Nedd Brockmann has forever changed Mobilise.
As a group of passionate volunteers, we were always striving to make a difference and build a platform for ourselves. Through this platform, our goal was to provide functional care and improvements in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. To use the first-hand accounts from our friends on the streets, really listen to what they have to say and what they need to get back on their feet.
We now find ourselves in the incredible position to make that tangible, and substantial positive change in the lives of those 1 in 200 Australians that experience homelessness, each and every night in this country.
Going forward, Mobilise’s work will now fall under 3 key banners:
1. Outreach
Outreaches are the core of our movement, our “point of difference” being that we spend time with those in need, prioritising connection for change.
Everyone is welcome to the Outreaches! They are obligation free volunteer events run by experienced team leaders and Outreach coordinators. We provide all the care-packages, routes and information – all volunteers need to do is bring themselves along!
Our outreach program acts as the bread and butter of what we do at Mobilise, offering us the opportunity to provide functional care, but most importantly, a chance to form meaningful connections with those on the streets
We aim to achieve our mission through outreach teams attending and speaking about their Outreach experiences in several capital cities around the country. These outreaches focus on conversation and connection to build hope and reliance with our friends on the streets.
Our focus will be on continuing to deliver outreaches while we journey deeper to understand how we can best support people experiencing homelessness.
If you’re interested in getting involved, would like to join an Outreach or just want to learn more, follow the link here to become part of the community: Mobilise Outreach Group
2. Direct Giving
We Are Mobilise are excited to pioneer an innovative direct giving program.
We will directly distribute funds to those who need it most. Alongside our partners, this program will provide employment opportunities and a holistic support network, serving as a platform for the next chapter in their life.
By providing monetary support during the program, We Are Mobilise can increase the chances of participants’ retention in the program pathway for 6 months. Money saved by participants during this time will be matched by us.
We are busy developing relationships with charity partners alongside employment partners and look forward to pioneering a pilot of this program in 2023.
Together, we can lift people out of poverty and empower them to exit homelessness.
3. Advocacy (Conversations for Change)
At We Are Mobilise, we understand the importance of driving conversations for change. Many of our friends on the street describe feeling isolated, disengaged and disempowered as their voices are not heard.
Through conversation and direct action, we strive to make sure people experiencing homelessness are heard in discussions about their future.
Elevating the voices of people experiencing homelessness is one of the over-arching goals we constantly strive to accomplish. We do this by offering trust, companionship and conversation to those on the streets. We also provide platforms to share those stories with our partnered organisations, and university networks.
In offices across the country, decisions are made about how funding and resources are distributed to homelessness – we want to improve the involvement and engagement of people experiencing homelessness in this process.
In line with the mobilise vision, we ground our actions and publications on topics from conversations with people experiencing homelessness. Over time, after hundreds of conversations, we’ve developed a range of insights about how to make a tangible impact on those we meet.
Where to Next?
Our next evolution is to expand our outreach model. We’ll enable more volunteers across Australia to get involved in the conversation for change.
We’re building the resources, so anyone can lead their own outreaches – it’s time for people to get comfortable being uncomfortable and get out there!
The money Nedd has raised doesn’t belong to us – it’s a gift from the Australian people to people who need it most, and we’re establishing programs to put funding directly into their hands.
We strongly believe in respecting and preserving the agency and autonomy of our friends on the street have. This is the best way we can do that.
This will be supported by wellbeing and employment pathways, so people doing it tough can channel their energy into paths out of homelessness.
In the medium term, our Grants for Innovation program will be an opportunity for Mobilise to fund and foster ideas that address the systemic contributing factors and/or impacts of homelessness.
Mobilise is not only about proving assistance for our friends on the streets, it’s also about empowering a generation and uniting the sector along with other charity providers and services, to make a positive impact on the lives of our friends on the streets.
Why Homelessness?
“In a nation as properous as Australia, why does anyone have to sleep on the streets?”
Our outreach mission emerged from that original question and has now evolved to have monthly outreach teams in a number of capital cities across the country.
We have several categories of Homelessness in Australia, highlighting that homelessness affects people in different ways, there is:
- Primary homelessness: Being ‘roofless’ – living on the streets, in parks or in deserted buildings.
- Secondary homelessness: Moving between various types of temporary shelters, such as homes of friends or relatives, or boarding houses with shared amenities and without security of tenure.
- Marginally housed: living close to the minimum standard of housing → these people can be at significant risk as they may not qualify for some benefits.
People are pushed into acute homelessness due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, violence or being stood down at work. At this stage, if intervention occurs, people can be quickly returned to a home and hopefully resume normal life.
However, those who are entrenched in homelessness enter a cycle where they lose their home due to a lack of income, lose their income and opportunity for employment due to lack of a home, and lose their access to welfare services without a home address.
This is compounded further by worsening health outcomes and interactions with police to create what we call the cycle of homelessness.
Here are some ways to get involved:
$4 a week donation to pledge your ongoing support of our mission:
https://donorbox.org/support-we-are-mobilise-to-make-a-difference
Learn how to have your own conversations on the street:
https://linktr.ee/wearemobilise
Join us for an outreach via our Mobilise Outreach FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/775571525958760
