Annual report 2022
WELCOME
The ongoing pandemic and environmental challenges in the past year had an immense toll on many of us. We are so grateful for our community of supporters, staff, partners, funders and volunteers who continued to demonstrate kindness, Christ-like love and generosity.
Celebrating achievements
Helping people and communities thrive is at the heart of what we do. We are incredibly proud of our organisation’s resilience in serving and caring for people throughout previous lockdowns and restrictions. Our staff demonstrated creative and dedicated ways of helping others. This was demonstrated in our commitment to the long-term recovery of flood affected communities across NSW and QLD. While Mission Australia is not a disaster relief organisation, our teams coordinated vital community services, and provided support to people experiencing disadvantage and homelessness.
Our frontline teams in Inala and Coffs Harbour prepared over 1,000 care packages, distributed essential items and assisted in recovery efforts.
Two years into our 20-25 Strategy, we are pleased with our progress. This past year, we:
- Opened a Mission Australia Centre (MAC) in Coffs Harbour, along with the Duke Street Housing Complex (which includes 40 one-bedroom social and affordable housing units).
- Advanced our Community of Focus initiative in Cairns South and commenced plans for three additional Community of Focus initiatives in strategic areas.
- Continued the development two Residential Alcohol and Other Drug services in Cairns and Batemans Bay.
- Commenced the development of Mid-Town in Sydney, with the first 259 social housing dwellings on track for completion next year.
- Launched our second innovative Reconciliation Action Plan, which outlines actions for achieving Mission Australia’s vision for reconciliation and commits to 85 deliverables that we will implement by the end of 2023.
Our Founding Purpose
This year, we celebrated 160 years since Benjamin Short founded Sydney City Mission on 11 July 1862.
Distressed by the poverty and deprivation he saw on the streets of Sydney, Benjamin Short’s Christian faith led him to gather church, business and civic leaders to establish the Sydney City Mission.
“Inspired by Jesus Christ, Mission Australia exists to meet human need and to spread the knowledge of the love of God.”
Our Founding Purpose is at the core of everything we do here at Mission Australia and, 160 years on, we remain committed to continue with our purpose and vision to end homelessness and see lives transformed.
Thank you for your support. Together, we are striving towards an Australia where all of us have a safe home and can thrive. We hope you enjoy our 2022 Annual Report.
Warm regards,

Ken Dean
Chairman

Sharon Callister
CEO
Welcoming Sharon Callister as CEO
“In March 2022, I was appointed the new CEO of Mission Australia.
I look forward to continuing the great progress we have made on our 20-25 Strategy, living out our Founding Purpose as we work towards our vision of an Australia where everyone has a safe home and can thrive.”
- Sharon Callister
Together, we supported 147,913 Australians on their journey towards independence last year.
Homelessness

23,755 people assisted
through 78 services
Housing

7,388 people assisted
through 13 services
Aged care

263 people assisted
through 3 services
Alcohol & other drugs

5,660 people assisted
through 32 services
Children & families

20,862 people assisted
through 63 services
Community development

19,567 people assisted
through 20 services
Employment, education & training

20,067 people assisted
through 152 services
Family & domestic violence

2,993 people assisted
through 16 services
Financial wellbeing

6,325 people assisted
through 17 services
Mental health recovery

4,021 people assisted
through 33 services
Justice & corrections

955 people assisted
through 15 services
NDIS

34,250 people assisted
through 18 services
An Australia where all of us can have a safe home and thrive
In 2020, we launched Mission Australia’s 20-25 Strategy with a vision for an Australia where all of us have a safe home and can thrive. In the past year, we are proud of our progress in our four strategic focus areas. From the opening of the Mission Australia Centre in Coffs Harbour to expanding our Alcohol and Other Drugs Facilities in Batemans Bay, read more about our progress here.




Our work in action
Ending homelessness
Thanks to funding from our generous supporters, the new Mission Australia Centre in Coffs Harbour opened in February as part of our ongoing commitment to help people like Ezra on the Mid North Coast have access to the services they need and a safe place to call home.
Strengthening communities
When his parents abandoned the family, 16-year-old Cory had to play an active role in raising his younger siblings, leaving little time to focus on his education. With help from Youth on Track, young people like Cory are stepping towards an independent future.
Supporting people in need to thrive
Terry loves motorbike adventures but sadly, his riding days came to a sudden halt when Terry was diagnosed with advanced multiple sclerosis. Our Local Area Coordination team helped get access to the support he needed but they also went the extra mile to surprise Terry with the ride of a lifetime.
Mission Australia stands together with Australians in need, until they can stand for themselves.
Thank you for making our work possible this year.
Driving excellence
Our Impact Measurement Program helps us understand how our 78 homelessness services improve the lives of the people and communities we serve. We measure our impact by asking the people we help about their housing and wellbeing when they start a service and when they exit.
Funded by the Federal and State Governments, our services provide support to people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Our impact measurement data shows that when people left a service, they were more satisfied with their personal wellbeing than at the start.
92% of people at risk of homelessness at entry were in secure and stable accommodation at exit.*

*All closed cases who at service entry were at risk of homelessness and who exited between July 2021 and June 2022 (n=2204). Data for secure and stable housing (n=1854).
^Matched data collected from July 2021 to June 2022 (n=389) compared to Australian population normative range.
1Deakin University and Australian Unity Limited. (2021). Australian Unity Wellbeing Index - Appendices 38. Subjective wellbeing in Australia during the second year of the pandemic. Geelong: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Deakin University
Research & advocacy
Mission Australia provided submissions and presented evidence to the Federal Government and State and Territory Governments on a range of issues, including:
- The Productivity Commission’s review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement
- Federal pre-budget consultations
- The National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Their Children
- The new Disability Employment Services model
We continued to advocate for a national plan to end homelessness, further investment in social and affordable housing, adequate income support and other policy priorities to support people in need to thrive.
Our people
Our staff

Our volunteers
We thank our 759 selfless volunteers, who over the last financial year generously contributed almost 22,447 hours in support of our staff and the people we serve.
Our leaders
Sharon Callister
GAICD, MBA, BHA, RN
Chief Executive Officer
Sally Ascroft
BEc, LLB, GAICD
General Counsel & Company Secretary
Andrew Sharkey
FCCA, CA
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Ben Carblis
BA, MA, GAICD
Executive, Community Services
Chris Bratchford
MBA, LLB, GAICD
Executive, Housing and Property
Marion Bennett
BA (Hons), GAICD
Executive, Practice, Evidence and Impact
Ramsina Lee
BA, GAICD
Executive, People and Culture
Phil Chapman
BSc, Grad Dipl Bus Ops Mgmt
Executive, Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care
Our Board
Kenneth Dean
BCom (Hons), FCPA, FAICD
President and Chairman
Michael Codling
BSc (Hons), FCA
Debra Stirling
BA, GAICD
Dr Robert Mitchell AM
LLB, MPhil, GradDipTax, GradDipTheol, MThSt, GradCertMin, PhD, FAICD
Ian Hammond
BA (Hon), FCA, FCPA, FAICD
Nancy Fox AM
BA, JD Law, FAICD
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