This member-led initiative enables members to make a positive difference to residents of our Amelie Housing properties.
Amelie Housing is a special work of the Society that began in 2012 and this project connects Conference members with Amelie Housing residents in their area. It facilitates members offering support to address social isolation and loneliness, and to assist in building strong interpersonal and community connections, both within the housing communities and with the broader community.
Amelie Housing was established as a community housing provider to support the Society’s work in ending and preventing homelessness and supporting disadvantaged members of the Australian community.
Housing is one of the Society’s social justice priorities, and a focus of the Strategic Plan 2024 – 28. Amelie Housing is actively working with other organisations to improve the availability of housing for people in need.
Housing stress, and the systemic poverty that can arise from it, is a growing problem in our community. Members are seeing more people affected by housing stress every day. Watch this video about the difference Social Housing makes:
Housing demand
Conference members engage with the residents in collaboration with Society employees and Amelie employees at properties owned or managed by Amelie Housing. Members offer the hand of friendship to people who might be experiencing isolation, loneliness, or simply want to get more connected with their neighbours.
Residents can of course contact their local Conference if they need to, but for Amelie Housing residents, this initiative goes beyond the work members would normally do. It is an opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the lives of people from our Amelie Housing community.
Existing Conferences can incorporate resident engagement activities into their regular work. Alternatively, new Conferences can be established to specifically support a group of residents.
Several Conferences have engaged with residents. Read more in these stories:
https://mavs.vinnies.org.au/special-buddies-day-event-for-families/
https://mavs.vinnies.org.au/building-community-through-fresh-bread-deliveries/
The kinds of activities members could undertake include BBQs, morning or afternoon teas, gardening, special occasion celebrations like Christmas and Easter, or children’s activities. Through this engagement members find Christ in the poor and follow Him through service to those in need.
This flyer has a summary of the project. Link to summary here.
If your Conference is interested in getting involved, email POD@amelie.org.au and/or discuss it with your Central or Regional Council President, or the Member and Community Engagement Coordinator for your Central Council.
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