Community Homeless Outreach
HOMELESS OUTREACH
At Newtown Neighbourhood Centre we want to eliminate homelessness and ensure everyone is on a pathway to safe secure housing.
This will require a serious investment in social and affordable housing, and we will continue to advocate with others for this to happen.
This will require a serious investment in social and affordable housing, and we will continue to advocate with others for this to happen.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH?
The Newtopian Outreachers program involves volunteers taking part in monthly outreach, engaging with people experiencing homelessness and offering assistance. This may include how to access temporary crisis accommodation, where to get meals or where to find other local support services.
This project is about creating a sense of community and changing perceptions and assumptions about people experiencing homelessness. During the experience we encourage volunteers to share their journey with friends and family to help raise awareness. This is designed to grow a network of wider community members who can be informed and effective advocates for both the practical housing and service needs and the importance of community connection for people experiencing homelessness.
In 2018 we started our Community Outreach program in Newtown and trained 20 passionate and committed locals who were looking for a way to actively address increasing homelessness in their neighbourhood. This program is now in it's third year and working in partnership with our professional Homelessness Service Coordinator and other partner agency, was able to find safe and affordable housing for 20 clients.
In 2020 we are excited to be able to expand our community outreach program. Our Newtopian Outreachers - Sydney volunteers will be engaging with people sleeping rough in the Sydney CBD and surrounding areas.
The Newtopian Outreachers program involves volunteers taking part in monthly outreach, engaging with people experiencing homelessness and offering assistance. This may include how to access temporary crisis accommodation, where to get meals or where to find other local support services.
This project is about creating a sense of community and changing perceptions and assumptions about people experiencing homelessness. During the experience we encourage volunteers to share their journey with friends and family to help raise awareness. This is designed to grow a network of wider community members who can be informed and effective advocates for both the practical housing and service needs and the importance of community connection for people experiencing homelessness.
In 2018 we started our Community Outreach program in Newtown and trained 20 passionate and committed locals who were looking for a way to actively address increasing homelessness in their neighbourhood. This program is now in it's third year and working in partnership with our professional Homelessness Service Coordinator and other partner agency, was able to find safe and affordable housing for 20 clients.
In 2020 we are excited to be able to expand our community outreach program. Our Newtopian Outreachers - Sydney volunteers will be engaging with people sleeping rough in the Sydney CBD and surrounding areas.
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Check out this video of our team in action:
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The Newtopian Outreacher Evaluation Report clearly demonstrates the impact of this project on Newtown Neighbourhood Centre volunteers and staff as well as the homeless community. A big thanks to Connie Henson, CEO of Learning Quest, who undertook this evaluation on a pro bono basis. We are excited about the potential for this model to work in other places where communities are concerned about people sleeping rough and want to take local action.
Check out the report here.
If you would like to discuss the potential application of this project to your local community or organisation, please email admin@newtowncentre.org.
The original pilot NNC Homeless Outreach project was supported by Inner West Council, Westpac and Uniting.
The Newtopian Outreachers - Sydney project is made possible by a combination of sources including grants from The City of Sydney, Uniting and Westpac and through the generous support of the community at fundraising events like Newtown Festival and Newtopian Sleepout.
Check out the report here.
If you would like to discuss the potential application of this project to your local community or organisation, please email admin@newtowncentre.org.
The original pilot NNC Homeless Outreach project was supported by Inner West Council, Westpac and Uniting.
The Newtopian Outreachers - Sydney project is made possible by a combination of sources including grants from The City of Sydney, Uniting and Westpac and through the generous support of the community at fundraising events like Newtown Festival and Newtopian Sleepout.