Our Backyard | Businesses

Our Backyard

Phone: +61 402 155 586

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25.01.2022 Well done to Compass Housing Services on securing a government contract to provide specific support to rough sleeping homeless people in the Hunter.

25.01.2022 We are extending our hours today till 5pm. We have received a large quantity of Latina pasta and sauces. If you would like to stock up the fridge this weekend p...lease come to see us till 5pm. All food was donated by SecondBite and through the generosity of Gateway Care in Pelican. Thank you David and our hardworking volunteers Bruce Andrews and Brian Carr

23.01.2022 A few years ago we recorded this short video and its still current today. With only a few weeks to go before the end of the financial year if there are any business people with the capacity to donate to the ongoing work of Our Backyard, we would certainly appreciate your financial support. Our Backyard is a program of Macquarie Care and registered with the ATO as a deductible gift recipient [DGR] charity. Any donation over $2 is fully tax deductable. Our Backyard has continued to provide essential services and support every day since Covid-19 struck our region and we have also been distributing free food to anyone in need until recently three days a week.

21.01.2022 Good news story

19.01.2022 Thanks again to the carpenters from Impact Building Warner’s Bay for a super effort in building and installing the kitchen in 2 days. Much appreciate your hard work Keegan, Troy & Jackson. We will be closed again next week whilst we build a dividing wall, install PowerPoints and affix other accessories. We plan to re-open very soon. Take care on the roads and stay safe over the school holidays.

17.01.2022 Anyone needing a few extra items in their shopping bag is encouraged to come and help themselves today up till 5pm.

17.01.2022 We are currently suspending our services so that the new buildings can be relocated into their new position. We hope to be back up in about 3 weeks time. In the meantime we encourage anyone who is sleeping in their car to speak to Link 2 Home on 1800 152 152

17.01.2022 Something so little can mean a lot to our First Nations people especially during Naidoc Week! Our Backyard acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which, Our Backyard meets, the Awabakal People, and we also acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who now reside in this area. Our Backyard extends that respect to Elders - past and present - and future cultural knowledge holders.

16.01.2022 This is an update on where things are at with the fit out of our facilities. We are very close to re-opening the program. Our project team has been working around the clock to fit out the plumbing and electrical. We have built a wall to seperate the kitchen from the storage area. Soon our homeless guests will be able to cook something to eat, wash clothes and use the dryer all in the very compact area. Next door is the seperate toilet and shower. Each with their own secure door. We understand that our temporary closure may be an inconvenience to some. And it is our hope that we will be back up real soon.

16.01.2022 Work has begun with the dismantling of the old demountables in preparation of the installation of our new facilities.

15.01.2022 Thank you to everyone working in the homeless sectors and the countless volunteers. We are some much better and stronger together

14.01.2022 The beautiful ladies from Manna House doing a wonderful job distributing food (on Melbourne Cup day) as part of our Macquarie Care outreach ministry

14.01.2022 Good morning friends and supporters. For quite some time this program has been leasing a couple of demountable buildings which provide the amenities for our homeless friends. These are the ablutions block (toilet and shower) and the kitchen / storage areas. ... Back in January this year we were successful with an application to the federal government and our local member Pat Conroy MP Under a Communities Grant we have been able to purchase a couple of brand new buildings. One of the buildings will need to be fitted with a kitchen and the others are a toilet and separate shower. We have also decided to postpone indefinitely the Night Under the Stars fundraiser as many of our supporters are doing it tough financially. However if you are in a position to make a financial tax deductible donation before the end of the financial year simply follow the prompts on our website www.ourbackyard.info As winter is now with us we could see a spike in the number of homeless people needing our help. We have had a significant number of blankets donated to us earlier this year which will come in handy as the cold sets in. Thank you again for everyone that’s supported us this year.

14.01.2022 We have an abundance of fruit, vegetables, bakery, poultry, non perishables, bread and miscellaneous products to give away. We remind you to practice social di...stancing and follow the directive of our team of volunteers. Hand sanitizer is available for everyone to use. We are located at the back of Macquarie Life Church in the Hall. Drive up the back of the church on the corner of Macquarie and Wentworth Roads Cardiff. Open today from 2pm-4pm. Enquiries 0402155586.

13.01.2022 These are the new buildings for our homeless guests.

13.01.2022 Thank you to all the volunteers and contractors who helped make the transition from the old facilities to the new ones especially Impact Building [Warners Bay], Macquarie Bathrooms, Wayne Milner, Project Manager; Katrina Marschall, Interior Design Project Manager; Mindy Newsome General Manager. Some of the team pictured below

12.01.2022 Please share this video and message to anyone in the community sectors of the Lake Macquarie region. The purpose of this short video is to inform the public that due to the generosity of the food rescue organizations OzHarvest Newcastle SecondBite Survivor's R Us Incorporated and our wonderful volunteers we can provide YOU the public with FREE FRESH FOOD today. THURSDAYS is CARBS and CALORIES day perfect for this cold Autumn day. ... The video has all the details you need. We are open from 2pm-5pm today. Bring your car, shopping bags and an umbrella. See you soon

12.01.2022 Flashback Thursday - looking at some of the moments when we could all gather together under the stars. This was 2018 when we held our first movie under the stars followed by our sleep out in our cars. It was in April and a little chilly. The movie on the big screen was The Lion King.

11.01.2022 After almost 6 years the program will soon have a brand new kitchen, toilet and shower. Today the old buildings have been removed and the new ones will be relocated soon. This is a milestone for all hard work of so many people. Big thanks to Troy & Jackson from Impact Building for there help today.

09.01.2022 We would like to take a moment and thank the incredible hard work of Our Backyard Volunteers in particular recognition of National Volunteer Week. Over the past 4 years that the program has been funded and managed by Macquarie Care the number of volunteers has increased from a handful to a robust team of 27 people. Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Many are retired and have a few extra hours spare during the the day to help out. Others are still in full-time emplo...yment and can oversee the program over weekends. Special thanks to Jenine Hughes and Christopher Hughes for overseeing the first weekend of every month for the past 4 years. Incredible dedication which allows the program to function on Saturday and Sunday when all other government and many non- government agencies are closed. We also acknowledge Julie Melman and @mark Melman who have been faithful supporters for more than 4 years too. There are too many other volunteers to mention in this post except to say THANK YOU because this year we have assisted 43 men and women who have sought a safer place to sleep at night and referral to other services. And of these 12 people (28%) have transitioned to safer secure and stable accommodation.

06.01.2022 Hello Everyone. I’d like to take 3 minutes of your time. I’d like to make an short announcement that I’m stepping down from my role as the Program Manager of Homeless program Our Backyard and Manna House to pursue a Pastoral Care Role with Hammond Care Waratah. After 4 years I have been able to build a strong team of mostly retired men and women who will continue to help those who are vulnerable and who have found themselves to be homeless. ... I’ve met close to 500 people and as a team we have ensured that at least 25% have been able to secure private safe and stable accommodation. Recently due to the generous federal government grant we have been able to buy our own purpose build facilities. We have also been donated a brand new kitchen by a local business. And in the last month we have been fitting out the buildings ready for the next wave of people in need. We hope to re-open either on Friday 24th or Wednesday 29th July (depending on how soon locks can be fitted) For me it’s been a passion to serve the local community and build rapport with so many wonderful organizations, in particular; Rick Prosser from Soulcafè, Survivors Reception, Nova for Women and Children: Homelessness and Domestic Violence Service OzHarvest @aaronbuman Gateway Church Lake Macquarie @pitchperfectdigitalmedia The Canopy at Cameron Park Community Centre @stvinniesmatthewtalbot Hunter Women's Centre Michelle Faithfull Compass Housing Services Hunter Homeless Connect Inc. Christina Mastello @stvinniesmathhewtalbot And my special thanks to the management team of @ Macquarie Care Macquarie Life Church And thank you to all the supporters, donors and general community for following this page, sharing, liking and donating. We are all in this together Pietro Di Girolamo

05.01.2022 Yesterday’s news story on the impact that Convid19 and being homeless and sleeping in a car has had on one our our guests Dale. Also highlighting the work of other charities doing excellent work in our community - St Vinnies Matthew Talbot; Samaritans and Soul Cafe. Thank you Nick Beilby from Newcastle Herald for writing the story.

04.01.2022 Lots of activity today with this huge crane removing the rental demountable buildings ready for the new ones to be relocated this week. This has been a project almost 6 years in the making. It’s taken a massive team effort to get to this point.

03.01.2022 We would like to take a moment and thank our incredibly dedicated team of Volunteers in recognition of National Volunteer Week. Our newest program call Manna H...ouse which provides free food given away to members of the public. The program has been operational since the lock down beginning 23rd March and we have seen a steady flow of between 30-40 people each day. Those people are coming from all walks of life and from Lake Macquarie and as far as the Upper Hunter. Our team of volunteers led by team leaders Marianne Aarts Gloria Taylor and Volunteer Coordinator Brian Carr have been pivotal in the operation. Our thanks also to volunteers Julie Melman Katrina Marschall Stephen Gregson Valerie Milner Michelle Hessing Karen Duggan Bruce Andrews Christine Carr Jenine Hughes Tracey Barradeen In the past week almost 100 families have benefited from your hard work, smiles and friendly welcome. So on behalf of all of us at Macquarie Care - THANK YOU!!