Thank you for your support of the Mercy Foundation this year. It’s been a challenging year for many, with the cost of housing and living expenses increasing beyond the means of many people. The current housing crisis must be addressed, requiring substantial and sustained investment in social and affordable housing for at least a decade to meet demand.
Insecure, unstable, unaffordable housing imposes the greatest hardship on the lowest income groups. A stable home is the foundation we all need to live our lives well. Without a home, health, employment, education, relationships and many more aspects of our lives are damaged, resulting in much stress and hardship. That’s why all of us have a right to a home, a place to live in peace, dignity and security.
Ending homelessness is the key mission of the Mercy Foundation. We intentionally support projects that are evidence-based and focus on marginalised women and people experiencing long term homelessness. Ending homelessness restores hope and dignity and enables people to move on with their lives. Ending homelessness is possible as illustrated by the terrific work of our grant recipients over many years.
This year marks 10 years since we launched Home in a Box. Home in a Box is not only a practical contribution to help families and individuals to set up their homes after experiencing long term homelessness, it is also respectful and dignifying. You can read more about the Home in a Box project here.
The winning entries from the Mercy Youth Awards are now on our website. Please take a moment to view the fabulous artworks. Students were asked to respond to ‘what does home mean to me’ and their responses and artworks illustrate why home is so important to us all.
If you are interested in learning more about the right to housing, the Mercy Foundation with Dr Jessie Hohmann prepared a guide for civil society, to explain the right and how we can all advocate for the right to housing for everyone in our country.
The Mercy Foundation’s Social Justice Small Grants program continues to support communities across Australia to address social justice needs at the grass roots. The next grant round opens in January 2024.
Every donation is gratefully received at the Mercy Foundation. We appreciate the show of support for our work and your financial contribution enables us to positively impact on people’s lives, by funding more projects and more Homes in Boxes. I take this opportunity to thank the Mater Hospital Sydney for their generous donation to the Mercy Foundation. We share a long history with the Mater, with common values and origins. This generous donation will make a significant impact on our work.
