JEF Takeover: Legal or Not??
We,Sydney Homeless call for The State Labor Government to immediately effect the return of Just Enough Faith to a board nominated by a full quorum of its members AND for the immediate release of an ex gratia payment to compensate for the losses and damages caused by the malicious actions of thee governments administrator.
The once crystal clear waters which were Just Enough Faith, have been muddied by a seemingly inept administrator seemingly hell bent, not on ensuring that the service survives, but on ensuring that supply lines and resources,the property of Just Enough Faith, are dissipated.
We have received assistance with advice from some qualified supporters who work in the liquidations and administration offices of a rather large international corporation. Their expressed view, using our research as well as conducting their own inquiries, is that several legal processes may have been,at best,overlooked or bypassed. They had not seen a comparable example in which the administrator could have so exceeded his terms of reference. They took us to a very simple,basic procedure in any administrative process(it was actually their first inquiry) which had not been followed. We are not making this information public at this stage, in deference to the legal advisors to the old Jef board.
The reasons for the takeover, understood to be quite unexpected by Just Enough Faith management and board members, by an administrator appointed by The Office of Gaming Lotteries and Racing, (under Minister Kevin Greene) have yet to be publicly revealed. For a government with a stated commitment to transparency, there seems an unhealthy tendency to shroud this takeover in a veil of silence. Is there a government agenda to destabilise a successful, privately funded charity, because of its success?Has there been a conspiracy by a belligerent administrator or his government department, and if so, what other agencies joined in this conspiracy? Could it be that the bar Just Enough Faith have set was percieved by the Poverty industry and the many co-dependent government departments as “too high/too costly to match?”
We understand that a group of concerned Just Enough Faith Volunteers have written to the administrator seeking answers to,among other questions, the current status of thousands of dollars worth of food owned by Just Enough Faith,which has not made its way to the foodvan.
Our group have contacted the ministers office in relation to the standard of service, and thus far received no definitive response,except that “they will look into it.”
It appears from our research that the administrator had a brief to “find out whether Just Enough Faith was financially viable.” Yet, immediately he took posession,he sent Just Enough Faiths vans to current contractor Exodus Foundation. He is also said to have emptied the considerable stocks of food JEF are known to have had on hand, destination currently unexplained. The liquidator is reported by concerned ex-JEF suppliers to have turned them away,even when they assured him that they would not bill for the service. From the reports of many disgruntled ex-JEF volunteers who refused to participate in the government controlled siezure, the administrator saw no breach of confidentiality issues associated with supplying their private contact details to their collaborator and contractor, Exodus Foundation. Some outraged volunteers clearly disagreed-they volunteered and supplied their details to independent, non religious Just Enough Faith, not christian based,government supported Exodus Foundation.These are not the actions of a person considering whether or not the organisation is still viable. They are the actions of a belligerent and vindictive person hell bent on effecting the demise of Just Enough Faith.
Why did he not keep the organisation intact?
Why did he not keep operations running from the ample kitchen and using the skilled resources of Just Enough Faith?
It is understood that the administrator, in further actions which sully the governments ostensible commitment to transparency, has quietly approached multiple not-for-profit organisations and at least one company, discussing a takeover by them of operations. It is understood that incentives in the form of government funding streams have been discussed. At least one bemused NFP person who spoke on condition of anonimity, wondered why they had been approached. We wonder whether these other organisations are simply being used to give the impression of a selective process of sorts,masking the unannounced permanent deal already made with Exodus Foundation?
Our concerns remain:
a) The quality quantity and selection of food available to patrons.
b) The inconsistency of quality. Food has run out on several occasions in the short time that Exodus has operated.
c) The deception of Just Enough volunteers who now provide free labour to a paid contractor.
d) The lack of other supporting services as provided by Just Enough Faith.
e) The replacement of an independent, non religious delivery service with a faith based, government program provider.
f) The displacement of many older clients who are no longer guaranteed a meal which they can eat.
g) Just Enough Faiths resources were assembled to benefit homeless people in Sydney… not as another stop in the government funded merry go round of services which ensures that many organisations reap the government funding often for providing no more than referral services (which one may have to wait weeks for)… we like it that way. Return Just Enough Faith to its previous administration, a new administration selected from its old volunteers or a cmbination of both.
It has been said that heaven was a perfect place until God and his disciples took over.
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sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org
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4 responses to “JEF Takeover: Legal or Not??”
tom
June 4th, 2009 at 06:21
A couple of Years ago, ICHOS ( a part of Mission Australia ) ( formerly Sydney Mission ) and part of the Uniting Church … or originally part of it…..
Organised meeting on a Sunday Morning ( organised by Hope-Street ( inner city Baptist Church) …. at those meeting various stuff was discussed, including a ICHOS staffer suggesting growing FOOD ” in the streets ” including fruit trees … nothing has happened yet …But there is now a community gardens ” unit” at Cos ( City of Sydney )…..
So, if the ICHOS ” staffer” had followed thru.. and been able to organise the ” community gardens ” maybe the supply of vegetables to ” EXEDUS / or JEF ” could have been more plentiful.
Some community gardens in Sydney raise chickens for egg + meat . There is a local community garden at Wooloomooloo, and a large community garden proposal at CALLAN PARK ( Rozelle/Balmain area )
sydneyhomeless
June 4th, 2009 at 06:25
thank you for your comments.To our knowledge JEFF had no shortage of food
On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 06:21:04 +0000, “comment-reply@wordpress.com” said: >
A concerned Sydneyite
May 27th, 2009 at 00:42
Here’s hoping that the person writing these very important articles will sign on as a member of Just Enough Faith Foundation and work with the new Board to help bring JEFF back to its former ability to provide for the homeless. Jeff Gambin’s vision is alive and well at JEFF and it needs people with insights like this to help fight for what is right and get Just Enough Faith back on the streets.
sydneyhomeless
May 27th, 2009 at 02:33
hi great email address!!! Thank you for your comments.We haven’t at all dismissed the possibility that JEFF will be resurrected.At the moment we have no concrete evidence that JEFF is indeed alive and well,or close to resurrection.We also have information that Exodus is decidedly disinterested in continuing their relationship with the administrator(I trust it wasn’t something I said?).Dependent on whom the new board is representative of, and whose view of Jef Gambins vision is being promoted we may be very interested to assist JEFF.In all but the most exceptional of circumstances(for example,government control) you may count on our support,moreso if you are ex-JEFF board and/or volunteers. Again, thanks for your comments,we will accept them as a compliment.Should you wish to pass information not for publication,just mark NFP in the subject line
On Wed, 27 May 2009 00:42:11 +0000, “comment-reply@wordpress.com” said: >