How it began:
“Why isn’t there an Emergency Relief Network in inner Melbourne?” asked Rotary Prahran’s new Community Service Chair Mike Scott.
Mike is also the Community Services Manager at Uniting Prahran (formerly the Prahran Mission) and knows from every day experience the need of many people who are escaping domestic violence, are refugees, coming out of homelessness, or even starting out after a stint in jail.
Mike’s question spurred Rotary Prahran into sponsoring the set up of Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network, as a collaborative ‘Centenary of Rotary in Australia’ project for all inner Melbourne clubs if they are interested in getting involved.
Rotary Prahran is now sponsoring the establishment of a third Emergency Relief Network in the inner Melbourne area, and Rotary Glen Eira, Malvern, Albert Park and Southbank Clubs have put their hands up to be foundation partners.
Rotary Prahran's President Susie Cole wrote: "Once we find premises we know that other Rotary Clubs will join in to support the thousands of people needing help setting up a home, whether coming out of long term homelessness, domestic violence, refugee displacement or incarceration.
We are looking for around 500m2 of warehouse floor area, with a roller door access for furniture trucks, somewhere in or around Port Melbourne, South Melbourne or similar areas, at an affordable or peppercorn rental, given this is the 'high rent district' and commercial rates of around $100,000 a year are simply not sustainable for us.
We need:
a) premises
b) financial support and/or
c) assistance with the purchase or lease of a truck with hydraulic tail gate for furniture pick ups.
We are being helped by Ross Butterworth from WERN and Ian Armstrong from EERN and have furniture donations, volunteers and clients ready to go, the missing link is the 'home'.
We would be very grateful for Rotary Melbourne's support. Bob Glindemann and Laurie Fisher are our heroes at DIK, if RIMERN could be to community service what DIK is to international service we'd be super successful!"
