Claymore and Macquarie Fields: Legal Counselling and Referral Centres

Claymore and Macquarie Fields are listed as some of the poorest postcode areas in Sydney, and there is a high level of financial stress currently being experienced. The Coordinator of Legal Counselling and Referral Centres, Prue Gregory is assisted by solicitors from Minter Ellison, Marsdens and Fosters who volunteer at the centres. The work includes court appearances, representations to government agencies, legal advice and providing referrals to other agencies. The work is partly funded through CCDP.

St John’s Darlinghurst - Rough Edges Community Assistance and Partnership Program (CAPP)

CCDP has been funding CAPP for a number of years. The program funds a support team for people of the Darlinghurst/Kings Cross community as they work toward solutions to the stresses of their lives.

The team works towards the aim by:

• providing a place of welcome and safety in the Rough Edges Community Centre during the daytime opening hours
• sharing and listening to peoples’ stories in a respectful and non-judgmental way
• noticing people’s gifts, resources and strengths and helping them, whenever possible, to better recognize these themselves
• offering general counselling
• through “Emergency to Sustainability Counselling,” working with people to help them identify their own solutions and move towards these
• responding to the community’s expressed needs by:
  - referring to other St John’s services, to Anglicare Emergency Relief which will soon be situated at St John’s and to other external agencies;
  - administering the resources available to us in such a way as to reduce the pressure for those who are experiencing immediate financial and material need; and
  - facilitating projects identified by the community to be of benefit for the community.
• receiving from all members of the community their contributions to the program with acknowledgment and gratitude.

It is our hope and prayer that as the Holy Spirit empowers us to follow the example of Jesus, our clients will themselves begin to know him better and choose to enter into relationship with him themselves.