Saving community services

The groups are not only united by their use of St Saviour’s premises, but also by their desire to provide safe housing, reliable transport and nutritious food to those members of the community who are unable to seek out these basic needs for themselves. 

Both the Food Distribution Network (FDN) and South Sydney Community Transport (SSCT) are concerned with those members of the local community who are isolated as a result of age or illness. 

The FDN is targeted towards the elderly, people with disabilities, and people living with HIV. Its self-professed aim is to “assist people to remain healthy and live independently at home with the delivery of affordable, nutritious food”. For a box of fresh produce from Flemington Markets, the FDN charges only $7 with a $2 delivery fee. The FDN is funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care through the Home and Community Care program, which is itself a joint Commonwealth, State and Territory initiative.

The Home and Community Care program contributes funds to SSCT. While the FDN focuses upon improving the quality of life within the home, SSCT is concerned with providing transport services. These services are divided into two categories: group and individual transport. The group activities include shopping services, social outings, and an on-going shuttle service between Redfern, Woolloomooloo and Broadway. There is also provision made for individual medical appointments, social outings or shopping trips. 

The congregation of St Saviour’s, more popularly known as Redfern Anglican Church, is understandably proud of their affiliation with these groups. On its website, St Saviour’s emphasises the importance of community connection, observing that “the five community organisations that operate from [its] church hall demonstrates this connection”.

Nonetheless, there have been faint rumours that St Saviour’s has cast its eye on reclaiming the church hall for its own uses. These rumours have been denied by the church, with the community groups being assured that that the valuation of the Redfern Centre that sounded the original alarm is no more than a standard operating procedure. 

According to Robert Freeman, Warden of the Parish of South Sydney, there is no cause for the staff and general public to be concerned by these rumours. “Our understanding of the Department of Ageing, Disability, and Home Care (DADHC) policy,” says Mr Freeman, “is that in the event that they decide to change the arrangements at the present location, they would not disturb the NGOs until a suitable alternative location was secured for them, which could take up to two or three years”.

Source: South Sydney Herald May 2010 www.southsydneyherald.com.au