On the road with the Salvos

The Salvation Army’s Foley House provides 24-hour accommodation, case management and support for 45 residents, all of whom have been homeless and are living with disability including intellectual and physical disabilities, substance abuse issues and mental illness.
Peter: How long have you been at Foley House now?

Joffa: I’ve been there five years now and I’m on the night shift. It’s our job to keep the facilities secure, keep the residents safe, have a cup of coffee and talk about footy of course on one of the many balconies there! You know what I like about Foley House, Major Magpie? It’s a home.

Peter: When you go in there you see all the footy scarves hanging there. It’s their home and they’re proud of it.

Joffa: A conscious effort has gone into instilling a community in there. So there’s a man cave upstairs, a pool room and sporting memorabilia stuff up on the walls.

Peter: And some of the residents have been there for quite a few years?

Joffa: Some of these guys moved in when Foley House opened and many have come across from the Anchorage hostel. So you actually become quite attached to these guys and I don’t mind saying that, professionally of course, but they do become your mates. You do get connected to them, and you go to work in these people’s homes. Respect is the number one word here. It’s a wonderful facility, it’s a Salvo facility. Strong recreation program, 24 hour care, social workers there every day, and it’s just a wonderful place to work.

Peter: What’s a normal shift look like for you?

Joffa: Night shift is probably quieter than what it is during the day. At any time during the night there could just be guys wandering around. We sit down and chat to these guys, we spruce up the place a little bit in the night! And we get breakfast ready in the morning. I drive home every morning and think how lucky am I to work at such a wonderful place.

Peter: At the Salvos one of our biggest things is bringing hope to people and transforming lives.

Joffa: I’ve seen lives transformed, many times. What I like about The Salvation Army is they don’t judge. They don’t care what you were yesterday. There’s no “you’ve got to be this, before we can do this.” They’ll just pick you up at your downest—if there’s such a word— and love you and respect you, treat you with dignity and get you back on your way again.

Peter: What a privilege you have in what you do!

Joffa: Some of these guys here, they’d be just in boarding houses or rooming houses if it wasn’t for The Salvation Army. They’re safe here, and they’re happy. It’s really great.

Peter: If someone was to say to you, “Why should I give to the Salvos?”, what would you say?

Joffa: The homeless person today in the modern era we’re in, isn’t the older guy in a brown coat with a bottle of sherry wrapped up in newspaper. People of all ages can experience homelessness. There are children, teenagers, young families, all homeless, for all sorts of horrible reasons, many victims of circumstances. And we can all be victims of circumstances. I tell people we are all a fraction away from that side of the fence. The loss of a loved one, marriage breakdown. Loss of a job. Any form of personal or mental crisis. And we’re on that side of the fence. Why should you give to the Salvos? To keep doing what we’ve been talking about. I’m a big rep for the Salvos. Love the work they do. I get across all communities and they’ve still got a wonderful name, The Salvation Army.

Your generosity enables services like Foley House to transform lives and give hope.