HOME in Queanbeyan continues to provide an invaluable service to the community with the organisation currently adding another unit.
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This will allow HOME to house 20 residents with a mental health condition on a long-term basis.
The organisation was recently boosted by a donation of $4000 by the Canberra branch of Quota International.
The charity, which works to empower disadvantaged women and children globally, is an example of community partnerships built with HOME that keep it afloat, said manager Anne Pratt.
“We have a real relationship that has grown,” Ms Pratt said.
“That’s exactly how we want it, I always tell people proudly that we are community owned.”
It’s that community spirit and care that the members of Quota Canberra recognised in HOME and why they have supported the organisation for the past six years.
HOME does not receive government funding and relies on partnerships with businesses and charitable donations.
Quota raised funds through a trivia night in November with proceeds going to various local causes.
Longtime Quota member Patricia Rudkin said HOME was reflective of a spirit of caring for the community in Queanbeyan.
“You can notice a difference in Queanbeyan, there’s a real feeling of support that doesn’t exist in Canberra,” Ms Rudkin said.
Ms Pratt said HOME, the first of its kind in the country, had been approached in the past by organisations wishing to copy their model across the border.
Residents live in a unit where they pay rent and utilities, learn responsibility, are assisted to find work and gain independence while having their medical needs attended to.
“Mental illness takes away who they are,” Ms Pratt said.
“We try to find that person again, get that personality back. Really it’s a privilege to work with them and see the strength they show every day.”
The newest unit is expected to be complete within the next month.