Issue 07 | Winter 2013

Chairman’s ReportIt is with pleasure that I welcome you to the May edition of the Passages Resource Centre newsletter. This year, we have unfortunately experienced increased challenges and difficulties in regards to generating corporate sponsor support for the Passages Race Day which has significantly impacted on our ongoing fundraising efforts for the service. As we reflect on seven successful years of this event, I am mindful that a lot of our supporters over the last few years are mainly mining and mining services companies.

This exposes the success of the Race Day to the vagaries of industry related cyclical downturns. For instance in April, we saw a big fall in the gold price in over 30 years and similar downward pressure is being exerted on other commodity prices. This will lead to these companies cutting back on expenditure and their ability to support the work we do.

As a Passages Board, we will be turning our minds to these changes and over the coming months we will be focusing our minds and attention to engage with, and seek support from other sectors beyond the mining sector.

The work that Passages does is vitally important and we need to ensure that the gains we have made are not lost. Statistics show that since 1998 over 16,000 young street present people have used our services and programs.

This would not have happened and will not continue without the generosity of our donors and supporters. It’s therefore time, I believe for other sectors to step up and support the essential work of the Passages Resource Centres.

In April, Passages Northbridge hosted the Federal Minster of Housing and Homelessness, Hon Mark Butler for the launch of the 2013 Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign. I joined Minister Butler, with CEO Sleepout first time participant Dale Alcock, Managing Director - Alcock Brown-Neaves Group, a WA leading housing company.

I am also happy to report that after a year of operation Passages Peel is experiencing a growing demand with 1,100 visits already this (Jan-April 2013) compared to 404 visits over the same period last year. The figures speak volumes and prove how vital a lifeline the centre is becoming for the region’s young people.

Once again, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our supporters, staff and committee members. Without your generosity, support and commitment this vital work would not be possible, so on behalf of all the young people who have been assisted by Passages, I say thank you.

Kind regards

David Reed OAM Chairman

Passages Resource Centre Board

A newsletter from Passages Resource Centre

passagesresource centre

passagesresource centre

creating new destinies

The 4th Vinnies CEO Sleepout will be held in WA on Thursday 20 June with leading business and community leaders signing up to participate in the event which supports the Society’s homeless services.

This year, Passages Northbridge had the honour of hosting the Federal Minister of Housing and Homelessness, Hon Mark Butler to launch the - 2013 CEO Sleepout campaign. Funds raised for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout provide significant support for the Passages Resource Centres in particular through operational support for the Peel location.

Registrations for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout are open. Please encourage any business and community leaders that you know to visit www.ceosleepout.org.au for more information, to register or make a donation!

Federal Minister launches WA’s 2013 Vinnies CEO Sleepout campaign

CEO’s Rising to the Challenge to Raise Funds for Homelessness

The One Life Project started in December 2012, is beginning to bear fruit with a successful Graffitti Art Workshop held early this year bringing together young people and a leading street artist Joe aka ‘ArtByDestroy’.

The event held on 28 February, was attended by six enthusiastic young people. Joe interacted brilliantly with the group and shared some valuable lessons. Some of the art works from the workshop will be displayed in the alfresco area at the back of Passages Northbridge. Joe also donated to Passages one of his creations.

The Art workshop was result of discussions with a number of young people at Passages covering several topics. These discussions were jointly facilitated by Youth Affairs Council

of WA (YACWA) and Passages staff. At the end of the workshop participants enjoyed a barbecue.

YACWA and Passages Northbridge initiated the project to engage young people on ‘One Life Strategy’ topic which covers issues regarding youth mental health, suicide and homelessness. The goals of the project are:

•Youthled–theydecidehowandwhattheydo•Youngpeopleshouldbethefocus•Addressingawarenessaroundsuicideandmentalhealth•Addressingstigmatowardsyoungpeopleexperiencing homelessness

The project will run in three stages. Stage one discussions resulted in the ‘Graffiti Art Project’ facilitated by the participant’s first choice artist Joe aka ‘ArtByDestroy’.

Planning for stage two is underway and YACWA hopes to build on the success of stage one to attract and engage more young people to become involved.

A big thank you from staff and young people at Passages go to YACWA Community Coordinator, Bonnie Davies for organising and facilitating this project.

Enrolling for music classes has helped a particularly shy and reserved young man build some self confidence and come out of his shell to speak out and share his musical learning experiences and hobbies with others.

Passages Peel staff assisted with linking the young man who has been visiting the centre for the past year after being referred by his Job Service Provider. He has been using the centre to access the internet and links to health, counselling services and life skills workshops.

The young man was particularly shy and reserved and had difficulty engaging in conversations with youth workers and interacting with other young people in the centre.

Over the past few months, a staff member gently included him in open discussions with others, asked him often to help with chores and activities in the centre. By encouraging him to talk about his personal interests and hobbies, the staff member discovered that he was particularly interested in music and dreamed of working in the music industry. The staff member did some research of what was available in the local community.

The young man was then connected with Bridging the Gap who linked him with Castlerock School of Music where he was able to start studying for a certificate in Music Studies a short time ago. He is now learning to play a guitar and attends music classes twice per week and he now regularly engages with others at Passages and has gained enough self confidence resulting in him talking about and sharing his progress at school.

Music does the trick!

Young people participating in the Graffiti Art Workshop at Passages Northbridge.

One Life Project Workshop, a Success

PoemPrison

Locked in a room - an 8 x 10 cell

Committed a crime sentenced to hell

Write a rhyme; think about what you’ve done

Nowhere to go nowhere to run

It will make you or break you; recreate your soul

15 foot walls surround this hole

Clean your room stand by your door

Wipe down the benches mop the floor

You stare up high and ask the Lord

To smite thy body with His mighty sword

Take thy soul, set thy free

Open my eyes let me see

All that I am will ever be

Cause this is not the life, not the life for me

- Dave C

Can you help Passages?Passages is in need of travel size toiletries which can utilised by young people visiting the centres. Items most needed are female hygiene and sanitary products. To donate items to Passages, contact the St Vincent de Paul Society Fundraising Coordinator on 9475 5414 or fundraising@svdpwa.org.au.

Passages Northbridge Timetable

Passages Peel Timetable

Monday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Tuesday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Wednesday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Thursday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Friday 9am-1pm

Breakfast Club Breakfast Club Breakfast Club Breakfast ClubBBQ

10:45am-1pm

Street Doctor 9am-3pm

DAYS Outreach 10am-11:30am

Youthlink 10:30am-12pm

Passages Workshop 1pm-3pm

Centrelink Community Team 10am-12pm

Healthy Cooking 1pm-3pm

Street Law 10:30am-12pm

WASUA Outreach 11am-1pm

Youth Futures WA 1pm-3pm

Street Connect 12pm-1pm

Monday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Tuesday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Wednesday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Thursday 9am-12pm // 1pm-4pm

Friday 9am-1pm

Breakfast Club 9am-10:30am

Breakfast Club 9am-10:30am

Breakfast Club 9am-10:30am

Breakfast Club 9am-10:30am

Breakfast Club 9am-10:30am

Peel Mobile Health Service 9am-11:30am

Healthy Cooking 1pm-3pm

Peel Mental Health 1pm-2pm (fortnightly)

Centrelink 9am-11:30am (fortnightly)

BBQ 10:30am-1pm

Peel Youth Medical Service 9am-12pm

Bridging Gap 2pm-3pm (fortnightly)

Allambee 10:30am-12pm (fortnightly)

Peel Youth Medical Service 9am-12pm

WASUA 1:30pm-3:30pm (fortnightly)

Workshop 1pm-3pm

Days Outreach 10:30am-1pm (fortnightly)

22 Palmerston Street Northbridge WA 6003 Tel: (08) 9228 1478

20 Davey Street Mandurah WA 6210 Tel: (08) 9583 5160

Anglicare connects with PassagesPassages Northbridge and Anglicare WA’s Street Connect partnership to link-up with, and assist marginalised young people will continue to run throughout 2013.

Street Connect is a street-based outreach program assisting homeless and ‘at-risk’ young people 15-25 years old in Perth’s inner city area. The project aims to make connections with the most marginalised young people who often gather in public places and engage them in positive life changes.

Youth workers provide a daily outreach presence via the Mobile Youth Resource Centre (‘the bus’) and

meet with young people on the streets, forming positive working relationships and assisting them through provision of informal counselling, referral to services, advocacy, crisis intervention and follow-up support.

Street Connect staff currently visit Passages Northbridge on Friday afternoons during the end of week barbecue and seek to engage young people in low cost recreation activities.

Rotary Club of Mandurah District mingling before the club meeting and BBQ at Passages Resource Centre Peel

Rotarians at Passages PeelPassages Peel played host to Rotarians from all three Rotary Clubs in Mandurah recently –thesebeingtheRotaryClubofMandurahDistrict, the Rotary Club of Mandurah City and the Rotary Club of Mandurah. The members had an opportunity to become familiar with work the centre does and how they can assist.

Passages would also like to extend a thank to the Rotary Club of Mandurah who presented David Reed, Chairperson of Passages a cheque for $7,000 earlier this year.

Passages Peel receives Grant from Peach AlcoaA heartfelt thank you to Peach Alcoa for the generous grant which enabled Passages Peel to buy cafe blinds and outdoor furniture for the centre.

The cafe blinds and furniture have enabled Passages to better utilise the outside space at the centre. They provide privacy from the street and protection from the weather. They have installed them both at the front entrance of the service and along the patio area at the rear. The outdoor furniture was purchased in a flat-pack form and the young peoplewhere able to build it themselves –something which has encouraged pride in the centre and the facilities.

These areas give Passages more usable space and the opportunity for young people to have quieter areas to sit away from the main busy area of the centre. Given the increase in numbers coming to the centre, it has made a significant difference to Passages ability to maintain a comfortable and calm environment.

Peach Alcoa also supported the St Vincent de Paul Society in Pinjarra, Mandurah and Waroona with IT support which has enabled improved communications.

Fifty enjoy Cirque du Soleil Ovo showFifty people supported by the St Vincent de Paul Society including young people from Passages Resource Centre Northbridge enjoyed a night out at the Cirque du Soleil Ovo show in Perth recently courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

The tickets worth over $6,000 opened an excellent opportunity for the young people and a number of families assisted by the Society to experience the spectacular that is Cirque du Soleil.

“I never imagined that one day I could attend this amazing and fantastic show put on by professional artists. The show was absolutely mesmerising”, said Ashley one of the young people who attended the show.

“This was a once in a lifetime thing and I am extremely grateful to Passages and Cirque du Soleil for giving me and other young people this chance”, he added.

In further support, Cirque du Soleil granted the St Vincent de Paul Society rights to sale 75 tickets to its Friday 7 June show, and all (100%) proceeds will go towards supporting Passages Resources Centres. As of early May, over $5,000 had been raised for the service.

The St Vincent de Paul Society would like to thank the team at Cirque du Soleil for their generous support.

Hats, Fascinators, Fillies and FunThe Passages Race Day held on Saturday 25 May at Belmont Park Race Course was attended by over 200 people.

Passages would like to thank event platinum sponsor, Westralian Diamond Drillers for the incredible generous support of Passages as well as the Gold and Silver sponsors who greatly contribute to the Race Day.

Gold Sponsor - Reed Resources

Silver Sponsors - Allens Linklaters, Doepel Marsh, MKDC, Noah’s Rule, Ramelius Resources, St John of God Foundation.

Our sincere appreciation is extended to all corporate and community supporters who assisted with items for the raffles and auctions. All funds raised, greatly assist Passages Northbridge provide valuable support to young people experiencing disadvantage.

Preparations for the 2014 Passages Race Day are already underway. If you would like to participate, or assist with next year’s event by sponsoring a table, donating auction items or in any way please contact the St Vincent de Paul Society Events Coordinator on 9475 5414 or events@svdpwa.org.au.

Northbridge: Individual Clients - 1,240 Access Visits - 4,217 New Clients - 403 Successful Referrals - 2,078 Resources Used - 9,386

Age Breakdown:

Peel: Individual Clients - 508 Access Visits - 1,976 New Clients - 211 Successful Referrals - 1,343 Resources Used - 4,437

Age Breakdown:

Sponsor logos for the Passages Race Day

Sta

tist

ics

2012

/201

3 Fin

anci

al Y

ear

12-1

5 9%

16-1

8 30

%

22-2

5 32

%

19-2

1 29

%

12-1

5 14

%

16-1

8 50

%

22-2

5 7%

19-2

1 29

%

Figures as of March 2013

For Passages Resource Centre contact details, further information or to donate to Passages please visit www.passagesresourcecentre.com

SVDP12

39V3

Joint Venture Partners: Founding Partners:

Rotary Club of Perth

The Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus Jerusalem

•Thank you to the City of Vincent for their ongoingsupport of Healthy Cooking, Breakfast Club and the Friday barbecue/lunch, through the Community Welfare Grant. The funding is valuable and assists young people access to a variety of meals, provide an opportunity to learn food preparation skills, and provision of nutritional information as part of developing a healthier lifestyle.

•AbigthankyoutoallstaffatCentrelinkPerthSmartCentre-Osborne Park for a donation of $1,195, socks and shoes to Passages. Staff participated in fortnightly gold coin donation over the months of December through to March - plus a sock and shoe drive collection.

•ThankyoutotheYoungVinniesatSacredHeartCollegeSorrento for your continued support with food, Milo and chocolate. This will ensure that the young people who visit and access Passages will get to enjoy a variety of meals and treats.

•Passageswouldliketoextendaheartfeltthankyoutothe team at Allens Linklaters who raised $1,230 in early May to be used to purchase movie tickets for young people accessing Passages. This entitles Passages to 101 adult tickets and 14 children’s tickets to use at any of the ACE Cinema outlets. ACE Cinemas have kindly added complimentary candy bar vouchers.

•ThankyoutoLynDelBorreloandtheKnittingLadiesfor a donation of $640 to Passages Northbridge and Peel. The Ladies raised the money over four market days at Bunning’s stores at Willetton and Belmont selling knitted blankets, socks and baby wear.

•ThankyoutotheCityofMandurahCatenianAssociationfor your donation of $500 to Passages Peel. The money was raised through members contributing towards the “Presidents Charity”.

City of Mandurah Catenian Association President Chas Fitzgerald hands over a $500 cheque donation to Passages Peel Coordinator Megan Bury. Looking on is fellow Catenian, Wayne Gray (l) and St Vincent de Paul Society Peel Region President Jim Mather (r)

•Passages Northbridge recently received a generousdonation of $2,500 as part of the 2012 Chevron Employee Community Donations initiative. Thank you Chevron for this wonderful support.

•InJanuary,theRotaractClubofPerthheldaveryfunand well organised Lawn Bowls fundraiser themed Mad Hatters Garden Party and raised over $1,100 for Passages Northbridge. The club will also be holding a quiz night to support Passages in June.

•ThankyoutotheteamatCatholicYouthMinistrywhodonated proceeds from the Illuminate Youth Ball on Saturday 18 May held at Esplanade River Suites in Como to Passages.

•Thankyou to theStVincentdePaulSocietyOsbornePark Depot for the ongoing support of Passages through donations of toiletries, clothing and a BBQ.

•Thank you to the City of Mandurah for their ongoing support towards the Peel Breakfast Club, Healthy Cooking program, Friday BBQ and Passages Garden.

Thank you & Acknowledgments

Make your own take awayOver the last six weeks Healthy Cooking at Passages Northbridge has taken the tag line ‘Make your own take away’. This initiative is to encourage young people to cook healthy low cost meals that are cheaper, tastier and healthier than that at any local take away. Young people are shown how to manage meals on a budget and at the end of each session are asked how much they would pay for the meal they have made. Each week there is a different theme, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek/Turkish, and Aussie. The program has been a raging success.