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Early this year, I had a moment where I thought that we might have a slightly quieter year than last year…however it was short-lived when I realised that 2013 would be our 25th Anniversary year! It was on 26 October 1988 that Catherine House was officially opened by The Hon. Terry Hemmings MP Minister of Housing and Construction, as an official International Year of Shelter for the Homeless project.

The planning for such an auspicious milestone needs to start this year, so not a quieter year after all! On pages 4 and 5 you can read about what we have initially planned for the big event. No matter what, in true Catherine House tradition it will be a highly memorable year - poignant at times, lots of fun at times, reflecting, remembering and celebrating all that women have achieved at times, and at times recognising how much more has to be done to fulfill our purpose of ‘solving women’s homelessness’.

The year will be filled with lots of activity and celebration; one where we will seek to involve all our current and past stakeholders in some way. We look forward to celebrating with you!

In February, we were fortunate to have Minister Ian Hunter MLC visit and in April Minister Tom Kenyon MP and again in April Minister Hunter returned with Minister Kate Ellis MP and in May the MP for Port Adelaide Susan Close also visited. I thank each of them for taking time out from their very busy schedules to hear about our work, and I appreciate their interest in working with us to better women’s lives.

Our new social business WorkNext has made some significant strides as you will see on page 6. The most exciting point of progress has been our first job candidate winning a position as a ‘dump-truck’ driver in the mines! It was a wonderful day of celebration for her and for us! She has recently bought her own home and now expects to be able to pay it off in two years...!

Thank you to all our supporters, ongoing and new, for your kind and generous financial and in-kind donations; your contribution makes such a positive difference to women’s lives each and every day.

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2010 chART artwork

GENEROSITY OF OUR VOLUNTEERSIn February, it was with much sadness that we farewelled our two longest serving volunteers, Sr. Joan Murphy OP and Faye Mather. Both had arrived each Wednesday at 8.00am for 18 and 22 years respectively – an amazing contribution. They were highly valued and much loved members of our housekeeping team, as well as amongst all staff. Joan’s vegetable soup and cake-making were renowned – especially with clients! Faye did a myriad of useful tasks including driving clients to appointments. Joan and Faye enjoy your well-earned ‘retirement’ - we miss you!

In the last newsletter I asked for a ‘corporate team of volunteers’ to assist us with a ‘project makeover’. Allan Holmes, Chief Executive of the Department of Environment and Heritage, duly circulated my request to his staff and received an overwhelming response – over 80! Subsequently, thirty-one staff and family/friends worked over two weekends on five sites doing either gardening or cleaning-up outside, as well as removal of the garden refuse. All turned up promptly, energetically and with such good humour. They then got into the myriad of tasks that we had waiting and did a wonderful job. Julie Slaghekke, Executive Officer to Allan Holmes, managed all the initial coordination work, and Bob Furner, Senior Adviser Project Strategies & Planning, was the overall project manager. Everyone was just magnificent; once again I most sincerely thank all those involved.

DENR Project Makeover Group Retired Volunteers, Faye and Joan

Catherine House was officially opened in October 1988, so we are coming up to our 25th Anniversary next year!

In keeping with our approach, valuing strong and vibrant relationships with clients, staff, volunteers and external stakeholders, our 25th birthday will be a notable Year of Celebration - marked by a series of special key events. At this stage, some are confirmed, while others are still being decided.

The full details of our Year of Celebration will be released at a Government House reception on Friday 12 October 2012, which will be graciously hosted by Governor Scarce and our patron Mrs. Scarce. The reception will provide us with an opportunity to thank our volunteers and supporters for their loyalty and belief in the work that we do.

The overall aim of our 25th Birthday Year will be to celebrate the many achievements that women have made, at the same time create a discussion platform to highlight the complex range of issues that still bring women to homelessness.

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365-DAY PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT The 365-day Photographic Project will culminate in a major public exhibition to celebrate the wonderful creative talent and ability of the women who come to Catherine House. In essence, twelve women will be allocated a camera for a week at a time throughout the year. In turn, each will take an image on any given day that lifts her heart, moves her, cheers her up and one that she wants others to share in and be delighted by.

The project will start 1 July 2012 and conclude 30 June 2013, allowing time to prepare for the exhibition in the October. The exhibition will showcase all the images taken during the year; at the same time there will be a special section for the most outstanding photographs. We will also produce calendars, cards and other mementos so that we can celebrate women’s photographic talent far and wide!

Sandra Elms (Sandra Elms Design) has generously agreed to help lead the project and a workshop will be held in June to enable participants to gain knowledge, as well as discover some key professional ‘pointers’ in how to take a good photograph.

RESEARCH STUDYCatherine House is committed to continuing to draw attention to the issues that bring women to homelessness, in order to encourage informed public discussion and debate. We believe that homelessness is a broad-based community responsibility, and consequently not just a matter for governments to address. For many years, we have had in place an active public education policy, which has resulted in many invitations to speak in a wide variety of social and public forums about our work. As an organisation, we have also initiated and participated in a number of collaborative research studies on the topic.

In our Anniversary Year it is our intention to commission a new research study in collaboration with an academic institution (a seminal piece of research). It will be a study that will leave a lasting legacy of our 25th year and one that will further inform the wider community about the reality of the complex and compelling issue of women’s homelessness.

1988 Official Opening 26 October

2002 Sr Anne Gregory’s farewell celebration

2006 Offical Opening of Sagarmatha

25TH ANNIVERSARY BUILDING PROJECT For some time now, the Catherine House Board has been considering the need in our Education and Employment Program for more training space. We now have approximately 5,000 attendances each year, with participants keenly involved in the 13 educational courses per week that we have on offer. Space, therefore, has become quite a critical issue, especially when we have overlapping sessions. Board member, Phil Tregenza, has been in consultation with a number of parties, including the renowned architect Phil Harris, director of Troppo Architects. As might be expected, the only issue holding us back is funds!

The Board, therefore, is giving some consideration to launching a 25th Anniversary Building Project Appeal. If it decides to go ahead, a public announcement to this effect will be made in the next few months.

MAJOR COMMUNITY EVENTWe will be holding a major community event at the conclusion of our Year of Celebration. As yet, we have not decided its nature however it may be another large breakfast gathering– similar to our 20th Birthday event in 2008. At that event, around 1,000 people enjoyed a number of spectacular performances by our talented clients. Details of our 25th Year event will be available in our Christmas Newsletter.

I very much look forward to celebrating this special year with you all. The year will allow us to share more with you about the endless possibility inherent in the women we work with, enable further appreciation of the professional capacity and capability of our dedicated staff and volunteers, and further endorse the amazing support we get from people like YOU!

Madge McGuire Chief Executive Officer

2006 Everest Appeal Garden Renovation Project

2004 Mt Everest Base Camp

2010 ChART Exhibition

After the outstanding success of our 2011 New York City Marathon team (raised $45,000), we received many inquiries about doing another one! So our special 25th Birthday Year is proving to be the ideal vehicle - we are taking 25 runners to the 2013 Paris Marathon!

Paris offers such a spectacular setting for the Marathon – runners will leave from the Arc de Triomphe, then down the Champs Elysees and through the beautiful streets of Paris for 42kms! What a fabulous memory, what an extraordinary achievement, what a moment of celebration in (arguably) the most beautiful city in the world!

The race entry fee and 3 days’ accommodation costs $800. At the same time, each runner will pay for his/her own flight, any other accommodation costs and other associated expenses. In common with the New York City Marathon, 100% of funds raised will go to the ‘cause’ – support the work of our Education and Employment Program..

Included in the group of 25 runners, will be 10 Chief Executives (CE Team 10) and a group of 15 (Gold Team 15)… which team will come out on top – fastest time, most amount of money raised - will make for a very interesting overall event!

CE Team 10 members will each raise a minimum of $5,000 and Gold Team 15 members will each raise a minimum of $2,500.

If you would like to be part of our highly memorable and exciting 2013 Paris Marathon (7 April) adventure, please register your interest with Julie Baikie on 8232 2282 or julieb@catherinehouse.org.au

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TRACKING SUCCESS

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM - MARCH TO MAY 2012

EMPLOYMENT4 jobs found through our Employment Pathways Program

WORK EXPERIENCE1 position found in an engineering firm

EDUCATIONNon-accredited Foundation Skills

14 course participants

Accredited Study

2 have completed Certificate 2 Aged Care

14 nominees for Certificate 2 in Business Administration commencing July 2012 TafeSA City Campus

University

4 students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Flinders University

VOLUNTEERING5 in a range of positions

2 in process of being interviewed

FUNDING PARTNERSDepartment for Education and Employment Science and Technology (DFEEST)

SA Works (NEDA)

The Program has achieved ‘Preferred Provider status with DFEEST for the Adult Education Program Foundations Skills.

Cooking class preparing lunchBeading Class in action

WORKNEXT JOB PLACEMENT SERVICE

EMPLOYMENT1 job candidate - Dump-truck driver job in the resource industry

Our first WorkNext job candidate position was brokered by OzMinerals, a prominent Australian-based mining company.

JOINT TRAINING Customised 12-week program

8 trainees4 Catherine House | 4 Central Domestic Violence Service

EMPLOYER PARTNERS’ REGISTER6 registered | 6 pending | 5 potential

INVESTOR PARTNERS: NEWIan Potter Foundation Community Wellbeing Program: the only women’s specific, and the only SA based organisation, to be awarded investment funding this year.

Wood Foundation: a very welcome, additional, second-phase investment funding.

Community Social Investment Fund: to be launched October 2012.

VENTURE PARTNER Social Ventures Australia (SVA)

We have had an excellent working relationship with SVA since 2009. In March this year we were delighted, after a rigorous due diligence process, to be selected as one of their Venture Partners. The organisation currently supports eleven high potential non-profit organisations across Australia. Catherine House is the first SVA ‘women’s specialist program’ Venture Partner and also the first Venture Partner based in South Australia.

I am also very pleased to announce the appointment of a new Director, Education and Employment Unit, Michelle Hogan. Michelle will commence with us on 16 July and will bring a wealth of skills and experience to the role.

Tracking Sucess. Photo courtesy of Oz MineralsWorkNext Employment Coach interviewing job candidate

BLACK TIE COCKTAIL PARTYOn 11 May Kathryn House, chair of our Trust, organised our very successful third ‘Black Tie’ Cocktail Party fundraising event. Kathryn has quite a unique and admirable approach to fundraising. Her guiding principle is that 100% of all proceeds raised must go directly to the cause – our Education and Employment Program. She and her committee worked hard to ensure that absolutely everything needed for the event was either donated and/or paid for by committee members. I, therefore, most sincerely thank Kathryn House, Sarah Hyde, Annette Comley, Anne Krishnan, Joanne Petito, Katherine Lambert, Pam Allen, Sara Fitzgerald and Natalie Charlesworth for their unbounded kindness, and persuasive powers! They raised a magnificent $38,000! I also recognize the great generosity of our key sponsors Kelly & Co. Lawyers, BankSA, San Remo Foods, CUB and Lane Printers, all helpers on the night and donors of auction and other items. Thank you all!

Annette Comley, Anne Krishnan, Sara Fitzgerald & Natalie Charlesworth. Photo courtsey of SA Life Jane Kittel, Madge McGuire and Tim Thredgold. Photo courtsey of SA Life

MAJOR DONORSI gratefully acknowledge the ongoing funding support that we receive from the Department of Community and Social Inclusion, Health SA Mental Health Unit, Drug and Alcohol Services SA, Department of Further Education and Employment, Science and Technology, the Adelaide City Council, Catholic Charities, the Archdiocesan Catholic Charitable Trust, philanthropic foundations, private schools and generous individual, community and corporate donors.

I also acknowledge our Major Donors (financial) in the last six months:

• The Ian Potter Foundation Community Wellbeing Program• The Wood Foundation• Beach Energy Ltd.• Foundation Shine Inc.• Soroptimists Barossa Valley• Marymount College• ACEP Ptd. Ltd.• Chep Australia• Calvary HealthCare• 6 private individuals and 1 philanthropic institution

MAJOR IN-KIND SUPPORTERS2011 Christmas – warm and grateful thanks to all individuals, community groups and corporate bodies that so generously donated money, food items and gifts to make the 2011 Christmas Season so special for clients.

• Social Ventures Australia (SVA)• DVE Solutions• Kelly & Co. Lawyers• OzHarvest• Zonta Club of Adelaide Flinders• Department of Environment and Natural Resources

CEO and staff• Fisher Jeffries Barristers and Solicitors• Health Partners – Dentistry and Ophthalmology units• Dr. Peter Li, Gorge Road Dental• Art Images Gallery Norwood

I thank all of our supporters for their much valued and highly appreciated financial and in-kind donations.

PAT’S COOLROOM!In 2010 Pat Lamp our housekeeping coordinator recognised that to be able to accept more food donations, particularly from the newly established OzHarvest, we needed more refrigeration and freezer space. Subsequently, in conversation with Maree and Adrian Saturno (long-term supporters) the idea germinated into the Coolroom Project! Phil Tregenza (board member and Sagarmatha project manager) became involved and did some wonderful work in bringing some very generous donors and suppliers on board. At the beginning we got a ‘proper’ quote - $28,000 to construct a coolroom… so Phil (now coolroom project manager) contacted the following companies who kindly donated all that we needed. It is with grateful thanks that I recognise each of them:

Eldercare Incorporated (supply of freezer and coolroom units and cubicles), Folland Panozzo Architects (council application & drafting), AECOM Engineers (Acoustic Engineering Advice), Hanson Concrete (concrete supply), Prestige Concrete (concrete labour), BMD Constructions (supervisory labour), Mannering Constructions (storage, excavation, coolroom assembly), Lazer Electrical, SAMS Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Hill Equipment (supply and erection of shelving) and Peter Harding (coolroom assembly). It was quite amazing that so many generous people came together and wanted to support our work in this way. I thank you all, particularly Phil Tregenza for his time and his overall project management skills, and Maree and Adrian for their ‘inspiration’ and the good energy that they gave to the project.

Pat Lamp and Lindsay Gardiner showing their delight in the new coolroom!

YES, I do wish to help ‘educate a woman out of homelessness’.

All financial donations and funds raised through the purchase of Bright Spirit will go directly to support the work of Sagarmatha our Education and Employment Program. Thank you.

Please return your completed form to: PO Box 6031 Halifax Street Adelaide SA 5000

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr .....................................................................................

Address ........................................................................................................

........................................................... Post Code .........................................

Phone ................................................ Fax ....................................................

Please send me information on leaving a bequest in my will to Catherine House Inc

Please do not acknowledge my donation publicly

Please accept my gift to help a woman: Cost No. Total Cost

Job Readiness Training $200 $

Computer Training $130 $

Numeracy and Literacy Course $75 $

Art and Craft materials $100 $

Other course attendance and/or course materials $100 $

Purchase Bright Spirit the Catherine House Rose

$17.95 $

General Donation $ $

Donation to assist with the 25th Anniversary Photographic Project

$ $

General donation $ ............................ Enclosed is my cheque made payable to Catherine House Inc. OR Please charge my credit card I would like to be a pledge donor. Please deduct $ ................................

from my credit card each monthMy credit card details are: Mastercard Visa

Card Number

Card Holder’s Name ...................................................................................

Signature ................................................... Expiry Date .............................Thank you for your gift. All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible, a receipt will be sent to you shortly. Catherine House respects your privacy. If you would prefer not to receive any mail from us in the future please telephone us on 08 8232 2282.

ABN 32 944 754 177

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OBH 15837

NOTICE BOARD2012 EVENTS

Sunday 1 July Film Night: My House in UmbriaCapri Cinema. The second film event kindly organised by the Members of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem

Friday 10 August Quiz NightVenue to be advised

Sunday 16 September

City to Bay Fun RunCome along and have some fun and exercise!

If you would like to arrange an event to raise funds on behalf of Catherine House, please contact the Chief Executive Officer Madge McGuire on 8232 2282.

Catherine House Inc.PO Box 6031 Halifax Street Adelaide SA 5000

t. 08 8232 2282 | f. 08 8223 7548

e. reception@catherinehouse.org.au

www.catherinehouse.org.au