Staff on a mission all pull together

Media coverage - Weekend Australian, 10 December 2011

In this world of materialism and economic uncertainty it is easy to forget there are institutions dedicated to helping those who are less fortunate than most of us.

While we are running around trying to work out what to buy family and close friends for Christmas, there are people who are simply looking for their next meal or somewhere safe and warm to sleep.

Fortunately, there are organisations such as Mission Australia, a Christian community service group that has been transforming the lives of Australians in need for more than 150 years.

The company offers more than 550 community and employment services that assist more than 300,000 Australians. Services focus on:

• Trying to help combat homelessness
• Assisting families and children to overcome hardship
• Supporting disadvantaged young people
• Delivering entry level training
• Helping long-term unemployed people find permanent work.

The company employs more than 3500 people across Australia and is assisted by 1700 volunteers. "Mission Australia is such a diverse organisation that helps a very wide cross-section of the community," says Linda Griffiths, manager of the group's NSW community service project implementation team. 

"There is continuous learning on the job and a few times I have been seconded to project manage a tender right through to implementation and that has been great." Griffiths has been with Mission Australia for 5.5 years. She started with the organisation as the manager of Lemongrove Lodge, a service in Penrith in Sydney's west for young homeless people. 

Lemongrove offers people aged 16 to 21 secure medium-term accommodation and help to get back on their feet and find permanent housing. While living at Lemongrove Lodge young people receive support and assistance with a range of issues including living skills development, budgeting, hygiene, menu planning and cooking.

The past few years have seen Mission Australia's community services grow significantly, particularly in NSW as a result of successfully tendering for state and federal government contracts. For example, in 2010-11 in NSW, Mission Australia was awarded $3.6 million worth of new youth services.

It's in this context that Griffiths was promoted to her new role, to help manage such extraordinary growth. "It was great to be asked to help step up to a managerial role and look after up to $8m of services," she says. "I love a new challenge and you are always getting that here."

In 2010-11 Mission Australia's community services assisted 133,807 individuals and 8568 families. The employment and training services division worked with 154,929 job seekers. In the past few years Mission Australia has broadened its range of services to help Australians in need by providing both early learning and affordable housing services.

Following the collapse of childcare giant ABC Learning in 2008, Mission Australia purchased 29 of its childcare centres to operate under the banner of Mission Australia Early Learning. Subsequently, Mission Australia joined with the Benevolent Society,the Brotherhood of St Laurence and Social Ventures Australia in establishing Goodstart Early Learning, which now operates 661 former ABC Learning centres nationwide.

Mission Australia's affordable housing arm, MA Housing, was established in 2008 to help supply affordable housing to people on low-to-moderate incomes. It now owns and manages more than 1000 homes across the country and aims to secure 10,000 dwellings by 2020.

"I was attracted myself to the organisation because of the extraordinary people I met through the interview process," Lucinda Warren, executive leader of human resources, says. "Working at Mission Australia combines the heart and mind. You need to be at the top of your game as an employee but you can't dis- connect the heart. Every day you see what the organisation does for people in need."

Not-for-profit organisations rely on the goodwill of employees who are prepared to earn less than they would in the corporate world because they know they are making a positive difference on a daily basis to the community. But there are some benefits, such as receiving up to $16,001 in salary benefits tax-free.

"It is important that we offer some financial benefits and being able to get mortgages or education deducted pre-tax depending on your earnings is good compensation for our employees," Warren says. "We also offer a range of development and training programs working on the premise that 70 per cent of learning is done on the job; 20 per cent is accumulated through your networks and mentoting; while the last 10 per cent is formal education."

Mission Australia spends a lot of time trying to stop problems before they start, providing support to prevent situations from getting worse and forming partnerships to find long-term solutions to community issues. "You spend a lot of time with your colleagues and you need to know your professional expertise is making a difference," Warren says.

"We also have lots of flexibility in the workplace. Almost 80 per cent of our staff are women and we allow people to work part-time, work from home when needed and we generally try to accommodate people wherever we can." Mission Australia offers more than 550 community services that assist 300,000 Australians Mission Australia also works with indigenous people to increase their opportunities for a better quality of life.

In 2009 it became the first Australian welfare organisation to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan aimed at reducing the gap in living standards between Aboriginal people and other Australians. The plan focuses on building relationships, respect and opportunities.

"Working here you have to love a challenge," Warren says. "We need to find solutions with less resources behind us than most organisations. Staff here are very passionate and you feel proud working with people who are so dedicated," she continues. "To be honest it is my dream job."

Read the full article on The Australian website.