury and Elizabeth districts and new stars like the Hilltop Hoods emerging from the south,” she said. “They’re a great inspiration for young people who have a talent and passion about music, and it will fantastic to have them come and talk abo...
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Success with the Indigenous employment programme
Recently ABC's Lateline Business reported the inspiring success of the Indigenous employment trial program carried out by Cape York partnerships, Mission Australia and the Wunan Foundation of Western Australia. The program has been extended in Victoria and is proving a great method to provide practical solutions to skills shortages while providing employment opportunities to Indigenous workers - to view the transcript of the report follow this link to the Lateline Business website. ...
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Paid maternity leave battle reignited
In June last year, hundreds of people braved the wet weather to urge the Federal Government to reconsider its position on paid maternity leave. A year on from the launch of Marie Claire's "Push it - Paid Maternity Leave" campaign, Australia is a step closer to achieving the campaign's goal. This week, The Australian Productivity Commission recommended that the government fund 18 weeks maternity leave for mothers and 2 weeks maternity leave for fathers or partners. Commenting on the recommendations, Mission Australia CEO, Toby Hall said "It is unacceptable that Australia is one of only two O.E.C.D. countries without paid maternity leave. Australia has lacked credibility in this area for far too long. We applaud the Commission's recommendations." Mission Australia introduced nine weeks paid maternity for employees in 2007. Of its 3,500 staff, close to 70% are women, so the move to paid maternity leave was both a moral and practical decision. As an organisation that believes strongl...
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Green Corps initiative for Community Education Week, Gumeracha
Old age took on a new meaning for about 50 Year 10 students from St John Grammar School at Belair last Thursday, on a special excursion to visit one of Mission Australia’s Green Corps projects. The students learnt about the historic eucalypts – some of which are more than 400 years old - in Federation Park at Gumeracha, and plant their own trees on a nearby property during the excursion to mark Community Education Week. They met with participants from Mission Australia’s Green Corps project which is being run in partnership with the Upper Torrens Land Management Project, Sixth Creek Catchment Group, Mid Torrens Catchment Group and Adelaide Hills Council. Green Corps Team Leader Philip Duigan said “the students were exposed first-hand to the long-term significance of Federation Park to the Australian community. It’s an ideal location to show students how important the environment is to a community.” The students also learnt about Mission Australia’s Green Corp program...
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Mission Australia joins industry and government at the Social Innovation Summit
It is one of the frustrations of our society that for all of our knowledge and progress, we can not seem to fix the entrenched disadvantage that permeates much of our community. Last weekend, 50 people came together looking for ways to address this anomaly, at the third annual Social Innovation Summit held in the Hunter Valley. Previous Summits, held in 2006 and in London in 2007, raised the need for more creative ways to combat long-term disadvantage. In 2008, the Summit focused at ways to encourage that creative approach, to deliver real change at a local community level... Participants represented the government, business and not-for-profit sectors, all of them leaders in their chosen fields. What was unique about this gathering was the focus on collaboration between the three sectors to overcome long-term social problems. This collaboration lies at the heart of social innovation. Professor Tony Vinson’s opening presentation highlighted the magnitude of the task at hand. His ...
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Should voluntary Community Service be offered in public schools as an alternative to weekly sport?
Click here and VOTE on our Official Website now!...
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U-Turn graduates donate restored car
A group of young Tasmanians today graduated from Mission Australia's U-Turn automotive training course following the rebuilding and restoration of a 93 Model Hyundai. Mission Australia’s Community Services Operations Manager Lucy O’Flaherty said the keys to the restored were also handed over to Donna Bennet at the graduation ceremony. “Ms Bennet was very excited to receive the car and was excited about the car giving her back her independence,” Ms O’Flaherty said... “During the 10-week course, the U-Turn participants repaired numerous dents on the car, completed an engine service, undertook minor repairs and finished off with a total respray. “The opportunity for participants to repair a vehicle for presentation to a worthy recipient is one of the most important components of the U-Turn program.” Graduates were presented with certificates by the Minister for Infrastructure the Hon. Graham Sturges and Tasmania Police Acting Commissioner Darren Hine. Hazell Bros aga...
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Fostering Leadership Potential
The Elevate Program is an innovative corporate–community venture that was developed by Mission Australia and the Pricewaterhouse Coopers Foundation. Launched in 2005, its aim is to partner young people, aged 15–19, who come from a diverse range of backgrounds, with coaches from the corporate sector. These coaches spend 12 months fostering the development of the participants’ leadership potential, employability, self-confidence and enterprise skills. In doing so, participants are better equipped to take advantage of future life and employment opportunities. Sammi, now aged 19, spent the first 16 years of her life in foster care, moving from place to place and sometimes spending only one week in a home. By the time she reached her teens, she was struggling with her feelings of abandonment and anger. “Before Elevate, I was extremely shy and introverted, scared of public speaking and a totally different person. When I heard about the program, I hoped to achieve self-esteem and...
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Mission Australia supports local music in the south
The best live bands in the southern suburbs will compete against each other in the Battle of the Bands staged by Mission Australia’s Reynella Enterprise and Youth Centre (REYC) over the October long weekend. Mission Australia’s Onkaparinga Youth Services service manager Kerrie Sellen says 24 bands are expected to contest heats on the Saturday and Sunday of the long weekend – 3 and 4 October – with a final four reaching finals on Monday, 5 October. The winner will receive cash, prizes and, says Ms Sellen, “highly sought-after MySpace bragging rights”. Ms Sellen says Mission Australia, in partnership with the City of Onkaparinga, had supported the presentation of original live music at REYC with monthly ‘Stage Against the Machine’ (SATM) gigs for five years. “The gigs have gone from strength to strength, growing from what was an ‘open mic’ night into a quality performance opportunity for locals to show their performing and writing talents. “Mission Australi...
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Inspiring success story broadcast on ABC Southern QLD
Recently on ABC Southern QLD's Mornings show, broadcaster Vicki Thompson heard a great success story from Hannah, a client of Mission Australia's Reconnect program. To see Vicki's blog post about the story click here....
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