In a heartwarming initiative, four-legged friends are joining the workforce and providing comfort for homelessness workers in Port Adelaide as demand for support increases.
Monday marked the beginning of National Homelessness Week 2023, with this year’s theme being ‘It’s time to end homelessness.’
The UnitingSA branch of the Adelaide North West Homelessness Alliance is providing four times the usual monthly average of sleeping bags and assisting twice as many people sleeping rough compared to the previous winter.
Now, dogs are being included in the daily routine of UnitingSA’s homelessness service located in Port Adelaide’s Dale Street precinct to boost the wellbeing of homelessness workers and infuse some paw-sitivity into the workplace.
UnitingSA CEO Jenny Hall said the team at the precinct now welcome a dog to the office every day of the work week.
“The initiative has been so popular, we’ve had to introduce a doggy roster,” she says.
“It’s really helping to boost office morale as we deal with an increased number of clients in crisis. The team can take a break between clients and be comforted by a furry friend who wants nothing more than to make them happy.“
The positive impact is evident, as the furry companions not only elevate the happiness of the workers but they also revel in the company of their human friends.
The presence of dogs is proving positive beyond the workplace with building trust-based relationships with those who are currently sleeping rough, with half of the people sleeping rough in western Adelaide owning dogs themselves. By welcoming dogs into the field, UnitingSA’s outreach workers find it easier to connect with those who might be hesitant to open up.
“People are often more confident to pat a dog than to speak with a worker, so our team tries to start from that point and create a conversation from there,” Jenny says.
Jenny says more and more people were reaching out for support due to the effects of South Australia’s housing crisis and soaring cost of living pressures.
“In particular, we are seeing an increase in people who are unable to pay rising rents – twice as many as the same time last year. This puts them at risk of losing their homes, and once lost, there are few pathways back into affordable housing,” she says.
To support their crucial work during this challenging time, UnitingSA is running its annual Winter Appeal and are urgently seeking financial and in-kind donations of food, warm bedding, tents, and sleeping bags.
A new food van initiative will also be launched by UnitingSA’s Wesley Social Enterprises and homelessness teams on Thursday to provide warm meals to those facing hardships during the cold winter weeks. This initiative is funded through the State Government’s 2023 Homelessness Winter Strategy, which offers one-off Warm Up Grants of up to $10,000.
To donate to the Winter Appeal, click here and to find out more about the Adelaide North West Homelessness Alliance, visit ANWHAhome.org.au.
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