Sisters’ Place a powerhouse

16 Sep 2009

By Robert Hiini

Congregations unite for homeless in Fremantle.

 

the_sisters_place_caps.jpg
The Sisters’ Place caps.

 

A mission exists in Fremantle to relieve suffering and bring hope through providing dignified night accommodation to temporarily homeless women who sleep in the parks and streets of the port city.
The Sisters’ Place is a project of the St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, supported by five Congregations of Religious Women and staffed by the Sisters and volunteers drawn from the community.
The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (RSJ), the Presentation Sisters (PBVM), the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition (SJA), the Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (OMSC) and the Loreto Sisters (IBVM) all provide their generous support and guidance.
The Sisters’ Place began in June 2007 following several meetings of leaders of these Perth congregations of religious women to explore the needs of the poor that were not being met and that could form the basis of a common project.
It was decided that homeless women in Fremantle who were sleeping on the streets and in the parks would become the focus.
The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart took the leadership in negotiations with government, the local council, other service providers and the homeless women.
Discussions were held with St Patrick’s Community Support Centre, which took on the project as part of the Centre’s services and provided one of its lodging houses.
Sisters from all the congregations volunteered their time and other women from the community came forward to help. A volunteer workforce for The Sisters’ Place was created.
Women who wanted to help but could not give time due to children and other commitments set about collecting the many things needed to run the house.
The State Government provided a grant of $50,000 to pay the rent and other costs such as insurances and maintenance. 
Lottery west assisted by meeting an urgent application for a van.
Its manager and coordinator is social worker Helen Cattalini, who reports to a committee made up of the five Congregations.  Two Sisters of Mercy are also volunteers, she told The Record.
Josephite Provincial Leader in WA, Sr Pauline Morgan, told The Record there are ten beds but they are not always full, and the women must leave their substances outside the door (in a special locked storeroom).
She said that the mentally ill, alcoholics and drug addicts have to be sober at The Sisters’ Place. 
There is a sign near the entrance saying: “Thank you for leaving your substances outside the door before you entered.”
Women with mental illnesses are taken to hospital for treatment if necessary.
Ms Cattalini said that no minors were allowed and there are six or seven volunteers each night, with between 25 and 30 altogether.
“From 7pm to 9pm, they get the house ready – we have bread and milk but don’t provide meals – then they go down to Fremantle in the van and return with the women just before 8pm,” she said.
“The women have showers – there are two bathrooms – and are settled for the night and their washing is put on, with a dryer used in the morning if their clothes are still damp.
 “They can use the Red Cross soup van and at 9pm we have two more women come in and sleep the night.
“In the morning at 7.30am two other women collect them and take them to St Patrick’s (Community Support Centre) for breakfast.
“Sometimes it is six volunteers a night, sometimes seven; sometimes they need to go off to work.
“My job is to coordinate and take care of the volunteers.  I am the spare one when somebody can’t do it.”
Ms Cattalini continued:  “We don’t count Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – it’s about half-and-half and all ages from very young – as young as 19 and 20 – to the oldest close to 70.
“They don’t have much as they don’t have anywhere to keep them – they can keep some of their belongings in a box by the bed. We always distribute blankets – kept in the back of the van – and warm clothing.
“There are quite a lot of people sleeping out – (there are) always men sleeping out. Blue caps with The Sisters’ Place printed on them are the ‘uniform’ worn by the volunteers. A lot of them do one evening shift a week or I can accept one (shift) a fortnight.”
The Sisters’ Place is not open on Friday and Saturday nights but is open from Sunday to Thursday from 8pm to 7.30am.
“It is non-denominational – though a lot of Catholic and non-Catholic people are volunteers,” Ms Cattalini said.
“It is now on a sound financial administrative basis (and) it is worth continuing – our system works and we have been able to retain volunteers.”
During 2008-09, The Sisters’ Place provided 1080 safe sleeps and 490 blankets were distributed to homeless people on the streets of Fremantle.
In total since its inception, 1838 safe sleeps have been provided to 93 women and 874 blankets have been distributed.
The Sisters’ Place is truly a community project with tremendous support from the community and donations continuing to flow.
Catholic primary and high schools, community organisations and individuals have maintained their generosity by arranging fundraising events and making personal donations.
The increased involvement by schools has had the added benefit of providing students with the opportunity to learn about the causes and effects of homelessness and the plight of homeless people in their local community.
During this year, the State Government provided a $50,000 grant through the Department for Child Protection to assist with the coordination of the service and management of capital works.  This will continue for the 2009-10 financial year.
Many other organisations have also helped:
The Boronia Women’s Prison, in Bentley, held a highly successful and enjoyable Gala Day with all the $10,000 raised donated to The Sisters’ Place.
The UWA Medical Students’ Association donated the proceeds of their fundraising day to meet the running costs of the van for the coming year.
A dentist, Annette Edwards, supplied boxes of toothbrushes.
Best and Less make an annual donation by way of a gift card.
Charity Link provides blankets for a minimum cost with funds for this provided by the Presentation Sisters.
Other benefactors for the year 2008-09 included the Myer Foundation, the Santa Maria Old Girls’ Association, the Loreto Past Pupils’ Association, the Sisters of Charity Foundation and the Perpetual Philanthropic Services through the Captain Harry Howden Bequest.
There are many individuals who do wonderful things.  One, for example, collects donated bread each morning from the IGA stores in Hilton and Hamilton Hill; one donates a day’s pay each month and purchases whatever is needed at the time; one donates cleaning and laundry materials; some make generous personal cash donations; when The Sisters’ Place is low on an item, one is ready at a phone call to make a collection among her friends, and others keep it supplied in tea, coffee, bras, socks, underwear, clothes and toiletries.
The City of Fremantle has provided its support and advice whenever requested.  The Council provided IT equipment to set up the office and a grant to meet the costs of stationery. Its staff have also been involved in fundraising activities.
St Patrick’s Community Care Centre has continued to provide the house, volunteers’ insurance and outgoing expenses of maintenance and utilities.
During the year 2008-09, the State Government announced it would provide capital funding to establish permanent premises for The Sisters’ Place through the Department of Housing.
After viewing a number of possible locations, it was decided that the current premises were the most suitable.
The Sisters’ Place thanks all those organisations and individuals without whose generosity it would not be possible to continue this valuable work for the
homeless.