HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?

We are very excited at the prospect of opening our first sites in late 2011, but to achieve that goal we will need the support of the Tasmanian community to help fund the costs of establishing this innovative social housing model.
The aspect of the project you elect to be involved in will be guided by your particular area of interest. Here are some of the ways to be involved in working with us in ending homelessness in Tasmania:

• some businesses and individuals have made a cash (or in kind or pro bono) donation of $50,000 or more. They are recognised as Common Ground Tasmania Foundation Partners and are listed on our website under “our sponsors”
• the construction of the sites has been paid for from State and Federal government funding sources. Common Ground Tasmania will ensure that the units are ready to be homes.
  You can get involved by sponsoring a particular aspect of the establishment phase of the development, for example:
  
  • 97 units will need to be provisioned with soft furnishings and white goods
  • establishment packs of furniture, laundry, kitchen, pantry, linen and bathroom supplies will be provided for the 50 units that will be occupied by people who have been formerly homeless and who will come to their new home with very few personal belongings
  • establishment of the garden and recreational facilities - many of our tenants will never have known the peace of their own, secure outdoor relaxation space. Each of the Common Ground sites will incorporate an outdoor area where tenants can meet, relax and garden
  • construction of a multipurpose centre at the Liverpool Street site - this will provide an essential space for the Liverpool and Goulburn Street residents to meet and participate in communal recreational and social activities and for supportive service workers to interact with the Liverpool Street tenants.
  • establishment of the onsite medical, therapeutic and recreational services - the Common Ground sites will provide a comprehensive range of on-site health and therapeutic services to the formerly homeless tenants including medical (GP and Community Nurses), counselling, podiatry, dental, physiotherapy and massage. The tenants will be able to readily access appropriate health care support, tailored to their initial and evolving needs.
    
    Recreational services will include cooking (incorporating diet and nutrition education) and computer classes, shopping trips, local outings and sporting activities and in-house games and activities. The benefits that will be derived include a reduction in social isolation, improved daily living skills and improved self-esteem and confidence which will contribute to improved health and wellbeing.
    
    These ancillary services are the key for the 50 Common Ground tenants who will be recovering from homelessness and gaining the physical, mental and emotional strength to rebuild their lives. Each formerly homeless person will have the opportunity to access a dynamic program that will enable them to recover from the trauma of homelessness, address the causes of their homelessness and look to a future with health, hope, security and a sense of being engaged with the wider community.

For further information:
Liz Thomas
Managing Director
Common Ground Tasmania
0412 977 161

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www.commongroundtas.com.au