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Christi Community is an 88
bed hostel for men with a background of homelessness.
Located on 12 acres of semi rural land at Greenvale on
Melbourne's northern edge the Community has flourished and
grown since its beginnings in 1974. Originally set up by
Mother Teresa of Calcutta as a response to the isolation and
despair experienced by men living in rooming houses around
the Fitzroy and inner Melbourne areas, it still draws most
of its residents from rooming houses, public housing,
caravan parks and supported residential services.
Residents commonly have
struggled with substance abuse, mental illness and isolation
from family and society. Corpus Christi is not a
rehabilitation facility although residents are not allowed
to drink alcohol on the premises. The aim is to build
self-esteem and independence by welcoming people into the
Community, allowing them to settle and then working with
them to identify goals and ways in which they want us
to support them. The residents contribute in
practical ways to the running of the place and do much of
the day to day work.
Volunteers have always been important at Corpus Christi.
We have a range of options for volunteer involvement. What
we look for is a regular commitment even if it is only for a
couple of hours at a time. Volunteers are currently
involved in assisting with the recreation program,
personal care of incapacitated residents, driving to medical
appointments and collecting and delivering donated bread to
other homeless agencies. We are also part of a broader
Catholic homeless services network called Shekinah.
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Shekinah employs a Volunteer Co-Ordinator who facilitates
volunteer involvement in the 10 homeless services members.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of
volunteering you can contact Sheila Jordan of Corpus Christi Community on +61
03 9333 1444, or by email :
corpuscc@bigpond.net.au
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Each month we will be profiling a different
volunteer organization -