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Let’s open our hearts

fr johnWe make assumptions based on our own knowledge. Yet, if we take the time to listen to people with our heart we can appreciate them for who they truly are. All of us are gifted, but our individual talents are not always obvious; most treasures are hidden. God’s creation is diverse and unique, which makes it beautiful and inspiring rather than monotone and dull. God values us for who we are and we are invited to imitate Him. We are encouraged to value each other for our uniqueness. Let us appreciate the diversity God put in His creation and go beyond our presumptions to discover who a person really is through understanding and charity.

Fr John David
Rosies’ Chaplain

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Rosies updates around the state – Spring 2015

 

Brisbane
Rosies has temporarily relocated our Friday and Saturday night outreaches to the Cathedral of St Stephen.Brisbane City Council has encouraged street van services to be located in  off-street premises. The Archbishop of Brisbane has kindly agreed to trial our Outreach for eight weeks.
Look out for further updates.

Cairns
The new street outreach van was blessed by the Bishop of Cairns the Most Reverend James Foley. Thanks AMA. Services have commenced Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Gold Coast

The Rosies Gold Coast branch has started a new outreach in Nerang. The van is at to Bischoff Pioneer Park on Wednesdays from 7.30pm – 9.00pm.

Toowoomba

Jon Martlew, our Toowoomba Branch Coordinator, went homeless for a week during the Homelessness Prevention Week. Our Patron, Leneen Forde, and Chair, John Scoble, took part in launching Jon’s sleepout at the Homlessness Prevention Week commencement exhibition. During the week Jon slept rough, hung out with our friends on the street, joined our outreaches and had a cuppa to raised funds for Rosies. Well done Jon!

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The light at the end of the Tunnel

rosies_prison_visit_outreachLisa and Louise have been volunteering with Rosies’ outreach to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre for over a decade. Here Lisa and Louise give us an inside of their experience.

“The outreach starts with the usual formalities. We first sign in. IDs are checked. We then go through the metal detector before passing the security gates. We are in. We find out who we will visit (that day) according to the recent events, behaviours, and moods.
Most detainees come from dysfunctional families and do not receive any visit, but ours.

There are a number of sections to the centre. Each has about  5 to 12 young detainees. We join the three staff members who are also present in the room. We have never felt unsafe while taking part to this outreach.
Many of these young people are surprised we come to visit them. They make us feel humble, as seeing a friendly face from Rosies can have a big impact on them. Especially when they are told we are volunteers. The simple fact of being there regularly makes a difference.

We often do not realise how much of a positive impact such small things can mean. Just remembering their name, bringing a new card game, a smile, or the simple fact of being here for them makes a difference.”

It is only thanks to our wonderful volunteers, like Lisa and Louise, that Rosies can continue outreaches such as this. You make a difference by getting involved.

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To our friends

Andrew O'Brien, General ManagerWe all understand the value of friends in our lives. One of the many privileges I have is to share experiences of friendship with  many amazing young students involved in our Schools Engagement Program.
The vitality and warmth of these young people continues to put a spring in the step of our volunteers and patrons.
Unfortunately some young people in our communities are struggling to find hope and therefore it is important we continue to offer experiences of friendship to them. The commitment of our Rosies volunteers to turn up at each Outreach is fundamental to building relationships and hope. Your support makes a difference.

Andrew O’Brien,
General Manager

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Bridge to Brisbane: nominate Rosies as your charity of choice

30 August 2015
rosies_event_Bridge_to_BrisbaneThe Bridge to Brisbane Fun Run will take place on Sunday August 30. Whether you run by yourself or as part of a team we would like you to nominate Rosies as your charity of choice. All fundraising is done online. You can set up up your own fundraising page. Each registrant must have their own official everydayhero Bridge to Brisbane fundraising page. You can still be part of a team but you just need to be an individual first.

Click here to fundraise for Rosies.

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Our friends feel the winter chill

There is a surge of homeless people in South East Queensland. Many of them are fleeing the colder temperature in NSW and Victoria.

Our teams will be out giving away blankets in Brisbane, Calboolture, Cairns, Gold Coast (in Southport and Surfers Paradise), Ipswich, Woodrige, Mareeba, Caloundra and Toowoomba

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The Wynnum outreach discussed on 612 abc

Rosie’s aims to help homeless people with the simple things: something to eat and someone to talk to. But Wynnum doesn’t have a dedicated Rosie’s service. 612 reporter Saskia Edwards spoke to Rosie’s General Manager Andrew O’Brien.

Click here to listen to the interview.

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Rosies is on deck for Vinnies CEO sleep-out 2015

It’s this time of the year again when CEOs sleep-out to raise money and awareness for the homeless. The 2015 Vinnies CEO Sleepout will take place on Thursday 18 June 2015 at Suncorp Stadium. For several years Rosies has been assisting with the event. Once again we will be present. Our volunteers will provide  hospitality  to the participants.

It is a major event to raise funds and help over 100,000 homeless people in Australia.

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YOUTH DETENTION: CHILDREN BEHIND BARS

Social contact with the outside world is crucial to the emotional well being of young people, but there are even more serious reasons for the existence of volunteer visitation programs. The transparency involved in opening institutions facilitates a form of community oversight which helps protect children from abuse by those charged with their care.

Fifteen years ago the Forde Inquiry examined the treatment of children in Queensland institutions including youth detention.

The Commission’s findings included a recommendation that visitors from the community be allowed regular access to correctional centres and other institutions.

Rosies first entered the Sir Leslie Wilson Youth Detention Centre in 1998. When that institution was closed – another recommendation of the Inquiry – the visitation program moved to the new Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

Rosies volunteers currently visit boys and girls in the Centre on Tuesday evenings and Saturday afternoons, engaging them in card games, recreational sport, and friendly conversation.

The centre’s residents are overwhelmingly from disadvantaged backgrounds. Indigenous youth are also concerningly over-represented: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise approximately 2% of the population, but represent around 50% of detainees.

Inquiry chair and Rosies patron Leneen Forde recently spoke of the importance of Rosies’ presence in the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

‘One of the key findings that the (Forde) Inquiry made was for young people in correctional centres and institutions to have access to sympathetic visitors who visited them and helped them to get their lives back on track,’ she said.

Outside prison, volunteers are restricted from acknowledging young people they have met through visitation programs. It’s not unusual though for patrons to approach a street team and self-identify as having engaged with Rosies inside prison – often they are glad of a familiar face.

Because volunteers are present both inside and outside of prison, Rosies serves as a social anchor for young people who find integration into ordinary life difficult.

To support Rosies Youth Detention Centre visitation program, click here to make a donation.

Our Spring newsletter is out – to download a copy, .

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Rosies rises to the challenge: Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2014

Image: Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Graham Quirk gets into bed with Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale at the CEO Sleepout launch in King George Square

The city’s business elite will get a small taste of life on the streets this winter as they spend a night in the cold to raise money for the homeless.

Volunteers from Rosies – Friends on the Street will offer hospitality at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout at Southbank’s Courier Mail Piazza on June 19 with coffee supplied by Gold Coast business I Luv Coffee.

Participating CEOs will also be given a cup of soup and a bread roll before they settle down in their sleeping bags for the night.

Rosies CEO Troy Bailey will be amongst the rough sleepers that night, though he says he will be sleeping a little less rough than most of the others.

“I’m going to be in a Backpack Bed, not a sleeping bag,” said Mr Bailey.

“I talk so highly about these things because they work – my night will be a bit more comfortable than most of the CEOs there.”

A Rosies van was on site at the launch of the CEO Sleepout on Wednesday, with volunteer Emily Rosemond on hand to supervise as participating executives donned aprons to serve coffee and soup.

Vinnies CEO Peter Maher tries on a Backpack Bed for size

“It will be good for some of the CEOs there to get a bit of an idea what life is like on the other side of the van,” said Mr Bailey.

Mr Bailey says organisations like Rosies and Vinnies are working in partnership to end homelessness.

“Homelessness is such a huge problem. In Queensland, there are around 20,000 people who are homeless right now, and about a quarter of them are children.

“The gap between street and home is getting wider, so there’s so much work to be done.

“As a participating CEO, I’m raising money for Vinnies to support the work they do.

“But on the night, we will be auctioning off a Backpack Bed and the proceeds of that will go to Rosies, so we can continue to provide beds to homeless people across the State.

“We’re all in this together.”

If you’d like to contribute to Mr Bailey’s fundraising campaign in support of Vinnies CEO Sleepout, click .

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