Dr Gregory P. Smith | Public figure

Dr Gregory P. Smith

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23.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. In these challenging times, when our BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need cannot happen, we at Signal Flare have been focusing on what we can do whilst our BBQs are on hold. We identified needs and have been holding a Non Perishable Food Drive to be able to distribute non-perishables to local homeless support agencies that are still operating. The three that we picked were all in desperate need of non-perishable foods to give away to the peop...le who come to them for help and for food. The result of our drive was quite impressive. We were touched (not for the first time!) by the generosity of our Signal Flare community and by people’s keenness to give for strangers they will probably never meet. I have seen on multiple occasions the joy, brought by donations of just the very basics of life. It really makes the day, week or month for people who are doing it really tough. Without a doubt, the non-perishables mean the world and make the difference between having food and not having food, between going to sleep hungry or with a well-filled tummy. When the day came to deliver part of the non-perishables to Micah Projects our Signal Flare Jiya, on her way with the delivery, saw an elderly homeless man nearby in the street. She invited him to take some 2-minute noodles and other food from her stash. He took only one cup of 2-minute noodles, saying I don’t want to be too greedy. He offered Jiya his assistance and helped her carry the food inside. When the job was done, he quietly disappeared, no fuss. This non-greediness was also the single biggest lasting impression of my very first BBQ in 2012. At every BBQ since upon encouraging guests to pick one more jumper, take some shampoo as well or have another serving of food I have heard these exact same words: I don’t want to take too much because others might need it more. This elderly homeless man near Micah Projects didn’t say it in so many words but he said it with his actions, with what he took and didn’t take while the opportunity was there. Each time these words are spoken by someone who has close to nothing, but who still thinks of others with this abundance of free food and free clothes, shoes, toiletries and more in front of them. Writing this, suddenly the Boxing Day sales come to mind, and the greediness it brings out in people who are not in need but who simply add to their abundance When I see those images on TV I think of the homeless guests at our BBQs; the contrast is glaringly obvious. Of course we cannot generalize and we do not want to; not all people who are not in need are greedy and amongst homeless there are exceptions. Sometimes though I think we can all learn from the poorest of people, they may often have the richest of souls Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

22.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Sunday 2 August marks the start of Homelessness Week 2020. The purpose of Homelessness Week is to raise awareness of homelessness and of the tough but often overlooked issues and situations faced daily by people experiencing it. We at Signal Flare try to raise awareness on a very regular basis, and we find that people often are very empathic hearing about the plight of people without homes. Homelessness Week hopefully gives us an extra opportunit...y to watch our physical and mental reactions to homeless people and to reflect on what we actually do to either make their lives harder or easier, and what we can do to bring them a little more positivity, kindness and dignity and a little less ignorance, intolerance and arrogance. Most of us are not in a position to come up with high-level and far-reaching local, state-wide, national or even global solutions but we can all do our bit to make life more liveable for those living on the margins and often literally on the kerb in our own backyard. The theme for Homelessness Week this year is Everybody Needs a Home. A home of course is literally a home, a dwelling with a lockable front door, walls and a roof, a space to call our own, where we can be ourselves in our own company and where we can shut out the outside world. For our homeless that outside world society, community, the city streets is often the only home they have. Their private lives and social lives are lived here because they have nowhere else to live it. Like any other home, it is vital that this home society, community, city streets makes them feel accepted and physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually safe. Too often it does not. Too often it is a dangerous place. We individually and together can all offer that acceptance and safety if we decide to. It may well inspire our homeless to accept and respect themselves more, to be hopeful, to believe in themselves enough to know they can change the direction of their lives so they can start to move out of homelessness towards having a lockable front door. This Homelessness Week let’s make a start bringing more acceptance and more safety into our society, communities and city streets for our homeless. It’s not up to legislators, governments or other powers that be to make this happen. It’s up to us, individuals. Let’s be the change. Have a good, reflective, active and positive Homelessness Week! Look around what you can do to make a difference in your own community. You will be surprised at what you find! Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare See more

22.01.2022 Pete's Place need your help. Do you have any clothes you can donate to them? Your kindness means a lot to the people who receive it.

22.01.2022 Pete's Place in Coffs are looking out for one of society's most vulnterable (and invisible) groups at this time - the homeless. Please support Pete's Place in any way you can. Contact the Coffs Neighbourhood Centre to donate. Stay safe and connected.

18.01.2022 Key Statistics: - Every night 116,427 people experience homelessness throughout Australia - 37,715 people experience homelessness in NSW... - In NSW, 7% of people experiencing homelessness sleep rough - 60,000 people on the social housing waiting list and the waiting list can be between 2 and 10 years Key messages: - Everyone has the right to access safe and sustainable housing. - Homelessness is a complex issue and some of the most vulnerable members of our community are people sleeping rough. - Finding the right information about who is sleeping rough and why is vital to developing effective strategies. - Connections Week volunteers are gathering data to inform the By Name list - a detailed record of each person’s personal story that will be used to find sustainable housing and support services. - The scale of homelessness is both preventable and solvable. - Byron Shire is the first regional community in NSW to make a start on the state-wide project of ending rough sleeping. - Their work aligns with the Premier’s Priority commitment to halve rough sleeping by 2025 What is a By Name List (BNL)? The By Name List (BNL) records information about each person who has recently experienced homelessness, or is currently sleeping rough or is living in crisis accommodation. This information can help with the coordination of support services and deepens our understanding of the drivers of homelessness. Understanding this information enables a community to respond in real time. The BNL list is based on the principle that every person sleeping rough has a story to tell. A story that allows them to be assisted out of homelessness; and, a story that can help us understand what leads people into homelessness. A story that can help us identify strategies that can prevent homelessness.

17.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. This isn’t John, but I’ll call him so all the same. I first got to know John about eight years ago when he came to our BBQ for the Homeless and Others in Need. I bump into him from time to time, and we chat about whatever needs to be chatted about. Sometimes we talk for a long time and at other occasions there is not much to say. Whichever the case, it’s always a pleasure meeting John. I bumped into him again on the weekend. We decided to have a ...coffee from the 7-Eleven convenience store John’s favourite coffee shop! John made our coffees and I paid for them an honest division of labour We sat down on the city footpath and had a yarn. As always, he loved to have his photo taken, a real one, just as he was in that moment. He was proud of it and loved to have it shared to Facebook. I share the photo here because we often walk past homeless people as if they are not there. We often don’t really look at them, we don’t make eye contact, we walk past as quickly as we can, eyes focused on something in the distance or on our phones or in our bags. But on this photo is a human being. Someone with eyes that reflect a heart, a soul, humanity, life experience. Someone who is engaged in human interaction and who enjoys the warmth of the coffee in his hands on a cold windy morning. He is not so different from the rest of us. Homeless people are not so different from the rest of us if we only bother to see them. Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

17.01.2022 Have you ever felt like the old man in this story when you help someone who is homeless, or if you think of helping someone who is homeless? Have you ever felt that what you are doing is useless and like a drop in the ocean? Or have you ever felt like the young woman instead; less overwhelmed and hopeless but more empowered and effective: you may not be able to end homelessness, but for the one person you help, in whichever small way, the sun rises again... That one person is genuinely helped and encouraged, and will remember for times to come that he or she was worth helping to you... Think about it... Then ask yourself again: do I feel like the old man, or can I feel like the young woman? Can I help someone and will it make a difference? The answer is yes and yes. Warm regards, Berni Signal Flare

15.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare "When you have nothing, nobody likes you. Nobody wants to talk to you. It's like you're not there. You don't even have a life. It's like you don't exist. It's like you're not even alive. These words, spoken from the heart, are John’s. And John knows, because John has been homeless in the city for many years everyone whose words I humbly share, I call them John here. Or Mary. I estimate John is in his late 50s, early 60s. A few people have take...n the time for a little chat with him but many, many people have passed by John every day for most of his life in the fashion he describes here. That is soul destroying for people who are as human as we all are but just have different circumstances than most. Like us, every homeless person has a story. When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, homeless is never the answer. They want to be doctors, nurses, teachers, fire fighters, members of rock bands, ballerinas, but sometimes something happens and things go wrong, and they become homeless and invisible instead. Years ago I did an experiment selling The Big Issue, wearing the Big Issue vest from my friend and Signal Flare co-founder Grant, who stood just meters away making sure I was alright. I wanted to see how people behaved towards me and how that made me feel. I learned that the yellow vest made a big difference. I learned that people can be very skilful in avoiding eye contact or any other contact, skilful in walking past like I wasn’t there, in finding ways not to feel obliged to say g’day (like starting to rummage through their handbags exactly when they passed me and stopping to do so as soon as they had left me behind them), in walking around me leaving a lot of space between me and them, and even turning up their nose at me. I cannot describe how happy I felt about the connection that was made when someone smiled, had a chat, bought a Big Issue and told me to keep the change. The high level of acknowledgement or downright arrogance did not affect me too much, but only because I knew this was an experiment with a very limited time frame of only two hours after which I would take off the vest, It was something I will never forget though. And I know that if I would experience this day in day out it would change me. It would change how I felt about myself and about my place in the world. How could it not For your information, the money I earned and the tips I received that morning fairly went to Grant, whose Big Issues I sold in this experiment While we as individuals mostly cannot change their physical situation, we can change the inner situation for homeless people by being kind, and by just treating them not better, not worse, but just as they are: fellow travellers in this life. I know from experience what a difference that makes! Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

15.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare How great it was to give again after all these months! We have been and still are laying low because of Covid-19, but this gorgeous one-off Saturday morning just gone we went into the city with warm coats and backpacks filled with toiletries that were donated to us provided we did not give them to a support service to distribute but handed them out personally. Such an honour to have that trust. There were a lot less people out there than normal, w...hich hopefully meant most were still in hotels; we didn’t ask. As always, we asked no questions at all. If people are homeless or otherwise on the margins, they are welcome to our donations or to benefit for free from all that we offer at our BBQs. We went out on Saturday to hand out those coats and backpacks with toiletries in them, and handing out we did, including to the three guys on this photo, the one on the right being my mate Malcolm, always proud to have his photo taken and posted on social media There were great socially distant but very joyous reunions with people we knew from our BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need. Big smiles from both sides bridged the social distance with ease. Our awesome volunteer Darryl and I brought smiles to people’s faces with the warm coats, backpacks and toiletries, necessities that everyone needs but that these people would not be able to afford. It’s good to give. To give donations, support, smiles, all things that make people feel acknowledged and human, that confirms they exist amongst us all and that tells them they matter and are seen So grateful for being able to do this with the wonderful team that we have. Thank you as always, Gregory, for this space. You are an important part of this wonderful team of ours <3 Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

14.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Homelessness is not a glamour topic nor a social phenomenon that catches quite the same level of support as, for example, victims of natural disasters, medical research, or animal welfare. I do not by any means want to minimise the importance of support of any of these examples, but I do not want to downplay the importance of homeless support either. Recognition of the importance of one doesn’t exclude that of the other. The word homeless makes... us uneasy. We rather avoid the topic and the people who fall under that description. It tends to divide people into them and us. Being one of them comes with a lot of stigma and prejudice. Being one of us often comes with the confidence that it will never happen to us because, unlike them, we work hard and do everything right. In the perfect world, only good things happen to good people, so what does that say about people who become homeless? Right! But guess what We do not live in the perfect world and bad things do happen to good people. Homelessness happens to good people. Every homeless person is also someone’s child, parent, brother, sister, aunty, uncle, friend. The boundaries between them and us aren’t always so clear cut. The slide down from us to them can happen very quickly and without fault. The climb back up goes a hell of a lot slower and is much more non-linear, but with hard work and encouragement people do sometimes get out of homelessness. If you are still reading and if this made you think about homelessness, here is an opportunity to do something great: on 23 October New South Wales is coming together in the NSW Vinnies Community Sleep Out to raise funds for local homeless support in 12 locations, one of them Pete’s Place in Tweed Heads supported by the owner of this page and the Patron of Signal Flare, Dr Gregory Smith. People from New South Wales, please get behind the homeless in your state and in particular behind Pete’s Place, a drop-in centre that is a warm and safe place of support for those doing it extremely tough in the Tweed Shire. Homeless people are often moved on. In a world where they are often told to go somewhere else, a safe and welcoming space can be a life safer and the start of the long climb back up; Pete’s Place is such a space. For more information about the Community Sleep Out, please follow the link. https://fundraise.vinniesnsw.org.au/nsw-vinnies-community-/ Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Good luck to all on 23 October! Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

12.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare I don’t think there is anyone on the globe-at-large who has not been affected by the current Covid-19 crisis. Freedom and life as we knew it are no more. At least, not now. For most of us social distancing and self-isolation go against our very nature but are now our way of life. In order to save ourselves and each other, we have to stay apart. Maintaining mental health in self-imposed isolation can be a real challenge. However, with restrictions...Continue reading

12.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Royalty is some clothes, some food, and a sheet on a bed. These words come from John. They were spoken at a time when Prince Harry was in the news. For John, having these items food, clothes, and a bed with something on it means you have made it in life. John’s thoughts about life don’t extend beyond those basic items anymore because even those basics that we all need are not necessarily within his grasp. For John, the basics have become th...e ultimate symbols of a successful life. His life has taken away the capacity to imagine a life beyond the streets. The longer people are homeless, the more their spirit and thought patterns are eroded by their homelessness and the less the capacity to pull themselves out of it and to participate in society. Their focus becomes Maslow’s bottom line, perhaps the bottom two see picture. Survival. If only one person in a country as rich as ours feels like John that having the basics is success, and the equivalent of wealth comparable to royalty then we are doing something wrong. Who are we as a first-world nation to have citizens homeless for so long that they start to feel and think this way and have this little? Who are we if we are okay with it? Who do we want to be? I know the government has been incredible for our homeless during this COVID crisis, but how will things go after the virus has gone? Will our homeless be sent back to the streets and to the dingy, tiny rooms in shelters? Or do we decide as a nation that we will be more compassionate from now on and more caring for our most vulnerable fellow citizens? Will we offer our homeless more help before they get to the stage where John is at? Will we offer them the possibility to make a life that reaches further than Maslow’s bottom line or two? I hope we will, because they deserve it. And from human beings to other human beings, it is our moral duty. Thank you as always, Gregory, for offering us space to think out loud on your wonderful page, Warm regards, Berni Signal Flare

12.01.2022 Check out Gregory's recent interview with Luisa from Passion Harvest! https://www.facebook.com/Passionharvest

11.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare Well, Signal Flare’s Christmas event 2020 A Merry Little Christmas for the Homeless and Others in Need is under way! Our events are all called BBQ for the Homeless and Others in Need as that’s what they are. Like everything else in 2020 though, our Christmas event is taking place in a Covid-19 context. No full scale BBQ. The simple sausage sizzle that we had in mind and aptly called A Merry Little Christmas for the Homeless and Others in ...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare Coronavirus Crisis: Spread Some Kindness Yesterday I went into the city. As expected, in the midst of this Coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe, the city was eerily deserted. Most of the shops were closed, and pretty much the only people still there were our homeless They are people with nowhere to go. They are even less than others in control of keeping themselves safe through social distancing, and they are unable to self-isolate. Fo...r everyone else support is stepped up (e.g., working from home, regulated grocery shopping, increased financial support), for homeless people significantly less services are delivered. My thoughts were with them a lot during the week. I struck up a conversation with three homeless people, two ladies and a man, while adhering to the social distancing rules. I asked them, now that so many services have closed, where do you get your meals? The guy heard the word meals, and thought I was asking him for food. He rummaged through his plastic bag and offered me a little bag of crisps. It broke my heart to witness what I have witnessed so many times: that people who have very little are often so incredibly generous, and prepared to give the very little that they have to someone who might need it more. I politely declined and said what I was asking is now that so many services have closed, where do you get your meals? They told me that in the mornings some guy came around with a trolley with breakfast, and in the evening there was a food van that was still going. Their appreciation of my concern was touching. I figured there was a long time in between the breakfast guy and the evening food van, and asked them if I could get them something to eat. The beef pies from the 7-Eleven store on the corner were a favourite of one of the ladies. The other two were too modest to suggest anything, so I ended up buying them pies and coffees. For $13 three people got a meal. It was really pretty minimal, but they were so happy, it meant a lot to them. For them it was so much more than just food and coffee. We can all do our bit. Also if you can’t give food, just showing that you care means an awful lot to homeless people, especially at a time when most homeless services have closed their doors or have limited their services, forced by circumstances. I received many God-bless-you’s after expressing concern. It tells me that they really need that from others. They need to feel that people care, especially now that they are pretty much the only ones still left in the city. On your way to the grocery store for example you can be social distancing and still safely have a (brief) conversation with others, homeless people included. It doesn’t need to take much time but can really make an impact. In this coronavirus crisis (and after!), let’s spread some kindness. See more

09.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare Although the running of Signal Flare’s BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, our compassion for our fellow humans living on the margins is not. At present anything large-ish scale like a BBQ is out of the question, but we can still do what we can individually. If people want to help others who are experiencing homelessness and other hardship, we encourage them to donate non-perishable food...s and/or toiletries to the organizations in their locality that are still operating. Big smiles guaranteed, both from the organizations and from those ultimately receiving the donations; people who are doing it tough really do need to eat like the rest of us but too often cannot afford to. Non-perishables and toiletries may seem little and simple to donate but are invaluable to receive, especially now that so many services have temporarily ceased to serve. I will always remember the old lady at one of my first BBQs who had picked a brand-new toothbrush, still in the package. She held it tight, and she said with a beaming smile that she was so happy because now she didn’t have to share toothbrushes anymore We so often take every day basics for granted while they are out of reach for many others BBQs like ours really make you realize that. This probably begs the question of what we do at our BBQs. We offer BBQ lunch events for our homeless and others in need where everything is for free, from a quite spectacular BBQ lunch to clothes, shoes, toiletries, children’s toys and non-perishable foods (all donated by the community). We have services attending who offer health checks, haIrcuts, shower and laundry. Equally important though is the human contact, the connection, the kindness, and the interaction between guests, volunteers, service providers and organizers. The coronavirus curve seems to be flattening, which gives good hope that it will fall at some point in the not too distant future. and while we are waiting for the virus to go away altogether and for the restrictions to ease we are really looking forward to getting back into things. We are so grateful to our Patron Dr Gregory Smith for, well, being our Patron, for his commitment to attending each BBQ to help others as part of our Circle of Inspiration, and for giving us the opportunity to meet you, his valued readers/Likers/followers, here fortnightly. Thank you for reading. Stay safe and healthy, and we’ll meet here again on 1 May. Warm regards, Berni https://www.facebook.com/HomelessBBQs/

09.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Have you ever had a really rewarding experience helping someone? Or do you feel that helping others is like trying to fill a bottomless pit? Either way, you hopefully know what a privilege it is to be in a position where you can provide support at all to an individual or to a community of individuals. If you have the trying-to-fill-a-bottomless-pit feeling, read this photo. I found this little blurb in a Big Issue I bought a few years ago, and it... resonated with me so much that I took a photo of it just to be able to read it again. Definitely not a bottomless-pit story! It was written by a Big Issue vendor in Brisbane. It made me realize again! that we often don’t know the background to someone’s homelessness, what the amazing impact is that we can have on others and how far our little support or joint effort can take someone. This guy happened to write about it and I happened to read it, but many people who benefit enormously from generous support do not have the opportunity to tell their often anonymous helpers about the immediate or long-term benefits of an encouraging word, some insightful advice, or just a listening ear. Kindness does turn lives around, mentally, socially and materially. Let’s keep sharing that stuff! Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

08.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Often when I am in the city I see this homeless man, always sitting on the footpath in the same area, his favourite spot. Let’s call him John. John and I have had several interesting chats about life in general and his life in particular, enjoying a Coke and a coffee. It’s good sometimes to stop, sit and see the world go by the way he does. He used to come to our BBQs for the Homeless and Others in Need but I think he has lost the capacity to kno...w what day it is; when you are chronically homeless like John is, the days all sort of morph into an endless stretch of time without obvious markers, except for dark and light. When I don’t see him for some time I wonder where he is and if he is alright. I saw John a while ago and he told me that he was hungry, so we went to a fast food place to get a bite to eat and have a chat. He told me his family doesn’t like him because he doesn’t do anything with his life. I told him I think his family doesn’t really know him. He may be homeless and sit on the footpath a lot of the time which is probably all that people see and judge but I know that John looks out for other homeless people, making sure as much as he can that they are well and safe. When folks from a homeless service come past he’ll ask them to check on that homeless girl near the bend of the river because she didn’t look well earlier in the day. He once saw me sitting on some steps in the Mall - I was trying to send a text to someone which needed a bit of focus. He is not used to seeing me just sit on steps, as I am usually walking when I’m in the city. Suddenly I heard a voice, Are you alright? I looked up and it was John, with genuine concern in his voice and eyes. How can we measure people’s worth and why do we when they do as well as they can in the context of whatever is happening for them Having that meal with John, I told him that he WAS doing something with his life. He looked after other homeless people. He was a safe person for them in a world that can be quite dangerous at the best of times, but especially when you are homeless. I said he would have looked after me that day if I had needed help as I was sitting on the steps. It seemed to be a perspective he had not considered. His eyes lit up a bit, he tilted his head and his voice sounded a bit lighter when he said he would have and he did look after others. He said, yes, I try. I think I left him a bit more positive about himself that day. We all do the best we can within our capabilities, don’t we? I do believe we all do our best. And our best is different for everyone, but it’s always a good thing. Good to see it in ourselves and good to see it in others, also if that other is homeless. Take your time, have a look and see, because it’s there Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

06.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. I came across this picture the other day, and it stopped me in my tracks. You can’t heal the people you love. It’s true. You can’t. In fact, you can’t heal anyone but yourself we are obviously not talking physical ailments here, this is about emotional and mental healing. People heal themselves in their own timing. We can help them, be present for them and be a major supportive, helping influence along the way, but their true healing and movi...ng forward is their accomplishment. They do all the work. Homeless people who are ready to change are no different. We can walk beside them and support them right where they are, but the journey and the work are theirs. We cheer them on with every victorious baby step because every baby step is a step forward in their epic journey. The cheer squad for most homeless people is considerably smaller than for others, or even non-existent. Encouragement and noticing their accomplishments are golden. It means they don’t journey alone. It means they are not invisible. Their feats are not invisible. They are human. The cheers can make the difference between people reaching their goals and people giving up and sinking back into hopelessness. Like everyone, our homeless can only start to work on change when they are ready. Pushing them into change only results in deeper feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness and a deeper inability to see and move beyond the present towards a brighter future. Just like no one can decide that for us, no one can decide for our homeless that it’s time to change, but we can help them get there. I do know that when they are heard more, acknowledged more and treated better, they want to do better because they feel better, more deserving, more capable and more human. And when they are ready we can build a map together specifically for them to be able to reach the life they will start to see for themselves. Baby steps. None of us could run before we could crawl. And no one could prevent us from tripping and falling plenty of times, but we always got up. It’s all part of the journey. Keep the faith! Until our homeless are ready (and also after that) the really simple things mean so much. A hello, a coffee treat or a chat really work miracles, lift people’s day and will be remembered for a long time because these small gestures of kindness tell them they are seen and cared about. And if someone cares about them, perhaps they can start caring about themselves too. All of these things bring change closer. And it’s so simple to achieve. Homelessness is a passing phase for many. Homelessness is often overcome. There is a lot of hope out there, so let’s keep the faith and the kindness! Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

05.01.2022 Some words from Signal Flare. Seeing how different age groups are affected by homelessness or how homelessness is represented in different age groups has always interested me. Today I thought I’d actually look at some statistics to get a bit of an idea. I came across this graph from the 2016 census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It has the header Most Homeless People Are Young, but even without that, one look at the graph shows exactly that. Most homeless peopl...e are 34 years old and younger. A lot of thoughts come up. Young people still need to build their lives, yet the under 12s and the 19 to 24s score very high on homelessness. What does that say for their future? How many intelligent, gifted, passionate people miss out on the opportunity to build a good life and to contribute amazingly to our country, just because their rough start put them so much behind? How many people grow up, permanently affected by a start of homelessness? How much intergenerational impact is there? None of us had any choice of the circumstances we were born into. Thoughts also come up on the steep decline in numbers after age 34. What happens to homeless people as they grow older? Do they somehow get out of homelessness and into homes? Do they fall off the radar for some reason? Do they pass away? An article by Lina Caneva in Pro Bono Australia News says that being homeless is incredibly difficult both physically and mentally and has significant impacts on people’s health and wellbeing. Ultimately, homelessness kills. This seems to be confirmed by an article in ABC News by Danny Tran. He quotes Homelessness Australia’s then-CEO Glenda Stevens as saying that for men who experience chronic homelessness across Australia, the average life expectancy is between about 45 and 47 years of age These are not recent articles but I am sure the content has not changed. Homelessness still kills and chronically homeless people still often die young This graph brings up so many questions, insights and tragedies and, quite frankly, also a bit of helplessness. To really improve the situation of homeless people we all need to band together and let our common humanity shine in our different neighbourhoods and communities, in our electorates, inside and outside of politics. We need to remember that before we are doctors, taxi drivers, teachers, politicians, homeless and what have you, we are all human first. Thank you Gregory as always, for offering us this great space to think out loud. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

04.01.2022 I think it is fair to say 2020 has been a frantic crazy year, with massive global anxiety and much more as Covid-19 swept the world. At present, though, the picture seems less grim at least in Australia. We at Signal Flare count ourselves lucky because months ago, while in the tightening grip of Covid, we booked Musgrave Park for Sunday 6 December; positive as we are, we hoped to be able to put on our annual Christmas BBQ for the Homeless and Others in Need. Our BBQs are alwa...ys a bit of a thing with support services coming together, lots of donated goods being given away, not to mention a sensational BBQ lunch. And today we did it. We created a Facebook events page for our Christmas event. It’s not a big BBQ with all the bells and whistles this time though. This year we will have A Merry Little Christmas for our Homeless and Others in Need: a sausage sizzle, a visit from Santa who will hand out presents, and hopefully some live music. We have all been impacted by Covid this year. Restrictions, isolation, fear, uncertainty, drastic decisions, health issues, grief and loss on so many levels I believe we are all in need of something positive and uplifting, now more than ever, and I hope our Merry Little Christmas can go ahead and will be a lovely success. It looks hopeful at the moment, and the moment is all we have. So for now we are hopefully looking forward to an amazing little event that will bring some Christmas cheer to our homeless, others in need and volunteers alike. If down the track we need to cancel it we will not hesitate to do so. If you want to check it out please follow the link. https://www.facebook.com/events/2683058548651182/ Thank you as always, Gregory, for offering us this great space to write on. Best regards, Berni Signal Flare

02.01.2022 Lovely feedback from one of the guests at Healing to Wholeness empowerment speaker series on Sunday night. Dr Gregory Smith captivated the packed audience with his story of triumph over adversity. We are now looking to tour this series regionally, so watch this space for more info!