1995 25years - micah projects

+beyond

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MICAH PROJECTS

ANNUAL REPORT

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2052MICAH PROJECTS

Phone (07) 3029 7000 | Fax (07) 3029 7029

Ground Floor, 162 Boundary Street, West End Q 4101

PO Box 3449, South Brisbane Q 4101

micahprojects.org.au | [email protected]

facebook.com/micahprojects | twitter: @micahprojects

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M I C A H P R O J E C T S

Breaking Social IsolationBuilding Community

Principle FundersTh e Queensland and Australian Governments support Micah Projects in our mission to build community and break social isolation through funding agreements for the provision of services in the community.

Commitment to QualityMicah Projects is committed to adhering to well defi ned, eff ective procedures that are designed to ensure the quality of our services and activities. Our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 and the Human Services Quality Standards (HSQS).

Micah Projects certifi cation numbers:ISO - 9001:2015 QC 400009 | HSQS QC00008

Vision Mission

Our hope is to create justice and respond to injustice at the personal, social and structural levels in society, including government, church and business.

To respond to people who experience exclusion, poverty, injustice and social isolation so that they may experience inclusion, economic wellbeing, justice and connection within their community of choice.

Values

RespectWe respect the humanity and dignity of each person and we act with honesty and integrity.

RightsWe are committed to the legal and human rights of all citizens and the industrial rights of employees.

EqualityWe are committed to overcoming prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage by promoting fair access to resources and opportunities.

ResilienceWe acknowledge the prevalence of trauma in the lives of many and that adversity happens to all of us at any time across our life span.

ParticipationWe actively seek the participation of individuals, families and our workforce in building a fair, just and inclusive community.

Connection to communityWe seek to build a supportive and safe community to break social isolation and create sustainable change.

PartnershipsWe respect the distinct roles of Governance and Management and we embrace Shared Leadership within the organisation. We work with partners and stakeholders who share our commitment to social justice. Th is builds our capacity to create inclusive communities and fulfi l our mission.

DiversityWe respect and value the broad range of life experience, skill, knowledge, wisdom, culture and potential that diversity brings to the community and to our organisation.

ChoiceWe work with people to enable them to make choices within their capacity, resources and community of choice. We strive to be an employer of choice by providing a safe, supportive and innovative workplace and organisation.

Micah ProjectsPhone (07) 3029 7000Ground Floor, 162 Boundary Street, West End Q 4101PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected] | micahprojects.org.au

ABN 76 409 721 192 | ACN 620 134 787

@MicahProjects

Wellspring CoorparooYoung Mothers for Young Women (YMYW)

Phone (07) 3394 9100143 Cavendish Road, Coorparoo Q 4151PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected] | micahprojects.org.au

Wellspring CabooltureCaboolture Young Mothers for Young Women

Phone (07) 5495 727019 Morayfi eld Road, Caboolture South Q 4510PO Box 629, Morayfi eld, Q [email protected]

Wellspring HawthorneChildren and Families’ Hub

Phone (07) 3902 [email protected] | micahprojects.org.au

Brisbane Domestic Violence ServiceA Brisbane Region integrated response

Phone (07) 3217 2544PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected] | bdvs.org.au

Inclusive Health and Wellness HubOvercoming health inequality

Phone (07) 3013 605015 Hope Street, South Brisbane Q 4101PO Box 3449, South Brisbane Q [email protected]

Family Inclusion NetworkValuing children. Partnering with families.Embracing diversity.

Phone (07) 3013 6030Level 1, 209 Boundary Street, West End Q 4101info@fi nseq.org.au | fi nseq.org.au

Home for Good and Street to HomeWorking with families and individuals experiencing homelessness

Phone (07) 3036 4444PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected] | homeforgood.org.au

Lotus PlaceAdults who experienced childhood abuse in an institutional setting

Phone (07) 3347 8500or Find and Connect 1800 16 11 0946 Cleveland Street, Stones Corner Q 4120PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected] | lotusplace.org.au

Lotus Place Central QueenslandPhone/Fax (07) 4999 4300 or Find & Connect 1800 16 11 0910 Albert Street, Rockhampton Q 4700PO Box 2159, Wandal Q [email protected] | lotusplace.org.au

Lotus Place North QueenslandPhone (07) 4722 8100or Find and Connect 1800 16 11 09382 Sturt Street, Townsville Q 4810PO Box 2027, Townsville Q [email protected] | lotusplace.org.au

Lotus Support ServicesAssistance with National Redress Scheme ApplicationsPhone (07) 3036 4490PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q [email protected]/services

Supporting People Engaged with the Disability Royal CommissionPhone (07) 3036 4490PO Box 3449 South Brisbane Q 4101lotussupportservices@micahprojects.org.aumicahprojects.org.au/services

Hope Street Social EnterpriseHope Street CaféShop 1, 15 Hope Street, South Brisbane Q [email protected]

Hope on Boundary Café170 Boundary Street, West End Q [email protected]

Chair’s Report 1

CEO’s Report 4

Our Foundations 9

2019/20 Snapshot 10

Respected, Equal and Safe 13

- The Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

- Safer Lives Mobile Service

- Safer Families

- Safer Options and Support

- Safe and Accountable Justice Systems

- Safer Community Culture

Healthy and Well 17

- Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub

- Working Together to Connect Care

- Street to Home–Integrated Healthcare

- Homefront Health

- Inclusive Health Vans

At Home and Supported 21

- Home for Good Homelessness Hub Coordinated Access Team (CAT)

- Street to Home–Assertive Outreach

- Family Support and Advocacy

- Supportive Housing

Families Safe and Well, Together 27

- Wellspring Children and Families’ Hub

- Young Mothers for Young Women

- Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women

Connected to Community and Culture 32

- The Hive

Working and Learning 33

- Hope Street Social Enterprise

Healing, Resilient and Receiving Justice 35

- Lotus Place

- Lotus Support Services

Creating Justice Together 38

Donors and Volunteers 42

The People of Micah Projects 46

2019/20 Financial Report 47

2020 and Beyond 50

Stories

jamie’s story 21

maddie’s story 26

molli’s story 29

casey’s story 3 matt and the united artists project 31

li’s story 12 helen’s story 34

phillip’s story 17 laura’s story 36

Contents




Vision Mission



Values











ABN 76 409 721 192 | ACN 620 134 787

@MicahProjects























The Micah Projects Board

Left to Right: Mark Thomson, Jenny Ryan, Damien Atkinson OAM QC, Ria Wong, Cherie van Wensveen, Dr Lewê Atkinson, Chairperson, Debora Jackson. (Absent: Dr Jemma Venables).

Photography: Katie Bennett.

1995

Not-for-profit ‘Project Micah’ formed

with foundation members from the South

Brisbane St Mary’s community.

25 YEARS of creating justicemicah milestones

Who could have anticipated the challenges and opportunities that this year would bring?

Micah Projects’ shared leadership, culture of social inclusion and previous experience in disaster response enabled us to promptly respond to the needs of vulnerable people during the public health crisis.

So much has been written and discussed about the structural inequity in our community being laid bare by the impact of COVID-19. I have witnessed Micah Projects’ adaptive leadership in action as our staff, students and volunteers lived our mission.

Our teams…

• made rapid adjustments to the way services were delivered to protect themselves and the people we support;

• implemented initiatives such as the use of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, working from home arrangements and altered working hours; and

• continued to provide effective outreach support during the public health crisis – in part due to the integration of primary healthcare workers in our teams.

A stark example of the inequity in our community was revealed by our Governments’ directives to #StayAtHome. But what do you do if you do not have a home or a safe place to stay? The Department of Housing and Public Works worked closely with our experienced practitioners to respond to the rapidly evolving crisis situation. In June, our Board met with the Department’s Director-General to discuss our joint response to homelessness.

A highlight for me this financial year was to participate in Micah Projects’ Organisational Day in late August 2019 where, for the first time, I had the privilege of witnessing the scale and breadth of our work. Almost all staff from across Queensland were present. Micah Projects’ leadership confirmed our commitment to trauma-informed practice and staff were reminded that the impact of our organisation as a whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Chair’s Report

1

In September 2019, CEO Karyn Walsh and I travelled to Taiwan with Patrick and Alice Lu (Inclusive Health Partnerships Board) to visit the Tzu Chi Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Hualien, Taiwan. We briefed Master Cheng about the unique nature of the Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub (15 Hope Street, South Brisbane) and shared our learnings with the Tzu Chi Medical Association (TIMA) Conference attendees.

This trip has enriched my perspective of community service and heightened my understanding of our partner’s deep commitment to respond to injustice in our society.

In 2020, Micah Projects celebrates 25 years of operation. This year we purchased a community asset to ensure that families we support can access quality childcare. This milestone was achieved with the support of ‘Hand Heart Pocket’, the Charity of Freemasons Queensland, who provided $800,000 toward the purchase. The balance of funds was derived from Micah Projects’ retained surplus. The site is the Wellspring Children and Families’ Hub in Hawthorne which Micah Projects has leased since 2017.

It has been an eventful, challenging and busy year, yet a rewarding one for all concerned. I would like to personally thank the staff, volunteers, members, donors and supporters of Micah Projects. We are privileged to have the opportunity to continue our work of Breaking Social Isolation and Building Community.

As our CEO Karyn Walsh said during a recent Queensland Council of Social Service seminar, “we support people by giving life to aspirations and not focusing on deficits”.

Dr Lewê Atkinson

Chair, Micah Projects

casey’s story

Home for Good, Family Support and Advocacy

Opposite Casey and Phoenix. Photography: Katie Bennett.

Visit tiny.cc/mpfilms to view

‘25 Years of Micah Projects’

2000 ‘Project Micah’ is incorporated

and becomes ‘Micah Projects’.

micah milestones2

“People on drugs think they’re living the dream. They’re not. THIS is living the dream—being drug-free and having somewhere nice to live.”

casey is sitting in a well-appointed unit with her son Phoenix. “He’s 12 months old now. He took his first step this morning.” Phoenix sits beaming in a Bluey T-shirt. “Whenever things get hard, I just look at him.”

Casey has been in recovery for a year and is thriving in her home. She’s focused on a five year family reunification plan. “I just need to keep working with Child Safety to get my son and my partner’s son back home with us. They’ll both be twelve then. When they get home I’ll never have to mow the lawn again,” she laughs.

Following a DV incident some years back, Child Safety removed her eldest son from Casey’s care. Things fell apart. She felt her life spiraling out of control with increased drug use which led to homelessness. She met her current partner and became pregnant.

After Casey gave birth to Phoenix she enrolled in a three month intensive support program at Mercy House. The program assists mothers overcome behaviour that might put their babies at risk.

Casey then reached out to Micah Projects. The Families Team connected her with a lawyer, attended Family Court with her and meetings with Child Safety. In her last week at Mercy House, the Families Team secured housing for Casey and Phoenix.

“Mel was on her way home and called me to say ‘we found a place for you today’. They got me the furniture, everything – TV, washing machine, fridge, all that.”

“The best thing about being free from drugs is all the awesome times with my son. We went to the lagoon with my partner’s family on the weekend.”

Casey attends the Mercy House Playgroup once a month to mentor the young women there. “I wouldn’t be where I am without Micah.”

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• accessing emergency housing and healthcare when needed

• swiftly pivoting our social enterprise from café operations to mobile food services for people living on the streets and in hotels.

The most challenging aspect was meeting the needs of people who were experiencing homelessness and/or in overcrowded housing with friends and family, such as shared rentals and boarding houses. For those without a home, the public health directives to “stay at home and/or limit household visitors” was impossible. Never before has having a home been so evident for personal, family and community safety.

Micah Projects received additional funding to participate in the Emergency Housing Assistance Response triggered by the pandemic, and our existing services rapidly changed to support people to access hotel accommodation and assistance.

CEO’s ReportCOVID-19 has created new vulnerability, suffering and economic hardship in our communities, and highlighted the gaps in our safety nets, both locally and nationally.

Micah Projects provided essential services throughout the pandemic with an acute awareness and gratitude for our partnerships with government, community organisations and community members. These partnerships ensured continued and flexible support to the most vulnerable in Brisbane while keeping Micah Projects’ staff and their families safe.

Working Together During COVID-19

Each team working with different population groups adapted services to meet the changing circumstances and needs of individuals, children and families.

Key adaptations of existing services included:

• preventing social isolation through Facebook groups and phone calls

• guiding and supporting safety in the presence of domestic and family violence

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It was reassuring to us as an organisation that we had the systems in place to scale up both our homelessness and healthcare responses during this time, operating as a 24/7 service. Our scaled response meant people knew who to call at any time, making it possible to engage more effectively.

We have learned much by listening to the experiences of people navigating disrupted service systems and informal networks of support. Experiences were often accompanied by significant vulnerabilities, unmet needs and risks due to safety concerns.

The fragility of safety nets across multiple systems has been exposed, but so have some solutions to address and strengthen them. It is evident we must work on integration across human services, police and justice systems, domestic violence and housing.

The non-government sector has an important role to play, enabled by the knowledge that we can swiftly change our response to meet immediate needs. For a short time, we were given the authorising environment to be swift in our adaptation and to work flexibly to meet people’s needs as presented.

I have no doubt that the vision and mission of Micah Projects will be guided for many years to come, as all institutions are faced with the enormity of the task to rebuild and recover.

As a nation, as a state and as a local community, we know the effort will be global. We can learn — as we did through the pandemic — how other countries had to adapt when faced with major disruption for the poorest and the homeless in their communities.

Working Together to End Homelessness

Over 25 years, Micah Projects has fostered international and national partnerships for learning, and creating solutions to the social and economic circumstances that drive inequality and poverty. More than ever, partnerships have been helpful in guiding COVID-19 preparation and response.

Partnerships and collaboration enabled stronger responses and increased our capacity to respond effectively. Our integrated response to domestic and family violence was strengthened by having Micah Projects staff embedded with police. Multidisciplinary teams enabled us to increase the healthcare response while hospitals were preparing for COVID-19 presentations.

While we advocate for a just recovery for all, Australia is already behind. We need more social housing and specifically we need supportive housing for the most vulnerable. At the local level, we call for commitment from governments to work with us to end street sleeping in the next three years.

Brisbane needs a transparent social housing plan developed in partnership across government, housing and key human services, justice and health departments, the private sector, and key community services.

It is critical that partnerships between government and community organisations are collaborative from beginning to end, across both planning and implementation.

Opposite Robbie moving into permanent housing during COVID-19. Photography: Katie Bennett. Never before has having

a home been so evident for personal, family and community safety.”

“

2011 Brisbane floods. Micah Projects assists at Brisbane RNA Showgrounds Evacuation Centre, and provides post-flood support and advocacy.

micah milestones 5

1. We need to do the work together

2. We need diverse housing design and location

3. We need strong connections and multidisciplinary partnerships

4. We do not want institutions of the past.

Our vision is for people to live as citizens with their human rights and tenancies protected while having access to the support they need to live safely with:

• a liveable income

• a home

• access to healthcare

• personalised support

• strong connections within diverse inclusive communities and neighbourhoods

• economic participation when possible.

We have learned through COVID-19 that at least 500 new supportive housing households could end homelessness for people sleeping on the streets, in cars, parks and overcrowded housing. Housing with embedded services and healthcare is good for individuals and families, with economic benefits to taxpayers, and better community outcomes.

To realise this strategy we need a homelessness service system that is Housing First in philosophy and in practice. If the goal is not for ‘everyone to have a home’, then all systems will become crisis management.

A crisis services system must support people to make their homelessness brief and non-reoccurring. It must help prevent homelessness with ongoing support and early intervention. We need community services and healthcare to support people when housed. We need early tenancy support to prevent evictions and to resolve problems or conflict.

Working Together with Children and Families

Importantly, we cannot leave families in a cycle of poverty and intergenerational trauma until coming to the attention of the Child Safety Department.

We do not want government to lose sight of the need for early intervention services to give all children in Queensland the best start. This cannot be achieved if families, including women and children, are trapped in cycles of poverty, homelessness and violence. I thank Susie and Jenny for holding this space.

As we come to the end of 2020, we are once again advocating for extensions to pilot a free Occasional Care program. This program would continue to support children up to the age of five while their parents are engaged in addressing and seeking services for housing, homelessness, healthcare, legal advice and the courts.

To break the cycle we need to organise how we engage with parents and their children. We need to do so in ways that build trust early and recognise the impacts of poverty, unaffordable housing, unemployment and adverse childhood experiences on parenting.

We need two generational approaches on a much larger scale in our communities to stop the inflow into crisis and tertiary interventions.

In the midst of the pandemic, Micah Projects had the opportunity to purchase the Wellspring Children and Families Hub property. Hand Heart Pocket–The Charity of Freemasons Queensland generously provided $800,000 in support made up of a $400,000 Significant Grant and a $400,000 interest-free loan towards the purchase of the building, which Micah Projects has leased since 2017.

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We thank Hand Heart Pocket for sharing our vision and approaching us with their generous offer despite the environment of COVID-19.

During 2020 we are proud of the continuation of the Parent Advisory Committee with Hon. Di Farmer, Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. It has been the shared work of parents, Departmental staff from Child Safety, and Susie and Jenny from Family Inclusion Network. We thank Professor Karen Healy for being the Independent Chair.

We continue to be inspired by parents who, for the first time, are included as active participants and stakeholders of the child protection system.

Working Together in 2019–2020

The 2019–2020 year has been one of many challenges and adaptation. None of this could have been done without the governance and support of Micah Projects’ Board. While maintaining the program of work for the year with the Risk Management and Strategic Planning process, the Board provided our Shared Leadership team with the supportive and authorising environment needed in responding to a crisis.

I thank Lewê as Chair, Damien for his enthusiasm and help with the purchase of a property, Debora, Jenny, Jemma, Cherie and Mark for their contributions. Thank you, also to Ria as Company Secretary for her flexibility, availability and leadership. Her support of the Directors focused on Board processes was greatly appreciated by all.

In addition to the board of Micah Projects, I also thank those with responsibility for the governance of Inclusive Health Partnerships: Michael Kelly, Simon James, and Alice I-Hsin Lu and Patrick Lu from the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.

I acknowledge the leaders, policy makers and contract managers with whom we work across the Queensland Departments of…

• Housing and Public Works

• Health

• Employment, Small Business and Training

• Communities, Disability Services and Seniors

• Child Safety, Youth and Women

• Premier and Cabinet

… and the Commonwealth Department of Social Services.

I thank the Premier and Ministers as they come to the end of an election cycle for their ongoing commitment to make Queensland more just and inclusive. While we still have much to do, I thank you for working with us. I also thank Jackie Trad as our local member for her ongoing support.

Shared LeadershipThis year, our shared leadership structure has supported leaders across all areas to adapt to new conditions and, where necessary, to scale up our response to the community.

We have a strong network of leaders and I thank each person with leadership responsibility for their active engagement. This year everyone has excelled in thinking outside the box, and thinking proactively about the safety and needs of each other and the people we work with every day of the year.

‘Staying Connected’ film titles.

A series of films produced by Sheen Media and Micah Projects’ Communications

team, detailing how we adapted our services to COVID-19 in early 2020.

Visit tiny.cc/mpfilms to view the series.

7

Thanks to strong leadership, we have…

• maintained our focus on supporting the Board by communicating strategies, efforts and progress, within the directions of the Chief Health Officer

• ensured quality of service and, at the peak of COVID-19, fulfilled our responsibilities through an external audit for HSQF and ISO 9001 2015 and received an unqualified financial audit

• maintained effective and impactful communication in a variety of ways.

I thank everyone for their contribution to these achievements.

Thank you to team members who are in the community every day supporting, listening and responding to participants of our programs. Thank you, especially for demonstrating innovation and problem-solving through all stages of the pandemic response.

Thank you to Organisational Services for supporting the finance, HR, admin, quality, governance, reporting, compliance and communication needs of our work.

We appreciate the efforts of Phil Sheen, Ian Collier, Katie Bennett, for working with us to document our work during COVID-19.

There are too many people to name in this report but to each of you thank you for your contribution over the year. I acknowledge your commitment and energy in working for a more socially just and inclusive community.

Over 25 years we have been joined by a diverse community of supporters and collaborators. Together, we have created justice and responded to the injustice of poverty, inequality, discrimination, and the lingering paralysis of trauma that accompanies the abuse of children and/or adults. Thank you.

A quote from Margaret Mead has always sustained, connected and guided us Micah-wide…

“ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has”.

Finally, I acknowledge all the people who have journeyed with us over 25 years and welcome anyone who wants to join for the next 25.

Karyn Walsh

CEO, Micah Projects

Volunteers

169 active volunteers with over 80 coming on board to manage our COVID-19 response activities.

A special thanks to the chaplains who joined our Street to Home after-hours and weekend teams, and the individuals setting up homes: Aphrodite Nichles, Leah Nichles, Helen Abrahams, Jan Bowman, Emma Guest, Peter Wooldridge, Mick Tully and Kate Tully.

Thank You, 2019/20 Supporters

Full list of supporters starts p. 38.

8

In 1993 members of St Mary’s Catholic Community with the leadership of Peter Kennedy celebrated 100 years since the opening of the church.

Peter, through preaching of his experiences of being a prison chaplain at the Boggo Road Jail in Dutton Park attracted new membership to the community.

People who were involved in all forms of social justice activity from protesting, to grass roots service delivery and hospitality, not-for-profits, advocacy with Indigenous people, equality for women, supported calls to address violence against women and children in families, religious communities and government institutions, poverty and homelessness.

St Mary’s was and remains a resourceful and generous network of people who are involved in creating change and equality within personal relationships, family, church and society. Many members still support us in many different ways.

Context St Mary’s contained many individuals connected by a commitment to social justice, but were involved in diverse social justice activities.

When coming together each week, they faced the realities of poverty, trauma, violence, discrimination and injustice right outside the church door, and within the church itself.

They did not yet have an organised and collective way to engage with these realities.

An Opportunity A Year of Jubilee occurs every 50th year in the Christian calendar.

It comes via the Jewish tradition and it is dedicated to releasing people from debt and freeing all slaves and prisoners to “live amongst us again”.

To recognise the Jubilee, the community agreed to tithe 10% toward a coordinated, collective social justice response. The tithe totalled $10,000.

A Plan for Action

• Form a community committee for dialogue and networking.

• Establish a not-for-profit organisation independent of church structures.

• Ensure alignment with the community’s guiding principles to “Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly…”.

• Have a clear mandate for providing direct services to marginalised people and to advocate for change with people affected by injustice.

• Establish an interim Board and undertake a process to become an incorporated association.

Our Foundations

As part of the 100 years celebration members of St Mary’s Catholic Community presented an idea to their leadership group…

St Mary’s, South Brisbane The rose window forms the basis for Micah Projects’ logo.

Photography: Kgbo / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

9

14,540 people had contact with Micah Projects

97,444 calls received 72% answered

COVID-19 Homelessness Response

As part of Queensland’s COVID-19 response

Micah Projects Street to Home, Home for

Good and Brisbane Domestic Violence

Service teams facilitated 1,280 referrals

to the Department of Housing and Public

Works’ Emergency Housing Assistance

Response (EHAR) program and provided

24 hour support 7 days/week to over 700 people at 43+ motels.

Through these referrals 222 vulnerable households (166 individuals and 56

families) have now been placed into

permanent housing.

Our thanks to volunteers who provided

1,900 hours of support and Chaplain

Watch who contributed 1,404 hours.

EHAR Referrals Families Individuals

Homelessness 128 1,094

DV Refuge 25 33

Engagements

5,327 Street to Home day outreach

4,308 Coordinated Access Team

2,841 Nursing

392 Flu vaccinations given.

Participants approached by

staff knocking on 670 doors

over 15 days

443 After-Hours (9pm – 5am) totalling 2,866 hours

Data collected from April–31 July 2020

2019/20 Snapshot

10

Of people receiving planned support…

91% of were satisfied with their support

6% were neutral 3% were dissatisfied

27% were under 18

13% 5 years old + under

16%% identified as First Nations’ Peoples

12%% were Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

73%% identified female

25.4%% identified male

1.6%% identified transgender, gender diverse or did not specify

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li sought the support of the Women’s Court Support Worker from Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS) after a vexatious Domestic Violence Order (DVO) was taken out against her.

This was one of a range of tactics of abuse that Li’s ex-partner used against her.

“I called the police to ask how I could make him leave my house and he took a DVO out against me in response. It felt awful,” Li said.

With the support of BDVS, Li was able to recognise a pattern of financial abuse to which she had been subjected: her ex-partner refused to pay board, sold his possessions that Li had paid for (and is still waiting for the repayments), established a business under Li’s ABN and threatened to make a claim on her assets.

“I was stressed thinking that all that I had worked so hard for could be taken away by someone living with me for six years on and off. I’m way more settled now and the weight is off my shoulders that he is not here causing havoc.”

Li continues to pay off debts that her ex-partner accrued in her name and lives in fear that he will take legal action to claim her assets. Although he still tries to contact her, BDVS supported Li to set firm barriers against any engagement.

Thanks to her neighbour (who was an active bystander), her lawyer and BDVS staff, Li feels she can now make a fresh start and live a life free from abuse.

Li’s name has been changed.

li’s storyBrisbane Domestic Violence Service

Brisbane Domestic Violence Service Support and Advocacy Worker preparing for outreach. Photography: Katie Bennett.

12

Respected, Equal and Safe

The Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (BDVS)

The Brisbane Domestic Violence Service is a first port of call for women and children experiencing — or at risk of experiencing —Domestic and Family Violence.

BDVS provides information and referral, crisis support, practical assistance, advocacy, counselling and emotional support to women

and children.

We provide support to children one on one with mothers or through group work and we also facilitate a men’s offender program.

BDVS works with organisations and agencies to provide a safe environment in which people can meet their needs — over the phone, online, via home visits or at a nominated safe place.

23,293 calls received

54,840 occasions of support

6,236 individuals supported

4,617 adults 1,619 under 18

2015 Brisbane Domestic Violence

Service receives funding for

a Brisbane regional service.

micah milestones 13

Safer Lives Mobile Service 24/7 Outreach

2,881 instances of case management

300 co-responses with Queensland Police Service

• Phone

• Outreach

• DVConnect

• Hospital

• Police• Emergency

Accommodation

Safer Options and Support

Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

1,589 women were assisted by Specialist Domestic and Family Violence advocates

158 women were supported by the Vulnerable Person’s Unit through our Partnership with Queensland Police Service

Safer Families

Children and Young Person’s Group and Individual Support

26 accessed ReNew – Male Youth

59 accessed ReNew – Women’s

275 accessed the Children and Young People Program

Safe and Accountable Justice Systems

• Brisbane High Risk Team Lead Agency

• Probation + Parole Men’s Offender Program. Inala, Chermside, Spring Hill.

262 men accessed men’s DV programs

194 women accessed a Women’s Advocate

209 referrals were accepted by High Risk Team

713 instances of referral…

334 at Holland Park Court

146 at Richlands Court

233 at Sandgate Court (men)

71 women accessed case management through Holland Park and Richlands courts

Online Resources

• bdvs.org.au

• facebook.com/brisbanedvservice

• bdvs.org.au/fact-sheets-bdvs includes ‘Domestic Violence Housing First’

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Brisbane Region Specialist Domestic Violence Services

Safer Lives Mobile Service

Safer Families

• Mercy Foundation

• Kurbinui Family and Child Connect

• Churches of Christ Intensive Family Support

Safer Community Culture

Safer Options and Support

• Vulnerable Persons Units ( VPU North, VPU South)

• Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

Inala

West End

Zillmere

Safe and Accountable Justice Systems• Holland Park Court

• Richlands CourtCO-LOCATIONS

WELLSPRING HUBS

Safer Community Culture

• Community Education

• Brisbane Systems Improvement

230 women accessed financial counselling

1,160 instances of information and referral

3,085 police referrals

Prevention and Culture Change

16 events

56 community and sector education sessions

21 sector consultations

15

“One day you’re partying with Liberace and Danny La Rue, working in hotels and cabarets in London and the South of Spain, in love with a caring partner who is an entertainer, an actor and the life of the party. The next, it’s gone.

“You find yourself treading the cold, dark streets of Brisbane at night; homeless, fearful, alone and without hope.”

phillip grew up in Brisbane and travelled to Europe to holiday as a teen. “I just loved Europe. I loved it all.

“I met my partner in London when he was working in the theatre. Bunny and I were together for 33 years. When he passed away in 2017, I was absolutely devastated. I will never get over it.

“I had effectively retired just before Bunny passed away so in 2018 I returned to Brisbane to live with family.

“I struggled with the loss of Bunny, turning to alcohol and drugs to help numb the pain. My family asked me to leave when they found out I had drugs.

“In June 2019 I was sleeping under the Story Bridge. The police arrested me and took me to hospital. I was discharged and returned to rough sleeping.

“After 40 years, Brisbane was a new city to me. I was so lonely and depressed. I was using drugs, couch surfing and eventually attempted suicide.

“While I was recovering in hospital, the Social Worker linked me with Micah Projects. After Micah found me short-term accommodation, they connected me with health services and social supports. They visited me regularly and also phoned often to check I was okay.

“Micah helped me apply for—and eventually get—a property through the Department of Housing. Once I moved in, they made sure I had everything I needed to make a home. They linked me with groups and services in my new neighbourhood.

“I have made a home now with a beautiful garden and all of my pictures and memories are on the walls.

“I’m so grateful for the care and support I received from the Micah team. They treated me as a person, not a ‘nameless, faceless number’ that many people would have hurried past in the street, judging without knowing that person’s story or history.”

phillip’s storyHomefront Participant

Opposite Phillip at home. Photography: Katie Bennett.

Healthy and Well

2020 Homefront— Micah Projects’ newest

health partnership— is established.

micah milestones 17

Hub Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub with Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation Australia

4,271 people attended the Hub

1,783 people accessed a GP

731 people accessed dental services

1,113 acupuncture

568 massage

76 podiatry

1,757 wellness sessions attended

The Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub

The Hub is dedicated to ensuring people experiencing disadvantage in Brisbane, have access to quality physical, dental, mental health and holistic

healthcare services, irrespective of their ability to pay.

Delivering quality health services that are integrated with other social services, is an important part of our Hub’s vision.

The Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub provides general practice (GP) services, dental services in partnership with Tzu-Chi Foundation, and wellness programs.

Working Together to Connect Care

A Registered Nurse and a Support and Advocacy Worker in collaboration with Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital and Footprints provide health and wellbeing,

through:

• assistance and support to access and maintain stable accommodation

• linkage with primary care and specialist health services

• developing an integrated community support network

• developing self-management strategies to manage their mental and physical health.

Street to Home – Integrated Healthcare

The integration of nurses into Micah Projects’ teams is informed by a social model of health that recognises a broad range of social factors—in addition to the

presence or absence of disease— impact upon people’s health.

In adopting a Housing First approach, healthcare, housing and social support services are delivered to achieve improved outcomes for people who are vulnerable and experiencing homelessness.

Online Resources

• micahprojects.org.au/services includes health services

• micahprojects.org.au/resources/fact-sheets

• inclusivehealth.org.au

• homeforgood.org.au

• bdvs.org.au

18

Inclusive Health Partnerships• Shared infrastructure

• Governance

• Clinical governance

• Evaluation

• Partnerships

• Navigating systems

Homefront• Community

Outreach

• Integrated Care

Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub

• Wellbeing

• Community

• Medical

• Dental

Home for Good• Housing and

Homelessness Hub

Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

Inclusive Health Vanfunded by Brisbane City Council

891 occasions of care

19,873km

travelled by the Inclusive Health Van

In this Report

• Brisbane Domestic Violence Service p. 13

• Home for Good p. 21

Working Together to Connect Care Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital and Footprints

1,454 occasions of direct nursing care

and social support to 50 people

Street to Home – Integrated Healthcare funded by Primary Health Network

6,702 Occasions of direct clinical nursing

care provided to 954 people

Homefront Health Princess Alexandra Hospital

Homefront is an outreach service with the Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub that works with vulnerable people in the community who are living with multiple and complex health and social needs.

The program connects people with clinical care, community support and housing by providing integrated care.

1,532 occasions of care

2017 The opening of the Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub in partnership

with Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation Australia.

micah milestones

19

jamie’s storyStreet to Home Participant

At Home and Supported

Following a fall from a balcony in 2009, jamie was left with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) which had a devastating effect on his life.

The significant short-term memory loss caused the end of his career and eventually his marriage.

He finally found himself sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness.

“I was out on the streets, sleeping under bridges and was in a real bad place,” Jamie says.

“Micah’s Street to Home gave me the inspiration to get back on track.”

Jamie had studied science and horticulture in Victoria and had jobs around the country including assisting at the Questacon Science Museum in Canberra.

He loved working as a tour guide at the ‘Spider Expo’ exhibition.

“Being someone who has worked with and observed the survival techniques of plants and animals has really helped me. Survival practices are key to my life.”

Today Jamie lives in public housing in inner city Brisbane where he is supported by the Micah Projects Street to Home team.

Jamie says the Street to Home workers are “naturally good people”.

“They helped me understand that things will get better, do get better and you have to stay positive,” he says.

“Staying positive is the crucial thing. And staying positive has led me to re-engage with my children and my family.”

Opposite Jamie, with his daughter, Louisa. Photography: Katie Bennett.

2005 Brisbane Homelessness Support Centre (BHSC) opens with colocated

partners including Murri Watch, Centre Care SWBCOP and Brisbane Boarders.

micah milestones 21

Home for Good Homelessness Hub–Coordinated Access Team (CAT)

CAT assists individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. We provide information and advice to resolve issues for the person or family in crisis.

CAT refers individuals and families in need to the most appropriate support services (within Micah Projects or externally). We continue to act as a primary contact point and liaise with partners to help people stay on track towards safe and affordable long-term housing.

Crisis Response

656 individuals in crisis were assisted

493 families and children in crisis were assisted

597 under 18 65 15–18 527 under 15 230 5 and under

Accommodation and Housing

180 individuals and 114 families accessed emergency accommodation funded by Micah Projects

260 individuals and 212 families accessed permanent housing

Information and Referral

1,334 instances of information and referral were provided

Prevention

98 individuals’ homelessness was prevented through Homestay

Opposite Street to Home work closely with hotel owners and other services to provide access to accommodation and support during the COVID-19 crisis. Photography: Katie Bennett.

2010 – 13 In March 2010, the 50 Lives 50 Homes campaign to house and support people

experiencing homelessness is launched. By 31 December 2013, 230 people

have been housed by the campaign partners.

2014 – 17 The 500 Lives 500 Homes campaign begins with a

community-wide registry from 24 March – 4 April

2014. By April 2017, the campaign has exceeded its

goal by housing 580 individual and family households.

micah milestones22

VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index–Service Prioritisation Decision Assistance Tool)

Front-line workers complete the VI-SPDAT survey with participants to prioritise support and identify population trends, allowing measurable and evidence-based action.

868 VI-SPDAT surveys were completed, including 257 families and children

Street to Home–Assertive Outreach

We provide assertive outreach in collaboration with Brisbane Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH). The Housing First approach used by Micah Projects—which integrates housing, health and community services—is critical to ensuring people are not living on the streets.

Following the success of the 500 Lives 500 Homes campaign, Street to Home continues its commitment to end rough sleeping in Brisbane by partnering through BAEH’s Brisbane Zero campaign.

940 rough sleepers were supported ( 21% of all rough sleepers)

136 individuals were provided

with planned support 121 individuals accessed

permanent housing

140 individuals accessed permanent housing and support

caption

23

In this Report

• Healthy and Well – Integrated Healthcare p. 17

Online Resources

• homeforgood.org.au

• brisbanezero.org.au

• micahprojects.org.au/resources/publications includes ‘Housing First: A roadmap to ending homelessness in Brisbane’

Family Support and Advocacy

The Family Support and Advocacy Team provides a range of support services to help prevent homelessness and ensure no child finds themselves sleeping on the street. Since 2001, no child experiencing homelessness who engaged with Micah Projects has continued to sleep rough.

251 members of 73 families were transitioned from crisis into secure housing

164 under 18

12 15–18

154 under 15

61 5 + under

114 members of 37 families had homelessness prevented by sustaining tenancies

65 under 18

10 15–18

58 under 15

26 5 + under

Left A family speaking with a Family Support and Advocacy worker outside their home during COVID-19. Photography: Katie Bennett.

Opposite COVID-19 outreach health response with integrated Street to Home Nurses. Photography: Katie Bennett.

Managing public intoxication program funded by the Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors

26,663 engagements

over 3,475 hours

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Supportive Housing–Brisbane Common Ground 24/7

Micah Projects provides support services at Brisbane Common Ground (BCG), which brings together the ingredients to help tenants make a home. The principles of Supportive Housing at BCG are: design, permanency, affordability, tenancy mix, safety, support services, and social inclusion.

226 participant-based events held in the building

124 tenancy sustainment plans were resolved successfully

59 services visited the building

114 tenants were supported

2011 micah memories Rosanne Haggerty, founder of Common Ground in the USA, tours the construction site for Brisbane Common Ground.

2012 Brisbane Common Ground Supportive Housing building is

completed, and Micah Projects commence on-site services.

micah milestones

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maddie is a proud Indigenous woman from North Queensland and a graduate of Family Inclusion Network’s Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) program. She gives the program credit for building her confidence.

“It was the first course I ever completed and I took great heart from it.”

Maddie grew up among the cane fields of the Mackay region. “Poverty was just a fact of life,” Maddie says.

Maddie and her mother moved to Brisbane when Maddie was 13 and she commenced her secondary education.

High school was not a happy experience for Maddie and she left after two years.

“We didn’t have any money and we couldn’t even afford the proper school jumper so I was bullied and, of course, experienced racism,” she remembers.

“I tried a number of things after leaving school and then I found out I was pregnant. With that news, my path changed completely.

“When my son was two years old, I started the PLTI course with Family Inclusion Network,” Maddie says.

“I was really worried about the course early on, but with the fantastic support of the PLTI facilitators I stayed on and finished.”

PLTI is a multi-faceted program designed to enable parents to become leaders and advocates for their children in the broader community.

“PLTI gave me confidence so in 2016 I decided I wanted to finish high school and graduate.”

Maddie completed her senior certificate at the Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre Families Program. It offers support for mothers to continue and complete their secondary education.

Maddie is now enrolled at university and is studying for a degree in social work.

She is also involved with the Queensland Government Office for Youth’s Queensland Youth Engagement Panel (QYEP).

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Opposite Maddie and family at PLTI Graduation at the Wellspring Children and Families’ Hub. Photography: Katie Bennett.

maddie’s storyParent Leadership Training Institute Graduate, Family Inclusion Network

The Family Inclusion Network (FIN) is a network of parents and Brisbane non-government organisations who believe the voices of families matter.

FIN brings together government agencies and representatives, parents and extended family members to work collaboratively on policies and issues that affect families.

Families Safe and Well, Together

Wellspring Children and Families’ Hub

The Hub provides quality early childhood education and care for young children whose families may be experiencing the effects of homelessness or domestic violence, or receiving support for other issues impacting on life such as child protection, family law

and justice.

1,615 instances of occasional care

8,823 hours / 58 families

Young Mothers for Young Women holding a group at the Hub. Photography: Katie Bennett.

2019 The Family Inclusion Network (FIN) parents

hold the inaugural Queensland Parent Advisory

Committee with the Hon. Di Farmer MP, Minister

for Child Safety, Youth and Women and Minister

for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence.

micah milestones 27

Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women (CYMYW)

76 families with 97 children were supported

Mothers (and babies) chatting at Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women.

42 families achieved 234 crisis/long-term goals

16 women were supported by a midwife at Caboolture Hospital (averaging 7 women/week)

Young Mothers for Young Women (YMYW)

88 New Parent and Parents as Teachers

groups ran with 1,319 attendances

by 65 women and 80 children

116 families supported with 149 children

2011 micah memories ‘International Women’s Day’ with Young Mothers for Young Women. Photography: Katie Bennett.

YMYW and CYMYW assist young, pregnant and parenting women, along with their children and families. They incorporate peer and professional support to assist young pregnant and parenting women in practical ways, allowing them to participate socially and economically within their communities.

Online Resources

• micahprojects.org.au/services includes families, women and children

• micahprojects.org.au/resources/fact-sheets includes ‘Give all our children a great start’ factsheet

1995 Young Mothers for Young Women (YMYW) is established. It is

the first family support service for young parenting mothers

and the start of our family support program.

micah milestones28

When 18-year-old Caboolture Peer Support Worker molli first heard about the Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women (CYMYW) program she was 16 and pregnant.

Within two weeks of Armani’s birth Molli had joined the program.

Starting as a Peer Support worker in May 2019, Molli is now supporting other young mothers.

“I couldn’t imagine myself being a peer support worker two years ago … it’s amazing.”

Molli says the CYMYW program is “very important” for the community as it provides many young mothers with an opportunity to connect and create friendships outside the program and to break the shell of isolation.

Via the program, Molli and her partner were able to move into a unit just before her daughter’s first birthday.

“I was lucky I had a lot of support from my family and my main struggle was with finding housing… or getting food or getting to the shops.”

Molli says other young women in the program have told her “they didn’t know where they would be without it”.

Molli will be part of the Peer Support program until she is 21 and is currently studying to become a midwife.

This is an edited version of a story1 from the Caboolture Herald, highlighting Molli’s journey.

Full Text at http://tiny.cc/CYMYWstory

© News Pty Limited

1 McLeod, A. (2020, March 31). Caboolture program for young mums is ‘life changing’. Caboolture Herald. Retrieved from https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/moreton/caboolture-program-fvor-young-mums-is-life-changing/news-story/5bc1fc9d74de9ed5cba01a3029bf588e

molli’s story

Photograph of Molli and her daughter courtesy of Quest Newspapers. Photography: Sarah Marshall.

29

Opposite Matt at home with one of his artworks. Photography: Katie Bennett.

A proud indigenous man, matt is a member of Micah Projects initiative ‘United Artists Project’ (UAP).

UAP promotes and advocates for inclusive, creative culture and practices. The project encourages the creative expression of artists who have a lived experienced with social isolation and exclusion, often as a result of stigmas associated with mental health, disability, homelessness or poverty.

UAP provides professional development and promotional opportunities to artists working both independently and within supported art groups in the South Brisbane, West End and Brisbane communities.

Working with UAP prepares artists to exhibit and sell their works professionally through the Hope Street Café. Sharing this unique gallery/café space encourages connections to develop between artists and audiences which embrace community and diversity.

This year Matt worked with UAP toward his first solo exhibition ‘Dreamscapes’, selling a number of paintings which he said ‘greatly encouraged him and made him feel more secure in his chosen profession’.

After years of travelling around outback Australia, Matt returned to his hometown in late 2015. Micah Projects obtained secure, permanent accommodation for Matt and he moved into his new home on Christmas Eve.

In 2020, having expressed an interest in exhibiting his recent paintings, Matt reconnected with Micah Projects through the United Artists Project.

Much of Matt’s artwork is inspired by his outback travels. His piece ‘Grandfather Crying’ was inspired by a visit to the protected site in Warumungu, Northern Territory called Devils’ Marbles.

“This is my personal response to the devastating impact of coal seam gas mining and shale gas fracking.”

Matt is a regular visitor of art galleries across Brisbane. He attends the weekly Creative Workshop run by The Hive and continues to produce artworks in his studio.

matt and the united artists project

2003 First Moonlight Magic Dinner Dance.

Many of the Dinner Dance guests experience

social and economic disadvantage. It is a social

highlight every year when we come together to

share the magic and dance the night away!

micah milestones 31

Opposite: Meals prepared and ready to go at the Hope on Boundary Café. Photography: Katie Bennett.

The Hive

The Hive program supports individuals with In-Home Supports and Community Connections to maintain or regain their independence so they can continue to live safely in their home and actively participate in their communities.

As with all Micah Projects programs, The Hive adopts a holistic, evidence-based approach which includes fostering a healthy sense of identity, including a role and purpose in personal and community life for each participant.

72 people were supported across 10 activities per week to participate

and build social connection

57 people were supported (community connections) across 267 occasions of care

56 people were supported in-home across 237 occasions of care

Connected to Community and Culture

Hope Street Social Enterprise during COVID-19

In early 2020, Hope Street Social Enterprise redirected its efforts to support members of the community who were impacted by the social, personal or economic impacts of COVID-19.

Through the Hope Street and Hope on Boundary Cafés, we offered medically and culturally informed free and low cost grocery items and meals.

From late March to early May, the cafés provided…

10,211 free meals

9,867 free sandwiches

Thanks to donations from… StreetSmart Australia, Terri Butler MP, Queens Wharf Workforce, Austar Foundation, Foodbank, OzHarvest, Turbans 4 Australia, Brothers in Need, Kin & Co. and local restaurants Plenty and Maeve Wine Bar.

2011 The Hive commences social support and inclusion services to

Home and Community Care eligible people in South Brisbane.

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Hope Street Paid TraineeshipsThe paid traineeships are delivered in partnership with Axiom College and funded by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training–Skilling Queenslanders for Work Program.

Over 20 weeks, participants complete a Certificate 1 Hospitality and upon completion are supported to gain employment.

Working and Learning

Hope Street Social Enterprise

The Hope Street Café and Hope on Boundary Café are part of a Micah Projects community-focused social enterprise.

The cafés are vibrant community assets, providing:

• a simple, nourishing café experience for locals

• assistance for people experiencing disadvantage

• opportunities for people with significant barriers to employment to gain hands-on experience and employment in the hospitality industry*

• opportunities for volunteering and connection between Micah Projects participants and the wider community.

Training Café Staff

8 trainees were enrolled

5 full-time equivalent

7 training courses were completed

10 casual and 1 apprentice

4 graduates gained employment

6 staff are program graduates

*

2017 Micah Projects receives funding from the Skilling Queenslanders for

Work program and the Hope Street Café training program commences.

micah milestones 33

“I attended a lot of Lotus Place peer meetings in the Burdekin and in Townsville to support my husband.

I remember Jacqui, the Redress worker at the peer group, introducing herself and offering to support anyone who was eligible to submit a Redress application.

She explained that it can be a traumatic process to relive and tell the story of childhood abuse.

Jacqui and I were having a general conversation when she asked ‘So helen what’s your story? Well I’d never been asked about myself but felt comfortable and said ‘actually I was in and out of homes as a child too, but I’ve never told anyone.’

Jacqui invited me for a cuppa, we started talking and I didn’t stop. From my earliest memories of childhood, I just let it all out.

I remember living in a squat in Sydney with my parents, two older brothers and three younger siblings. Mum and Dad were alcoholics so although I was a mere slip of a girl myself, I had to provide a lot of care for my younger siblings. My father committed suicide in the squat. After that, Mum really struggled to care for us without any support.

I spent so many nights wandering Sydney in the cold, wind and rain, freezing in scantily clad clothing. I would drag my baby brother on my hip in a wet soggy nappy and my two little sisters ran along, crying and tugging at my dress. Eventually the authorities caught up with

helen’s storyRedress, Lotus North Queensland

34

Healing, Resilient and Receiving Justice

us and we were taken into care. My sisters and I were placed in a Glebe girls’ home and my baby brother was placed elsewhere.

We sisters weren’t allowed any interaction and were punished if we did. It was so cruel. There were so many inappropriate practices in the home—I remember scrubbing the verandas with a toothbrush. There was no love, nurturing, kindness or encouragement at all. We were small, vulnerable children experiencing grief and loss and being treated like criminals. There was no support at all.

I’d never spoken to anyone about my life experience of abuse in the orphanages. My husband of forty years knew nothing of my past. I was amazed that Jacqui saw something in me and asked the question. Otherwise I’d still be silent.

We have a great relationship—she is very understanding, so supportive and has helped me put life into perspective by talking about my past. I can talk to her about anything; she has made a huge difference to my life. Jacqui helped me understand that I was a child struggling with overwhelming responsibility and I wasn’t responsible for the suffering of my siblings. I cared so much for my sisters and brothers but there was no one there to care for me.

I ended up applying for Redress and although it doesn’t resolve the pain of the past, I have been able to improve and enhance my lifestyle and wellbeing. I’ve also regained some independence which has lifted my spirits.

In meeting Jacqui and applying for Redress, my life has changed for the better in so many ways.”

Opposite Jacqui and Helen.

Lotus Place, Central Queensland

Lotus Place

Lotus Place, North Queensland

1998 First government funding for Project Esther

(to become Lotus Place) which began in 1994.

micah milestones 35

laura has worked with Micah Projects’ Lotus Support Services to take and navigate her journey with the Disability Royal Commission.

The team provide confidential counselling and support for people engaging with or affected by the Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with a Disability (Disability Royal Commission).

Lotus Support team members have been working closely with the Speaking Up For You (SUFY) advocacy group to help Laura find her voice and tell her story to the Disability Royal Commission.

Laura’s son Clay was diagnosed with autism in 2014 and she sought specialised support for him. As well, Laura was recently diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and has a co-occurring mental illness.

“You have no idea of the day to day struggles you go through,” Laura said. A typically disabled person juggles a lot of stressful issues at the same time. I’m stepping into a position with an organisation on a volunteer basis to again pursue my passion and need of supporting People with Disability. I have an ongoing review

with the NDIS for my son’s underfunded plan and don’t dare even think about applying for my own plan as it’s such a debilitating process. All of this is typical. Not necessarily the details, but the amount of stress we live with daily.

“Writing my submission to the Disability Royal Commission triggered many memories around the abuse we suffered as a family as we tried to advocate and navigate an inflexible education system for Clay.” I am looking forward to my private hearing and delivering my statement and experience direct to a commissioner. My hope is they will consider the changes required for other people with disabilities to live in a more equitable and inclusive society that supports people with a disability to live independently and be free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

“I have appreciated the support of Lotus Support Services in offering counselling to me as I would not have been able to manage the process on my own. The art supplies that Lotus Support Services provided to me have been a catalyst to my creative side. This outlet has been both therapy, a healing opportunity and the chance to express myself in new ways.”

laura’s storyDisability Royal Commission

Artwork

‘Disabled Lives Matter’ mixed media, Laura Lewis 2020

Laura’s artwork was created during her submission preparation for the Disability Royal Commission.

36

Lotus Place

Brisbane

Rockhampton

Townsville

1,427 people engaged with Lotus Place

24 events were held

987 people attended events

649 people were supported through Find and Connect

Lotus Support Services

Redress 560 people were supported with 191 applications lodged

Disability Royal Commission

63 people engaged with Disability Royal Commission

52 people engaged with counselling over 186 formal sessions

214 instances of support provided

Lotus Place

Lotus Place is a dedicated resource centre for adults who experienced childhood abuse in an institutional setting, including out-of-home care. The centres provide opportunities, resources and services to people seeking connection and support. Participants have a shared understanding of the impact of the betrayal of trust in their childhood, with life-long consequences on their quality of life as adults.

Lotus Place exists in three locations

• Brisbane• CQ – Rockhampton• NQ – Townsville

Outreach to these and surrounding communities occurs through an integrated funding response by the Australian and Queensland Governments. Lotus Place is part of the national network of Find and Connect services.

Lotus Support Services – Redress

Lotus Support Services (LSS) work with individuals who experienced childhood abuse in an institutional setting, including out-of-home care, to seek Redress. This can be achieved through the National Redress Scheme, civil processes or internal church processes.

Lotus Support Services – Disability Royal Commission

Lotus Support Services (LSS) Counselling and Support Services receive funding from the Department of Social Services. We provide confidential counselling and support services for people engaging with or affected by the Disability Royal Commission into Violence Abuse Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

2020 Lotus Support Services starts supporting people engaging

with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and

Exploitation of People with Disability.

micah milestones 37

We thank our principal

funders, the Queensland

and Australian Governments,

Brisbane City Council, and

the businesses, community

groups and individuals who

support our many integrated

services and programs.

FundersBrisbane City Council• Lifestyle and Community

Services

Queensland Government• Arts Queensland• Arts Queensland Showcase

Program• Department of Child Safety,

Youth and Women – Truth Healing and Reconcil-iation Grants program (Healing Power of Story)

• Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors

• Department of Employment, Small Business and Training

• Department of Housing and Public Works

• Queensland Health

Australian Government• Brisbane North Primary Health

Network (PHN)• Brisbane South PHN• Department of Prime Minister

and Cabinet (Regional Arts Fund)

• Department of Social Services

Philanthropy / Private Organisations• Austar Fund Management• BDO Group Holdings• Brisbane Airport Corp

Community Giving Fund• Crommelin Family Foundation• CUA (Credit Union Australia)

Donors – all other donors who contributed generously throughout the year

• Edwards Foundation• Flannery Foundation

• Future2 Foundation• Gardiner Family Foundation• Greek Orthodox Community of

St George Ladies Auxiliary• Hand Heart Pocket - The Charity

of Freemasons Queensland• Mater Health• Morgans Foundation• REA group• Snow Foundation• St Vincent’s Health Australia• StreetSmart Australia• Suncorp Brighter Futures SEQ• The Douglas Family Foundation• The Everhard Industries

Foundation• The John Barnes Foundation• The Metamorphic Foundation• Women in Insolvency and

Restructuring Queensland

We have always believed that true impact can only be realised through partnership, collaboration and integration.

We thank those with whom we have worked to end inequality and respond to injustice in Brisbane.

25 Years of Creating Justice Together

Managers Richard and Judy, City Star Lodge.

Judy and Richard worked with the Micah Projects Street to Home team to assist in the rapid housing of people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photography: Katie Bennett.

38

Supporters• Queensland Ambulance Service• Queensland Ombudsman• Queensland Performing Arts

Centre (QPAC) • Queensland Police Service (QPS)• The Public Trustee

Universities, Education and Research• Australian Catholic University• Career Employment Australia -

Indigenous Youth Mobility• Central Queensland University• Griffith University • Monash University• Queensland University of

Technology• Southern Cross University• TAFE Queensland Brisbane • University of Melbourne• University of New England• University of Queensland• University of Sunshine Coast• University of Western Australia• Upskilled

PartnersBrisbane Domestic Violence Service Partners

» Co-Locations/Embedded Specialist DV Workers

– Churches of Christ in Queensland - Intensive Family Support, South and South West Brisbane

– FACC (Family and Child Connect) – Holland Park Court – Hub Community Legal – Kurbingui – Mercy Community Services – Queensland Corrective Services – Queensland Police Service

- Co-response - Vulnerable Persons Unit - Camp Hill

- Vulnerable Persons Unit - Stafford

– Richlands Court – Sandgate Court

» High Risk Team – Anglicare Southern Queensland - Living Without Violence Men’s Program – Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women – Department of Education – Department of Housing and Public Works – Department of Justice and Attorney General – Department of Youth Justice – Queensland Health – Queensland Corrective Services – Queensland Police Service – Victims Assist Queensland

» Integrated Services – 4th Space – ACT for Kids – Beyond DV – Churches of Christ in Queensland - Intensive Family Support, South and South West Brisbane – Concentric Concepts – Department of Housing and Public Works – Department of Youth Justice – DV Connect – Friends with Dignity – Launch Housing VIC – Mission Australia – Nundah Neighbourhood Centre – Queensland Aids Council – Queensland Police Service – RizeUp Australia – Uniting Care Queensland – Wesnet/Telstra Safe Connections – Women’s Health Queensland

» Safer Lives Mobile Service – DV Connect – Queensland Police Service – Co-response

Brisbane Emergency Response Outreach Service (BEROS) Partners• Community Living Association• Brisbane City and Caboolture

Greater Brisbane Region Department of Child Safety

COVID-19 Response Partners and Donors

» Accommodation Providers – Aabon Apartments and Motel – Airway Motel – Alloggio Hotels – Atira – Banana Bender Backpackers – Bridgewater Apartments – Brisbane Street Studios – City Edge Brisbane Hotel – City Star Lodge – Eco Inn – George Williams Hotel – Great Southern Hotel – Hotel Chino – Ibis Hendra – Ibis Windsor – Menso at Southbank – North Lakes Hotel – Oaks Hotels – Oakwood Hotel and Apartments – Oxley Motor Inn – Quest Kelvin Grove – Quest on Story Bridge – Quest Woolloongabba – The Park Hotel – Tottenham Court Hotel – Southbank Hotel

• Community Canteen• Ecumenical Coffee Brigade• One Voice• Orange Sky• Rosies• Valley Hearts

Disability Royal Commission Partners• Cape York/Gulf Remote Area

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Care (RAATSICC) Advisory Association

• WWILD Sexual Violence Prevention Association

Inclusive Health Partners• Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu

Chi Foundation Australia• Flannery Foundation• Mater Health

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International Partners• Community Solutions, Rosanne

Haggerty (USA)• David Tobis, Maestral

International (USA)• Dr Jim O’Connell (USA)• Iain De Jong, OrgCode (Canada)• Marie Wilson, Former Truth and

Reconciliation Commissioner (Canada)

• Nan Roman, National Alliance to End Homelessness (USA)

• Social Solutions (USA)

Lotus Place Partners• Access Arts• Arts Queensland• Flying Arts Alliance• Jigsaw Queensland - Forced

Adoption Support Services• Link-Up (Qld) Aboriginal

Corporation• Queensland Child Protection

Week Committee• Queensland Performing Arts

Centre (QPAC) • Reclink Australia• Sandi Woo–The Quest dance

project• The Edge, State Library of

Queensland • Upbeat Arts• Wesley Mission - Art From The

Margins (AFTM)• With One Voice Brisbane

Supportive Housing Partners• Common Ground Queensland• Brisbane Common Ground• Keeping Families Together

Supportive Housing Initiative

Networks and Collaborators• 3rd Space• 98.9 Murri Radio• Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS)

– ATSICHS Woolloongabba – ATSICHS Northgate – Family Wellbeing Program

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS)–Prison Through Care

• Aboriginal Hostels – Joyce Wilding Hostel – Yumba Hostel

• A Brave Life• Accentis• ACT for Kids• Advantage• Affinity Disability Services• Aged and Disability Advocacy

Australia (ADA Australia)• Albert Park Flexi School• All Area Rubbish Removals• All Hallows’ School Brisbane• Alliance of Forgotten Australians• Alternatives to Violence Project

Queensland• Anglicare Southern Queensland• Anne Livingstone, Community

Resourcing• ANTaR Qld• Arethusa College• Australian Academy of Tai Chi &

Qigong• Australian Alliance to End

Homelessness• Australian Pensioner and

Superannuants League• Australian Red Cross• Axiom College• Baby Give Back• Bahloo Women’s Youth Shelter• Blackbaud• Blue Knot Foundation

» Brisbane Alliance to End Homelessness

– Anglicare Southern Queensland, Homelessness Services, Women and Families – Associate Professor Cameron Parsell – BABI Youth and Family Service – BRIC Housing – Brisbane City Council–Safe Communities Team – Brisbane South PHN – Brisbane Youth Service – Centacare – Chaplain Watch – CheckUP – Common Ground Queensland – Communify – Community Living Association – Department of Housing and Public Works – Encircle – Footprints in Brisbane – Homelessness and Health Outreach (HHOT) Team – Inala Youth Service – Kyabra Community Association – LawRight

– Mission Australia–Roma House – North West Youth Accommodation Service – Ozcare – QuIHN – Queensland Corrective Services – Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) – Queensland Police Service – Queensland Youth Housing Coalition – Silky Oaks Children’s Haven – Social Scaffolding – Southside Community Care – The Mara Project – The Salvation Army – Youth Advocacy Centre – Youth Housing Project

• Brisbane Housing Company• Brisbane Youth Service• Brisbane Zero• Brothers Sports Club–

Rockhampton• Burringilli Aboriginal aged care

support service• Caitlin Mullins• Carinity Education Southside• Cath Mundy and Jay Turner• Catholic Church Insurance• Caxton Legal Centre • CBC Staff Selection• Centacare • Centre Against Domestic

Violence• Child Aware• Children by Choice• Chilli Fire• Churches of Christ in Queensland • Clemente Brisbane• Combined Women’s Refuge Group• Communify• Community Sector Industry

Alliance• Community Plus - West End

Community House• Compass Housing Services• Continence Foundation of

Australia• Converge International• COTA Queensland• Create Foundation• Deloitte• Denise Oxborough, Psychologist• Department of Child Safety,

Youth and Women – Deidre Mulkerin – Kylie Phipps – Mary Kay – Sandra Tucker

• Dr Fiona Mack• Drive Accident Solutions

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• Edwina Shaw• Encompass Family & Community• EthicalJobs.com.au• ELMO• Eziway• Falvey Electrical• Family and Child Connect (FACC)• FIN (Family Inclusion Network)

Australia• FIN Townsville• Foodbank Queensland• Food Connect• Footprints• Forde Foundation• Gavin Fenelon - Art Group• GIVIT• Headspace• Hemmant Flexible Learning Centre• Housing Innovations• Inala Community House• INCH Housing• Indigo Law• Inkahoots• Institute for Urban Indigenous

Health (IUIH)• Integrating Awareness,

Lars Andersson• Intuit Works• ITEK Health• Jane Street

Community Garden partners• Jobs Australia• Knowmore• Kombi Clinic• Kummara Indigenous Family Care• Kurbingui Youth Development

–Indigenous Family and Child Connect

• LawRight• Legal Aid Queensland • Life Without Barriers• Link-Up (Qld) Aboriginal

Corporation• Little Genovese Café• Lotus Circle• Mad Hatters Festival• Mary and Martha’s Refuge• Mater Health

– ATSI Liaison Staff – Child and Youth Mental Health Service

• Mater Parent Aide Unit• Mater Research

– Organisational Development – People and Culture – Young Mothers Partnership Program

• MEGT• Men of League Foundation• Mercy Community Services

– Indigenous Family and Child Connect – Individual and Family Support – New Parents Program

• Murri Court • Murri School• Murri Watch

– Bowman Johnson Hostel – Diversionary Centre

• National Affordable Housing Consortium

• NEC• Nimbus• Oz Harvest• Patrick Herd, Community

Business Australia• Peakcare Queensland• Phil Ahmat, Mura People• Professor Karen Healy• Pure Source Recruitment• QIP Certification• QPASTT (Queensland Program

of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma)

• Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP)

• Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Corporation for Alcohol and Drug Dependence Services–Jesse Budby Healing Centre

• Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS)

• Queensland Parent Advisory Committee members

• Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN)

• Rebecca Medway• Reclink Australia• Reconciliation Australia• Reconciliation Queensland• Redland City Council

Redland Community Centre• Relationships Australia• Redbourne• Richmond Fellowship Queensland• Sabrina Stokes, Olive Tree

Communication• Sam Adams, Cooper Grace Ward• Scott McDougall, Queensland

Human Rights Commissioner• Scout Talent• SecondBite• Social Scaffolding• Southside Toyota• Southside Used Whitegoods• Souths Leagues Club • Speaking Up For You (SUFY)• St Vincent de Paul Housing

Services - Ozcare• St Vincent’s Health and Aged Care• St Vincent’s Mission Office• Strategic Grants • Stride• Supported Accommodation

Providers’ Association (SAPA)• Suzanne Bosanquet, Bosanquet

Foley Architects• Tenants Queensland (QSTARS)• The Benevolent Society -

Intensive Family Support Services• The Big Issue• The Salvation Army• The Services Union• Tom Kirk• Toyota Fleet Management• Trace Exhibition• Transit Care• True North Psychology • Upbeat Arts• Uniting Care Queensland• Wesley Mission - Art from the

Margins• West End Centre for

Psychotherapy and Counselling• West End Community

House – Art Group• With One Voice Brisbane• Women’s Legal Service• YFS (Youth and Family Service)• Yulu-Burri-Ba• Zillmere Family

Accommodation Service

micah milestones

2017 Inclusive Health Partnerships

partners, Buddhist Compassion

Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Australia,

celebrate the opening of the

Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub.

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DonorsTrusts and Foundations• Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu

Chi Foundation Australia• Men of League Foundation• SJ Hill Foundation• The Pratt Family Foundation• The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust

Businesses, Schools, Organisations and Individuals• 96five FM Family Radio• Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) Rockhampton

• Adopt-A-Backpack

• Aesop James Street• Aisling Fleury• Alex Forrest• All Hallows’ School Brisbane• All Over Plant Hire• Amergen• Apple Dental• Ashurst• Australian Pensioners and

Superannuants League• Avid Reader • Axis Rehabilitation• Bend n Fly• Bidgerdii Health Service• Black Tulip Projects• Brisbane Boys College Toowong

» Brisbane City Council – Asset Management Branch (Infrastructure Division) – Yeronga Park Pool

• Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

• Brisbane Distillery • Brisbane Rape and Incest

Survivors Support Centre• Brisbane State High School• Brisbane Yoga Space• Bruce Wallis, Morgans

Foundation• BTG Entertainment• Bunnings - Cannon Hill,

Indooroopilly, Newstead, Stafford

• Business South Bank• C&K Corbett Street Community

Kindergarten, West End• Capricorn Community

Development Association (CCDA)• Catholic Diocese of

Rockhampton - Professional Standards

Thank you…

Micah Projects wishes to thank all the people and organisations who have made social justice possible over the last 25 years through donating funds, goods, services and their time. In 2019–20, we thank…

The family above were assisted to access permanent housing during COVID-19. When they moved in, their house was already a home thanks to donations of furniture and appliances from our community. Photography: Katie Bennett.

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• Centacare• Central Queensland University• Centrelink - Moreton Region,

Rockhampton, Stones Corner• CFMEU• Chipmunks Playland and Café• Clothes That Care• Coles Supermarkets• Colour Chiefs• Commonwealth Bank of Australia• CQ Community Legal Service• CQ Financial Services• CQ Hospital and Health Service• Curran family• Community Business Australia• Councillor Jonathan Sri• Councillor Kara Cook• Councillor Vicki Howard• Crossfit Roar• Customer Owned Banking

Association• Deloitte• Department of Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

• Department of Education, Information and Technologies

• Department of Justice and Attorney General, Office of Fair Trading

• Department of Premier and Cabinet

• DFL Design• Dr Simon Bowler• Drive Accident Solutions• Edmund Rice Christian Brothers

Oceania Province• Engineering Networks• Extremely Face Painting• Fashion Allied Agency• Fay5 Earthmoving• Fifty Acres• Flowrite Earthworks• Gabrielle and Peter Chisholm• Gateway Baptist Church• Girl Guides Queensland• GiveNow

• GIVIT and GIVIT Supporters for all their support

• Good2Give• Good360• Greek Ladies Philoptochos

Society of St George Brisbane• Greek Orthodox Community of St

George Ladies Auxiliary• Green Beacon Brewing Company• Grill’d West End• Growth Ops Khemistry• Gumdale State School• Hair Aid Inc• Helen Fitzgerald• Hepatitis Queensland• Hocking Mackie Sub Fund• Honourable Annastacia

Palaszcuk MP• Honourable Coralee O’Rourke MP• Honourable Di Farmer MP• Honourable Mick de Brenni MP• Honourable Shannon Fentiman

MP• Ian Johnston

» Indigenous elders: We thank the following elders for their continued support throughout the year

– Aunty Carol Currie – Gaja Kerry Charlton – Songwoman Maroochy Barambah – Uncle Des Sandy

• Indooroopilly Shopping Centre• Inkahoots• Intuit Works• Jackie Trad MP• Jean Cantlay• Jill Lang• Joe Kelly MP• John Mongard Landscape

Architects• Joining Hands• Junction Park State School• Justine Sinclair, Posto• Katie Bennett, Embellysh

Photography• Kedron State High School• Kenmore Twilight QCWA Sub-

Branch• KMJ Shoes• Konekt• Kurilpa Community Childcare

Centre• Lady Gowrie Childcare Centre• Landcare Australia• Liberty Highgate Hill• Lifecycle Cycling Club• Link-Up (Qld) Aboriginal

Corporation• Level 13 Co-op• Lois Wagner, Morgans Financial• LORDS (Lutheran Ormeau Rivers

District School)• Loreto College Coorparoo• Lorraine Gorman• Mary Crombie• Mater Health• McDonalds Annerley• Michelle Stafford, Caravanserai• Mirvac• Moonlight Magic Dinner Dance

guests who made donations to cover the cost of supported tickets and those who donated wardrobe and their services

• Morgans Financial• MS Queensland• Mt Maria College Mitchelton• Mt St Michael’s College Ashgrove• Mudgeeraba Uniting Church

Opportunity Shop• Multiplex• Natasha Kiely• National Australia Bank• Nia Dance Community of

Brisbane• Officeworks Milton• Paul McGuire• PayPal Giving Fund Australia• Peakcare• Pitney Bowes• Playgroup Queensland

In November 2019, 30 volunteers from Mirvac and Suncorp completed working bees at Hope on Boundary Café, Hope Street Café and Brisbane Common Ground.

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• Pondera Physio & Pilates West End• Pub Choir• Q STARS Rockhampton and

Brisbane• Queensland Council of Social

Service (QCOSS)• Queensland Indigenous Family

Violence Legal Service (QIFVLS)• Queen’s Wharf Workforce• QUT Justice Society• Reclink Australia• Redback• Redlands College• Redsuit Advertising• Relationships Australia

Rockhampton • Rev. Nathan Campbell, Creek

Road Presbyterian Church • Rio Tinto Brisbane• River City Ballroom• RizeUp Australia• Rock Community Care• Rockhampton Housing Service

Centre• Rotary Ashgrove The Gap• Savvy• School Stuff• Sci-Fleet Motors• Scope Club of Wynnum• Shadforth Civil Constructions• Share the Dignity• Sisters of Mercy Brisbane • Southside Toyota• Souths Leagues Club• Souths Logan Magpies Football

Team• St Elizabeth’s Primary School

Tarragindi• St Eugene College Burpengary• St Laurence’s College South

Brisbane• St Margaret’s Anglican Girls

School Ascot• St Mary’s in Exile Community• St Peter Claver College Riverview

• StreetSmart Australia• Stuart Maggs• St Vincent’s Private Hospital

Brisbane• Suncorp• SWOP Clothing Exchange• Tabatha Pashen, Brisbane

City Council Community Development

• Terri Butler MP• Terry White Chemmart West End• Thai Chada• The Framer• The Services Union• Tim Minchin, Live Nation

Australasia• TransitCare• Transport and Allied Insurance

Services• Two Good• United Way• Victims Assist Queensland• Villanova College Coorparoo• Walsh family• Wesley Mission - Art from the

Margins• Westender• West End Social Singers• West End State School• West Grand Properties Unit Trust• Wests Rugby Union Club• Women in Insolvency and

Restructuring Queensland• Women’s Health Service

Rockhampton• Woolworths• Working Against Violence

Support Services• WRB• Xavier Catholic College Hervey

Bay• Zeroseven • Zonta Club of Brisbane East

Volunteers• Alesio Rebechi• Alexander Shield• Amanda Lawson• Amy Marr• Andrea Lehmann• Angela Anderson• Angela Culhane• Anmol Arora• AnnabelWhitton• Aphrodite Nichles• Ashlee Schafer• Ashleigh Cotton• Benjamin Walton• Benjamin Whitehead• Blake Suzor• Bree Heagy• Bronwyn Hope• Bronwyn Pressland• Bruce Cowling• Caitlin Finn• Camella Griffiths• Cassia Bray• Cherie Forgerty• Cherry Cornelio• Chloe Crandell• Chloe Waddell• Chris Harris• Clair Tunnicliffe• Clare Silcock• Craig McKettrick• Danielle Keen• David Toyer• Deb Warren• Debbie Parmenter• Deidre Davies• Denis Cush• Denise Gamarra Bonifacio• Dennis Atkins• Dewald (Dee) Van Der Merwe• Doerthe Bourgeais• Dorothy Chapman• Doug Yuille• Elissa Taylor

2003 micah memories Packing approximately 50 Christmas Hampers at St Mary’s House.

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• Emily Easterbrook• Emily Hatzis• Emma Taylor• Eva Mizrahi• Fiona O’Neill• Fotina Hardy• Fozia Abdi• Gemma Harding• Grace Kahlert• Greg Coghlan• Heather Grant• Helen Abrahams• Hemapreya Selvanathan• Ian Collier• Ilona Kovacs• Isaac Devery• Jacinta Crickmore• Jan Bowman• Jason Grant• Jeni Warburton• Jenny Lehrke• Jenny Tanner• Jerath Head• Jesse Webb• Jett Walcott• Jocelyn Harrison• Jonathan Randell• Josh Maddox• Kara Thomas• Karen Grimmett• Karen Taib• Karishma Tanvi• Kate Palmer• Katherine Julius• Katherine MacLeod• Kathleen Norman• Katie Baker• Kelly Harper• Kerry Boman• Kerry Lawrence• Kate Flamsteed• Kristi Taylor• Kylie Rayner• Lachlan McNamara• Larissa Donald• Leah Nichles

• Lillian Rangiah• Lily Poelstra• Lisa Siganto• Liza Ryan• Loretta Donnolly• Louise Burke• Louise Saragossi• Lovepreet Sindhu• Luc Haberi• Lucy Marquis-Kyle• Maddison Ciobo• Madeleine Kohler• Madeline Lewis• Maggie McGuire• Maile Walker• Mark Doyle• Maria O’Neill• Martin Hodgkinson• May Maung• Michael Kelly• Michelle Stafford• Mikayla Adams• Mirandha Escott-Burton• Molly Shelton• Monica Menendez• Monica Munoz• Monica Roberts• Monique Baber• Naeva Williams• Naomi Rutherford• Narmada Sivapalan• Natasha Kiely• Nathan Taylor• Ned Cavanough• Niamh Kelly• Niki Midegely• Pam Bourke• Patricia Graham• Patricia Tidbold• Peter Crickmore• Peter Wooldridge• Poppi Hmelnitsky• Prasad Samarasekara• Raelene Chafer• Ranah Malberg• Rebecca Tweedy

• Robyn Perring• Rodrigo Cabrales• Roger Brand• Roger Hardy• Rosemary Graham• Rose Anne Stoker• Sabina Hamilton• Samuel McNamara• Samantha Collins• Sara Webb• Sarah Gallagher• Sarah Grealy• Sarah Mizrahi• Sarah Sabit• Shawn Shirani• Sheetal• Simon James• Simon Pressland• Sonali Joshi• Sophie Worthington• Stephen Clair• Steven Giorgini• Sue Horn• Susan Parker• Suthaharan Aimee• Tania Morgan• Tanya Ashworth• Tara Ormsby• Tarah Hodgkinson• Taylor Brown• Theresa Braat• Tina Jones• Tracey Foley• Verity Noble• Virginia Clarke• Yolanka Lobo

2019 micah memories

Packing 619 Christmas Hampers in Kurilpa Hall. Photography: Katie Bennett.

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October Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh officially started in our payroll system as a paid employee for ten hours a week.

May Micah Projects — particularly, our CEO, Karyn Walsh — presented to the Commission that granted Pay Equity for SACS Workers in Queensland. This resulted in increased pay rates within the sector.

August Ran our first dedicated two-day staff orientation with site visits to Brisbane Homelessness Service Centre (BHSC), Lotus Place and Butterfly House.

July Employed our first full-time HR Manager.

October Employees numbered 100 for the first time.

May Recognising the significant value and number of volunteers, our first Volunteer Coordinator was appointed.

January Retained our Student Supervisor after funding for the position ceased, to assist and support Social Work students.

May Held our first meeting of the Joint Consultative Council, comprised of Micah Projects Leadership, Union Delegates and The Services Union .

June Employed our first staff member under the Children’s Services Award as part of Micah’s new Occasional Child Care Service.

July Reached 200 employees

August Employed our first café staff as part of the Hope Street Social Enterprise.

November Employed our first Clinical Nurse to work with Street to Home as part of our integrated response to homelessness.

1994

2009

2010

2014

2016

2017

Three of Micah Projects’ Nurses on International Nurses Day, 2020.

2019–2020 Micah Projects now employs…

240+ staff working across

8 cluster areas, and

33 teams

…who engage with individuals and families, people experiencing adversity due to poverty, homelessness, mental illness, domestic violence, disability and all forms of discrimination.

As well as being supported by its employees and students, Micah Projects is fortunate to attract a significant number of volunteers who support our events and programs.

Micah Projects thanks our partners, students, volunteers, donors and members. We couldn’t operate as effectively or provide the best possible support without your generous donations and time.

The People of Micah Projects

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2019/20 Financial ReportFor Micah Projects, like many others, the 2019–20 year has been a game of two halves, with the first six months being business as usual and the second half being dominated by the local and global effects of the pandemic.

Micah Projects responded promptly to the crisis by re-directing staff immediately to ensure that people in Brisbane who were vulnerable or experiencing homelessness were made safe in the early phase. From March through to the peak in Easter 2020, our staff showed agility and ingenuity in meeting an escalating crisis whilst the rules and the landscape were rapidly changing. We are very proud of the way those staff stood up to provide front-line services in very challenging conditions.

We are grateful that the Queensland Government worked closely with Micah Projects so that we used funding flexibly to address particular issues brought about by COVID-19. Our partnership with the Department of Housing and Public Works enabled us to source emergency accommodation on an enormous scale through a series of one-off grants. Queensland Health also worked closely with Micah Projects through funding for the Inclusive Health and Wellness Hub. This combined with funding received from Metro South PHN and Brisbane North PHN towards Integrated Nursing care within the Street to Home team, ensuring people experiencing homelessness could access medical services during COVID-19. That access, in turn, reduced pressure on hospital emergency departments when it was most important.

It should be noted that this year’s financial profile reflects the adoption of new accounting standards and changes should be seen in that context. The essential position, however, remains healthy, as our external accountants, BDO, can confirm. Micah Projects’ revenue for the year, bolstered by non-recurrent COVID-19 funding, rose to $25.7m (compare 2019, $22m).

We continue to invest the largest component ($16.6m) in our staff, who are easily the most important resource in our delivery of services. That investment extended to the maintenance of our social enterprises, the Hope Street Cafés (assisted by the Federal Government’s Job Keeper program), ensuring their continuing viability through 2020.

Micah Projects remains faithful to its mission so that we applied all funds received to service delivery, recording a deficit for the year of $303,719. Our net asset position is strong at $1.6m, with its strength underpinned by a current ratio of 0.96.

The Board is confident that Micah Projects will be in a sound financial position going forward. The year ended on an especially positive note when we purchased premises from the Churches of Christ at 28 Malcolm Street Hawthorne. Micah Projects has previously operated an occasional childcare centre and community hub from the premises and, as owners, we will continue those operations. We are particularly grateful for the generosity of Hand Heart Pocket, the charity of Freemasons Queensland, which facilitated the purchase through the provision of a major grant and an interest-free loan. This acquisition will go a long way to ensuring the sustained delivery of much-needed services to families experiencing hardship and crisis.

The year’s achievements reflect the skill and commitment of our staff. On behalf of the Board, I would like to acknowledge the work of the Organisational Coordination Team and the Finance and IT Teams – Raj, Jamie, Rebecca, Gita, Trish, Luke, Jay, Sam and payroll Miseon and Kashmira. I would also like to recognise the skill, the diligence and the charm of the other members of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee – namely Ria Wong and Debora Jackson, and of the Micah Board generally. It has been a treat and a revelation to work with each of you.

Damien Atkinson OAM QC Director, and Chair Finance, Audit and Risk Management (FARM) Committee

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2020 2019

$ $

REVENUE 25,020,786 21,090,511

Other income 681,892 976,550

25,702,678 22,067,061

EXPENSES

Employment expenses (16,615,166) (14,886,440)

Property and energy expenses (713,534) (2,113,683)

Administration expenses (2,593,078) (2,465,922)

Motor vehicle expenses (306,762) (747,004)

Client related expenses (3,044,683) (1,272,399)

Interest expense (304,098) -

Depreciation and amortisation expenses (1,999,929) (387,964)

Share in profit or loss in equity accounted investment (152,810) (86,681)

Other expenses (276,337) (162,616)

Profit before income tax expense (303,719) (55,648)

Income tax expense - -

Surplus/(deficit) for the year (303,719) (55,648)

Other comprehensive income - -

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR (303,719) (55,648)

This concise financial report is an extract from the financial report. The financial statements and specific disclosures included in this concise financial report have been derived from the financial report. The concise financial report cannot be expected to provide as full an understanding of the financial performance, financial position and financing and investing activities of the entity as the financial report. The presentation currency used is Australian dollars.

If you would like to view the full financial statements for the 2019/2020 financial year, please contact Micah Projects or visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) website (www.acnc.gov.au/charity) and search for Micah Projects Ltd.

Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, for the year ended 30 June 2020

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Statement of financial position as at 30 June 2020

2020 2019

$ $

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents 4,026,375 3,597,704

Inventory - 5,959

Trade and other receivables 1,325,502 286,305

Other current assets 467,798 176,324

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 5,819,675 4,066,292

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Security deposits and bonds 528,842 521,232

Equity accounted investment 26,060 178,870

Property, plant and equipment 383,619 608,128

Right of Use Assets 7,245,427 -

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 8,183,948 1,308,230

TOTAL ASSETS 14,003,623 5,374,522

LIABILITIES

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Trade and other payables 1,860,247 1,376,899

Lease Liability 1,562,650 -

Provisions 1,614,536 1,126,888

Deferred revenue 1,051,887 495,123

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 6,089,320 2,998,910

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

Lease Liability 5,931,708 -

Provisions 371,719 461,017

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 6,303,427 461,017

TOTAL LIABILITIES 12,392,747 3,459,927

NET ASSETS 1,610,876 1,914,595

EQUITY

Retained surplus 1,610,876 1,914,595

TOTAL EQUITY 1,610,876 1,914,595

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The Brisbane Alliance to End Homelessness, with Micah Projects launched the Brisbane Zero website in 2020. brisbanezero.org.au

The website includes an online dashboard providing real-time data to understand the scope of homelessness in the community, understand how people move in and out of the homelessness system, and have accurate information to track progress towards ending rough or street sleeping.

Digital agency Zeroseven built the website during a two-day intensive hackathon event—where the Zeroseven team donated their time and expertise to create the website so data was more accessible and transparent.

Technical Lead and Managing Director of Zeroseven, Chris Thompson said that the hackathon shows the power of local collaboration to end homelessness in Brisbane.

“With a rising unemployment rate due to COVID-19, homelessness numbers are projected to grow over the coming months. Homelessness has been something the Zeroseven team is conscious of and we are thrilled to use our skills and expertise to support Brisbane Zero and Micah Projects reach zero homelessness by 2023,” Mr Thompson said.

Our annual reports provide a documented record of the past 25 years of our work, our achievements, our struggles and our vision.

Now in our 25th year we find ourselves with millions of people globally facing the consequences of a global pandemic.

The past 25 years have seen significant change in our political, social, economic and environmental systems.

The next 25 years is no doubt going to be marked by the impact on COVID – 19 and how we as global, national, state and local citizens rebuild and repurpose to ensure that no one is left behind.

+ bey ond

The Way Forward. Developing tools to end rough sleeping in Brisbane by 2023

2020

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Vision Mission



Values











ABN 76 409 721 192 | ACN 620 134 787

@MicahProjects























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2052MICAH PROJECTS

Phone (07) 3029 7000 | Fax (07) 3029 7029

Ground Floor, 162 Boundary Street, West End Q 4101

PO Box 3449, South Brisbane Q 4101

micahprojects.org.au | [email protected]

facebook.com/micahprojects | twitter: @micahprojects

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Breaking Social IsolationBuilding Community

1995 25years - micah projects

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