Centre for changing face of homeless

‘‘ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, POVERTY FIGHTING THOSE THINGS IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY.

MINISTER DI FARMER

A SANCTUARY for women enduring hardships has been launched in Toowoomba with the backing of the State Government.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise hosted influential women leaders to launch the Protea Place initiative, founded by community advocate Amanda Dalton.

It will be the first project under the newly formed Toowoomba Women’s Foundation, also announced on Monday.

Ms Dalton, who has worked in the human services sector for two decades, said there had been an increase in the number of single women without children displaced from homes.

The trend is emerging in Toowoomba and nationally.

Census figures reveal a 10 per cent increase in women experiencing homelessness, and 30 per cent increase for older women.

Child Safety, Youth and Women Minister Di Farmer helped launch the project, believed to be an Australian-first.

“Domestic violence, poverty - fighting those things is everyone’s responsibility and to provide this kind of physical support, the nurturing support, to help those women restore their dignity, it is such an important community service,” she said.

Protea Place will fill the void in the current community services offerings in Toowoomba with a purpose-designed facility to ensure women’s needs are met with dignity and safety.

A grant submission for seed funding through the State Government’s Dignity First fund was been lodged which, is successful, would see Protea Place formed before Christmas.

TSBE CEO Ali Davenport said seed funding was being sought to establish the facility which would then be funded through ongoing community support.

Single women were in many ways the changing face of the city’s homeless population, she said.

A possible location has been identified but funding was needed to make it operational before Christmas which traditionally causes increased stress and pressures on the homeless.

Community sponsorship and in-kind contributions are also being sought for the initiative, and a fundraiser set for November.

“The very first fundraiser for this initiative will be in November and will be called In Her Shoes,”Ms Davenport said.