Men and women completing traineeships as part of our HopeEnterprises Employment Training Program (ETP) have had a successful year, with 24 trainees completing training and entering the workforce.

Our trainees undertook training and found work in areas such as cleaning, gardens and lawns, community services and aged care hospitality, as well as administration and maintenance roles.

HopeEnterprises, launched in 2015, is a social enterprise that seeks to break the cycle of social and financial disadvantage for people with complex needs, who have difficulty entering the workforce. The program creates a pathway to employment, assisting people who may have experienced long-term unemployment, homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, time in gaol, and those living with mental illness.

We provide traineeships in cleaning services, gardening and lawn services (horticulture), maintenance and repairs, hospitality, accommodation services, and aged care.

Our program also saw four high school students, who were disengaged and at-risk of expulsion, work through a school-based apprenticeship. While finishing their final year of high school the students undertook a horticultural traineeship with the Canberra Institute of Technology. On completion the students will have a certificate II in their trade, which they can continue after finishing school, and sets them up for a positive future with qualifications they’re passionate about.

For over 34 years, HopeStreet in Sydney’s inner city has been putting faith into action, reaching out to people who are in need, many who are struggling with homelessness, addiction, mental health and legal issues, in addition to having diminished employment opportunities.

In February 2018, the HopeStreet identity, established and grown at Woolloomooloo, was expanded across our Community Centres. Each of our Community Centres provide unique services that meet the local needs of disadvantaged communities and people living on the margins. The expansion of the HopeStreet brand affirms the uniqueness of each of our Community Centres and the communities they operate in.

From access to fair finance and affordable food, homelessness support, domestic and family violence services, and working with women who are marginalised, HopeStreet offers trusted support and hope to people living with disadvantage and distress.

Expanding the HopeStreet brand allows all of BaptistCare’s community services to have consistency in branding and identity, wherever they are located, while increasing our capacity for storytelling, which is so important for those who are supporting the work we do.

All of our HopeStreet sites are located on a newly launched HopeStreet website, which is supported by a quarterly HOPE newsletter, bursting with hope-giving stories featuring the people and communities we are working with. We hope you will join us in supporting the vital work that BaptistCare HopeStreet is doing, right across NSW.

As the largest provider of no-interest loans (NILS) in New South Wales we were thrilled to reach a critical milestone in February 2018, having provided $11.5 million in microfinance loans to people in need.

In the ten years since we commenced our microfinance program, we have delivered no-interest and low-interest loans to people experiencing significant financial distress, supporting communities, families and vulnerable people as they strive for financial stability.

More than 7,000 people have received over 8,400 no-interest or low-interest loans from BaptistCare under the auspicing body of Good Shepherd Microfinance and in partnership with NAB and the NSW Office of Fair Trading.

The largest portion of loan recipients have been single parents supporting children, with over 4,100 single parents accessing safe, affordable microfinance loans through BaptistCare.

Our new HopeStreet Women’s Centre was officially opened in Darlinghurst in January 2018, with the help of the Minister for Family and Community Services, Minister for Social Housing, Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Pru Goward.

The new Women’s Centre has been designed as a safe space where marginalised women in Sydney’s inner city can access free and confidential professional support.

Women, including transgender women, will be able to access a range of practical services including workshops and skills-based classes, drop-in support, counselling and case management, safe-sex kits and food support, assistance to access health and government services and access to exit pathways.

The Centre was designed in collaboration with clients of BaptistCare HopeStreet Women’s Services, who contributed to the look and the feel of the space to help create a sense of belonging and ownership.

You can donate to the work of HopeStreet Women’s Services today here https://hopestreet.org.au/donate/.

On a clear autumn evening with harbour lights glistening on the water and a buzz of excitement in the air, over 500 guests were welcomed to our third annual Halo Ball in May 2018.

The important fundraising event, held at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf in Pyrmont, encouraged guests to recognise the often voiceless victims of domestic and family violence: the children.

A film shining a spotlight on the experience of children was launched at the event, where guests raised a staggering $140,000. These funds are vital in enabling BaptistCare to continue delivering critical front line services like the Break Free program which provides support, early intervention and counselling for children.

The Ball was supported by Channel Ten’s Sandra Sully as MC, and headlined by Australia’s musical treasure, Marcia Hines.

The 2019 Halo Ball will be held at The Westin Sydney on Friday 3 May. Individuals or organisations would like to register their interest as a guest or sponsor can contact events@baptistcare.org.au