General News
7 April, 2025
Annual meet for homelessness alliance
Homelessness support agencies have come together once again for the Wimmera Homelessness Alliance (WHA) annual forum in Stawell.
The event was held on March 20 to discuss key priorities for the year.
WHA was established in 2023 with the aim to bring together support agencies from across the Wimmera that all have the same goal: getting homeless people off the streets and back onto their feet.
Staff from Uniting, The Salvation Army and Grampians Community Health, alongside new alliance members Headspace Horsham and others, brainstormed ideas and came up with homeless priorities for the year.
WHA chairperson Adam Liversage emceed the forum, which welcomed more than 50 attendees.
“It’s truly a great opportunity to come together and discuss a critical issue,” Mr Liversage said.
Regional homelessness network co-ordinator Michelle Twigger said she was impressed at how many turned up.
“Usually at these events, 50 people say they’re coming and we get 42 maybe," Ms Twigger said.
"That just shows the dedication of the people in this region."
Glenn Pierce, a lived experience "expert", from Ballarat shared his experience being without a home and how that changed after he met a member of Uniting's Street to Home team.
“It’s a journey of conflict and challenges," Mr Pierce said.
"It’s also a journey of finding purpose and finding myself with support and being part of the greatest team of people and community I’ve known, particularly in the last two years."
Mr Pierce now works with Uniting as a peer support worker.
Sherri Brunihour, executive director of homelessness and housing support at Homes Victoria, spoke to guests about how to obtain resources from government, posing the question, "How do you successfully position the homelessness service sector in this area to get more?"
Pip McGregor, children's resource co-ordinator at Uniting, spoke about children experiencing homelessness and its ongoing trauma.
"I think we can all agree that the focus on early intervention prevention is very much needed," Ms McGregor said.
"A child's development is significantly impacted through the experience and trauma of homelessness, wellbeing concerns, feelings of displacement, behavioural issues, education, disengagement."
Ms McGregor also made a presentation with Jon Murgatroyd from the Salvation Army that will be delivered to high school students to myth-bust common misconceptions of homelessness.
Primarily for Year 9 students, the 'myth-busting' presentation involves student participation
The presentation was previously given to students in the Ballarat region, from whom there was a good response, Ms McGregor said.
Now the content is being tested with Wimmera students as the pilot began this week.
After brainstorming sessions, a panel discussion looked at initiatives surrounding rough sleeping, women and children, youth, First Nations communities, advocacy and singles experiencing homelessness.
