Need to know
Our Community Matters • 35 •
Your two-minute NFP news digest Single, senior, female, homeless
Pay what you can for shoes and clothing
“It would be relatively easy for us to overcome [older women’s homelessness] if we had the political will. How can you look a generation of women in the face – particularly as a Christian man, right? – and say, ‘Look, I’ve seen how you’ve put others’ needs in front of your own, including the necessity to earn additional income and accumulate super, but, really, it’s just too bad that you’re living in your car. Silly you!’ I mean, everywhere you looked there was some conservative Christian bloke telling you to stay home and look after the children! It’s appalling!”
“I was a single mother — no money, struggling. I would have loved to have a group back then to help me, instead of Centrelink saying no all the time. A group that actually said yes, we can help you.”
– Jane Caro, social commentator and author, interviewed for a Good Weekend feature on homelessness among older women. Read the feature
– Whitney Page, who founded an op shop where customers pay what they want, on an honesty system, in Kambalda, WA. Read the ABC’s story
Peak body rejects payments for volunteers “We need to ensure that national volunteer policy responses do not undermine the culture and the ethos of volunteering by introducing financial considerations that could be considered a wage or salary. Ideally emergency service organisations would have the resources available, including the ability to provide appropriate training, equipment and clothing, and the ability to manage the volunteer workforce so that no volunteer requires financial compensation, beyond ordinary outof-pocket expenses.” Peak body Volunteering Australia responds to the federal government’s proposal for a compensation scheme for emergency service volunteers following the bushfire crisis. Read the full submission.
