June Update from DCM - Together we can end homelessness

• 29 Jun 2021
• Downtown Community Ministry
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line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } Hearing, homelessness – and being heard Hearing, homelessness – and being heard This month we have marked National Volunteer Week. One of the very special health professionals who volunteer their time at DCM is our long-time audiologist, Dr. Lisa Seerup. We especially want to lift up Lisa and to congratulate her on her appointment as President of the New Zealand Hearing Association. Lisa is committed to using her time in this role to ensure that the most marginalised, the people she supports at DCM, have a voice and are heard. She has learned a lot during her time at DCM, but she has also taught us a lot. “It was Michelle Scott from DCM who initially approached Hearing Association Wellington. Michelle knew that the Māori population have higher rates of ear and hearing problems. DCM does a great job of looking beyond the usual to see what other factors might be contributing to a person not meeting their potential. Hearing issues have a causative impact on a person’s life. No other New Zealand programme for people who are homeless has incorporated audiology services into their support network. I really applaud DCM for the foresight." Photo by Pat Shepherd, One Percent Collective "One of the things I can’t thank DCM enough for is recognising where barriers exist. Out there, barriers are everywhere and for Māori and Pasifika, it can go right back to childhood. The middle ear predominantly affects Māori kids – can you imagine going to school with an ear infection. You can’t hear, and you’re getting yelled at by the teacher. This leads to so many problems later in life, including mental health issues. The data tells us that 60% of people in New Zealand prisons have hearing issues, and this climbs to 90% for Māori in prisons. We know that many of these individuals would not be in prison if they had been able to hear the charges and questions they faced. Nodding and signalling assent is often a way of responding when you cannot hear. It is an honour for me to take on this leadership role in our profession, and to share these learnings and voices with those who most need to hear – decision-makers, funders and the wider community. Because we need to address this together.” Earlier this year, Lisa shared her story and spoke about her work with DCM with our friends at One Percent Collective. We encourage you to read the story in full here. <!-- --> Celebrating three more years Earlier this year we shared a special film clip with you all, inviting you to spend a day both here at DCM, and heading out on to the street with our Outreach team. The difference DCM’s Outreach team makes in the lives of the most marginalised people in our city has again been acknowledged by Wellington City Council. This month they committed to continuing to fund this mahi, along with DCM's work supporting vulnerable Wellington City Housing tenants, for a further three years. Wellington City Council has a long history of work to end homelessness, including supporting DCM in many different ways over the years. They grasped the need to address and end homelessness before any other local authority in Aotearoa, and this has been critical to DCM playing the role which we do in our city. Since 2018, they have partnered with DCM to deliver this Assertive Outreach Programme, whereby DCM kaimahi go out and connect directly with our city’s rough sleeping community. The council’s contact centre manages the notifications and concerns from members of the public, passing them on to DCM. This 'assertive' approach focuses on assisting and encouraging people to exit homelessness, rather than supporting them in maintaining their homelessness. It can take a long time, but we work to build a relationship of trust, in order to connect people with the many wrap-around supports which DCM offers, and with other appropriate services. The hook which gets people to engage may be the removal of pain which comes from a dental appointment at DCM, the ability to access a benefit through DCM’s Money Management Service, or the hospitality and purposeful activity we offer at Te Hāpai. Those with long histories of homelessness can then be supported by our Aro Mai Housing First team to access a home and improve their quality of life. Wellington City Housing tenant Johnny has been supported by DCM over many years. Here Nani from DCM's Sustaining Tenancies team visits Johnny in his whare. At DCM, we understand that ending homelessness means working to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. Our commitment is not only to those experiencing homelessness, but we also support people at risk of losing their tenancies and falling back into homelessness. Wellington City Council funds and has committed to continuing to fund DCM’s work with the most vulnerable Wellington City Housing tenants, ensuring that they not only sustain their tenancies, but go on to thrive in their lives and communities. This month it is especially appropriate that we lift up Wellington City Council, along with all of our many supporters and partners, for your commitment to being part of the “together”. Together we can end homelessness in our city… We encourage you to enjoy the film clip again: For stories about the work of DCM's Outreach team, including during last year’s COVID-19 lock-down, visit our website. If you are concerned about anyone you see rough sleeping in Wellington, please call Wellington City Council on 04 499 4444 and they will let us know. <!-- --> A place called home Earlier this year while most of us were enjoying a break or summer holiday, we were able to treat some of our taumai* to an outing, thanks to your generosity. One of those people was Dylan. Since that time, we have had even more to celebrate, as Dylan is now housed. It has been a long, long journey for him, and so many people and organisations have been part of this journey – including Te Aro Health Centre, several mental health services, Kāinga Ora, Emerge Aotearoa, and many different workers and supporters at DCM over the last nine years. From the first DCM worker, DJ, who greeted Dylan on his first visit and supported him over several years, to his current support worker, Jordon from DCM’s Aro Mai Housing First team, we have all been part of something special. Recently Dylan sat down with Deepal from Emerge to share his thoughts and reflections on what it means to him to have “a place called home”. Dylan has asked us to share this with you all. A place called home 'where I wanna be' Being taken-away from my parent’s home as a child to keep me safe, so I’ve been told Made me miss-out a place called home where I wanna be from the very beginning of my life journey From my early recollections under foster home care for rest of my childhood Running-away as a teen looking for the home where I wanna be Having walls of trust, understanding, faith, hope & most importantly, with a roof of ‘Aroha’ of unconditional love to keep me going Living rough on the street & within grey walls of prison cells ever since By losing control of things done influenced by video games, rap music & living in environments of violence & crime I did have short stays at Housing NZ accommodation that sorted-out my homelessness Yet, they never were the home where I wanna be From life of unsatisfactory accommodation, homelessness & destituteness I have now been offered new social housing to help me overcome all the adversities of the past I am looking forward with hope to make it a home where I wanna be a home full of good faith where no dream is impossible, where memory is a garden in which the future grows. <!-- --> How can I help? This month we have marked the shortest day of the year, and we are very much in the throes of winter. We have also been reminded of the importance of home during these COVID times, with Wellington experiencing the added restrictions of Level 2. We would like to be able to lift up taumai who have recently been housed and who are doing the hard mahi to sustain their tenancies and go forward. Many would enjoy having a flat screen television or DVD player, a way to settle and spend time in their whare during the darkest days of the year. If you would like to donate one of these items, please get in touch with Matt. <!-- --> *We call the people we work with taumai, meaning to settle. This reflects the journey we set out on together – to become settled, stable and well. <!-- --> Support DCM! Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive <!-- --> Copyright © 2021 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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