Volunteers prepare units for Murray Bridge youth experiencing homelessness
Volunteers have been working hard and local businesses have been giving hard to ensure that a housing project for young people is complete by early 2024.
Locals support locals – that’s why this recent post is now free to read. Your support can help Murray Bridge News tell important local stories. Subscribe today.
Volunteers, local and external businesses, the Murray Bridge council, Habitat for Humanity and AC Care have united to make four units for homeless and vulnerable young people in Murray Bridge almost ready.
Although many local and other businesses, as well as church groups, are putting their time and resources into the project, they said they didn’t want publicity, as that’s not why they were involved.
Louise Hay, executive officer of Habitat for Humanity South Australia, was excited about the progress of the project, the second of its kind in the community after four Studio Purpose units opened in 2021.
She estimated the four new units would be completed by the start of 2024.
“We’re more than aware of the need for further housing in the Murraylands area for youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, so to be able to put four more of our studio apartments there to be used is fantastic, and we’d love to see if we could do it again,” she said.
Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.
“We’re really proud to be partnering again with AC Care and other local organisations, including Murray Bridge council for Studio Purpose stage two.
“We are really appreciative of the funding that came from the Impact 100 South Australia and Morialta Trust and the Harvey Foundation and the Rural City of Murray Bridge, and we had some other private donors who also assisted with the project funding.
“The Murray Bridge chapter, the volunteers, have been working tirelessly for the project since the start of August, and it’s taken many, many months to the point where we have started on the ground.”
Around 20 volunteers have been involved in this current Habitat for Humanity housing project, with the main ones being Steve Bown, Bob Martin and Estelle Lees.
Mr Bown, a retired draftsman, estimated that it would probably cost around $300,000 to $350,000 in labour, materials and other expenses to do the current job.
“We’ve come in with about $150,000, so that’s ridiculously low, but we’re relying on local tradies,” he said.
For example, a kitchen was made, supplied and fitted for free.
Mr Bown explained why he he puts so much of his time and effort into the Habitat for Humanity building projects, rather than travelling around Australia in a caravan.
“I do it because I’m a Christian, and a Christian looks after the strugglers,” he said.
“Some people choose homelessness because they’d rather do nothing, but the kids that are going to use this place, and the way it’s been so far with the other place we did, there’ve been girls that have had to get out of domestic violence situations – they thought they had a home and maybe they had a baby, and all of a sudden domestic violence, and they’ve got to get out with a baby and they’re sleeping in a car … not lazy, not their choice.
“These kids aren’t stupid: something went wrong in their lives; kids get with the wrong one.”
“My wife says she knows that love is blind, but why does it have to be so stupid as well?”
Mr Bown said he gained a huge sense of satisfaction from helping vulnerable youth.
“I can sleep easy at night,” he said.
“Just looking back now, it’s two years since we did the last place, and there’s kids being helped very week.”
Another main volunteer at the project is retired tech studies teacher Bob Martin, who joked that his role in the project involved “just making a mess”.
Mr Martin felt a particular empathy for people sleeping rough.
“I’ve tried living in my car once when I was wool classing, and it’s not much fun,” he said.
“Not good – very cold and very hot.
“This gives local kids somewhere to go so that they feel safe, and if I can give something back to the kids, I will.”
Mr Bown described 16-year-old volunteer Estelle Lees as “absolutely brilliant”, particularly her carpentry work at the units, and he was impressed that she had chosen to work at the project throughout her school holidays.
“You’re learning skills, and you’re doing something you enjoy,” Ms Lees said.
“To help other people, that’s great.”
Mr Bown also believed there were long-term benefits to volunteers creating the Studio Purpose units: “I reckon that because the kids know that this was done by volunteers, they’ll respect it”.
He hoped more Studio Purpose units could be built, but he and Mr Martin would like to hand over the reigns.
“This will probably be the last one for us, but it would be good if we could get another group of people who want to take over Habitat Murraylands and actually drive the next one, and we can read about it in Murray Bridge News,” Mr Bown said.
- Volunteer: Visit habitat.org.au/sa or phone Steve Bown on 0417 344 145.
Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.
