Who we are
Second Chance Programme Fund Raising Group Inc (SCP) was set up to address the distressing problem of women’s homelessness. Sadly, the need for accommodation and support for homeless women is even greater now than it was when SCP started in 2001. And the biggest increase in homelessness has been in young women between the ages of 15- 19.
SCP does not raise money to buy buildings or pay salaries. As an organisation, SCP has no building, and no paid staff. (Committee members however have secure and extensive filing systems and an exemplary record of account keeping.) Apart from the fee for public liability insurance, every cent raised by SCP is used to ‘get women off the streets’ and to help them take control of the lives.
SCP is a small committee of dedicated people committed to fund raising. Members include dale spender, Pia du Pradal, Marjorie Morton, Vicki Scott, Abby Hills, Cate Heyworth-Smith, Kathleen Noonan, Zara Sexton, Molly Hitchcock and Margo Powell.
What we do
Second Chance supports a variety of different projects to help homeless women secure a home and return to independent living. The committee assesses and monitors each project through a defined set of criteria. The committee aims to support a range of different projects that can, in their own specific ways, help women to move through at least one of the following three stages towards independent living (some projects support all three):
off the streets > support towards independence > independent living
Over 380 women who would otherwise have been sleeping rough have been housed through the SCP partnership with the Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) through the ‘bridge the gap program’. Second Chance also funds brand new furniture packages to furnish studio apartments for homeless women within the BHC complexes. Second Chance has provided 40 furniture packages to support homeless women in their move back towards independence.
Bahloo is a young women’s hostel at Buranda which cares for young, mainly indigenous, girls. Second Chance provides funding the cost of transport home if a girl wishes to be reunited with her family. 19 girls have been provided with funding for tickets home.
Second Chance funds the provision of extra support for women in need of it at the Anglican Women’s Hostel. Each year, women who are unable to contribute to the cost of their care present at the hostel.
Second Chance sponsors a room at the Najidah Refuge (that provides accommodation to women and children affected by domestic and family violence) on the Sunshine Coast. 75% of all women who have stayed in the room have broken the cycle of homelessness and moved on to sustainable independent living.
Second Chance supports St Mary’s Support and Accommodation Program that provides housing and support to single, pregnant and parenting women aged 16-25 years with children under the age of four, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Self Care Program, funded by second Chance, incorporates facilitation of different workshops, information sessions and activities aimed at giving young mothers the opportunity to grow their skills, increase self esteem and feel connected to, and participate in, their communities now and long term.
