Unique partnership benefits women in need
The Salvation Army’s crisis accommodation service in Newcastle has taken the One Army, One Mission vision to a new level, as Lauren Martin reports.
With 10 years experience working for The Salvation Army’s financial counselling service, Moneycare, Kristen Hartnett was well aware of the needs of homeless and disadvantaged women in her community.
“I conduct financial literacy workshops and community education. This includes to women's refuges in the Lake Macquarie and Newcastle area,” she says.
“As good as financial literacy is and as good as our program is, I still felt inadequate in meeting the needs of the ladies living in crisis accommodation. I was aware that their needs were many, their stories enormous and yet my offering seemed so little.”
When she shared this with members of her small community church, the response was overwhelming. The Adamstown Community Church congregation quickly mobilised to put together “pamper packs” for the women who enter The Salvation Army’s crisis accommodation services in Newcastle.
“Our congregation members donated shampoo, conditioner, socks, soap, deodorant, etc,” says Kristen. “Our heart is that these ladies feel the 'love ' in the pack. We put the bags together over an afternoon tea, and prayed over them.”
This spontaneous outpouring of love was the start of an ongoing partnership between The Salvation Army and Adamstown Community Church. It’s a unique expression of the Army’s “One Army, One Mission” vision.
“Even though we’re not the same church there’s a one-mindedness and a singleness in Christ’s love for us all,” says The Salvation Army’s Clulow Court and Faith Cottage Crisis Accommodation Manager, Ann McDonald.
“The people at Adamstown Community Church have a real heart for mission and The Salvation Army has been able to provide the avenue for them to present God’s love to the community.”
Since then, regular cooking classes have begun at Adamstown Community Church, where women from the crisis accommodation service learn how to cook, plan and budget healthy meals for their family. And in June, the church worked with The Salvation Army to execute its biggest project so far – the upgrading of Clulow Court’s backyard and courtyard.
Clulow Court is the only single women’s shelter between Sydney and the Queensland border and is solely reliant on Red Shield Appeal funding. The budget is tight and despite efforts by residents and staff to maintain and upgrade the backyard area, it had become too much.
“It had become overgrown and beyond our ability to keep down the vines and the trees,” says Ann.
Kristen had been reading some research papers about the mental health effects of housing and she and members of the Adamstown Community Church were determined to create a beautiful environment for Clulow Court clients.
“Our church team worked together with a joy that is ‘unnatural’ when doing this work,” Kristen says.
“We took many trailer loads to the dump, weeded the gardens, then replanted every garden … We put together a new BBQ, assembled beautiful teak outdoor furniture, tables and chairs, put bark on the gardens and did a commercial pressure clean on the outside from the back to the front. It looked amazing!”
The women from Clulow Court were pampered for the day, with an outing to the cinema, and came back to find their courtyard transformed.
“It’s quite amazing to them that people would give up their free time, give up their finances and do this for somebody else. It’s not a concept that they are used to,” says Ann of the dramatic impact the “backyard blitz” day had on residents.
“It’s very important to have an area like this because these women’s lives are at times very dark, very heavy and there doesn’t seem to be much joy and happiness in their life.
“They all seem to want to have a place where they can go and sit in peace, reflect on life and just have a quiet time. This new area gives them an opportunity to go and relax … and for them to be thinking pleasant thoughts.”
Further projects are planned as this partnership between God’s people and his mission continues.
My people will live in a peaceful neighbourhood - in safe houses, in quiet gardens. (Isaiah 32:18)
Images: 1. The Backyard Blitz begins, 2. Many hands make light work, 3. The gardens take shape, and 4. The makeover is complete. (Photos supplied by Kristen Hartnett)
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