Vocational visit at Sports Hub
We visited the sports hub on Friday and saw first hand the amazing facility that has been such a success in helping the Sunshine Coast homeless during the pandemic. Renee and Vicki were our hosts, and we learned how quickly the IFYS team and others responded to the crisis, but also how the unique model that they set up has been successful in transitioning people from homelessness to a more permanent footing in our community.
And all of this has been done on a relative "shoestring" budget.
The average number of people now staying at the "Hub" every day is around 40 and the length of stay is just over 30 days, hundreds have been through the facility and thousands of meals. The model is to manage and mentor the "guests" to more permanent lodgings, and in some case to permanent employment.
The facility itself is well suited to the task for adult accommodation, with good size accommodation and common areas, and a fantastic outlook over Lake Kawana. So much so, the IFYS are looking to replicate the model in Sippy Downs where the land and build requirements are well advanced.
Vicki and Renee also want Rotary to help out with supporting the hub guests transition to work by giving then preliminary work skills and encouragement to engage again work situations and with the community. This would be similar to a course the club did a few years ago at Maleny where older trainee community workers who had been out of the workplace for a while were given several sessions with club members on basic work skills.
Conference room at the Sports Hub
Errol, Craig and Skye
Temperature checks before arrival...Secretary John so disappointed he didn't top the charts !
Wallis and Fiona in deep discussion