Helping unemployed and homeless youth
What is Dignity first? Dignity First is a funding that supports projects and services helping people experiencing homelessness to live with Dignity. Since 2016 more than 50 projects have been funded. The Dignity first fund aims to prevent and reduce homelessness and assist people experiencing homelessness to live with Dignity.
The Queensland Government established the Dignity First Fund in 2016. Each year a total of $2.5 million is allocated across multiple approved applications. There were 24 applications in 2016 and 29 in 2017 and in 2018 a total of $2.5 million was allocated across 42 approved applications.
The Hervey Bay Neighbourhood centre received a funding to the Wandering Tea Pot social enterprise café and to upgrade the comfort kitchen located in the Hervey bay Neighbourhood centre that provides free meals to people experiencing homelessness in Hervey Bay. The funding will also be used to provide trainees to work in the new local magazine (The Beacon) and to purchase tea bagging machine. The funds main aim is to recruit and train young people in WHS and food safety, sales and ongoing marketing of the Wandering Teapot Black Tea with the intent for them to become self-reliant and able to afford their own housing.
Dignity First has help me get a part time job (cert 3 in Business) with the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre working within the Reconnect Centre. I am now able to work 4 days a week with The Beacon making and writing stories for a magazine. I am so grateful to be given this opportunity and be able to work with amazing people.
Dignity First also helped a young lady, Lisa, who is also been hired in a part time position because of dignity first fund. Lisa was unemployed before the Dignity first program and not only assisted her financially but also help her establish new bonds with the other staff members. Lisa likes that she is able to write her own article and go out side of work and get her own stories. She enjoys interviewing other people and finding out interesting facts that relate to local community. Without Dignity First, Lisa says she would still be unemployed and with no real opportunities and no reliable income.
$2 million in a one-off funding was available across 3 categories.
The first one was starting up fundings for social enterprise with real world ideas to help maximise social effect through real world ideas and solutions helping those most in need.
The second one is innovation funding for organisations already servicing those in need but need to expand and develop projects that provide dignity to people who are homeless.
And lastly a small capital grant for existing organisations to upgrade their facilities allowing them to develop means to reduces the impact of homelessness in our community.
Have you picked up a copy of our magazine?
Available at Hervey Bay Stockland’s, Night Owl, Food n Groove, Maryborough Art Gallery, and various other newsagents throughout the Fraser Coast..
There’s more!
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