How Taxpayers Fund #Wageslavery

   Under the guise of “helping unemployed” the Australian Federal Government continue to pay the bulk of Labour costs for some of Australia’s most parasitic bottom feeder businesses -and it costs you a bundle!! Continuing the program put in place by the pro-exploiter anti-worker then Howard Coalition Government, Rudd / Gillard Labor continue to offer (via Centrelink partners ) huge payments which effectively subsidise “employment”, often at Greenfields negotiated rates contrived before any real employees are present, for up to three months. Of course, as any capitalist thinking solely of how to maximise profit would do, at the expiry of the funded period, simply fire the no longer subsidised “worker” , ring the Job Network member and get another subsidised worker. Too easy.

  Such practices are exploitative of workers, unemployed and taxpayers alike. They do not solve unemployment rather, they at best allow manipulation of statistics by cycling already marginalised people through further degrees of marginalisation in order to gain an advantage for both the exploiter and the Job Network Agency, which receives a hefty “success” fee paid by your tax dollars courtesy of FAHSCIA -or whatever the department is called this week.    

 The practice, believed to be commonplace among minimum wage industries, is onerous for hapless workers who are often left worse off by the altered unsustainable economics. A further stab at their confidence and morale is inevitable when, usually within 2 weeks of expiration of subsidies, they are laid off- often on a pretext contrived by the employer which leaves the hapless worker penalised by Centrelink .

Housing NSW impose jail on tenants

  In a further move towards State control of people perennial parasite and consumate human rights violator Linda Burney has taken a leaf out of Nazi Germany’s population control manual and imposed it on NSW Housing tenants in the Waterloo Towers. Our informants include a couple of tenants who favour the concept and a LOT of tenants who correctly object to the draconian measures which are turning the towers into jail you pay for.

  The new regime due to be implemented from 1st January 2011 (when most lawyers and courts are on holidays) makes it mandatory for ALL TENANTS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS to provide photo ID to the security guard station which will otherwise deny access to “Waterloo Gulag.” While implemented under the disguise of “greater safety for the elderly” this Nazi measure will have the effect of monitoring peoples movements 24 hours per day into and out of the Gulag. Repressive government departments will obviously have unimpeded access to the evolving database making,for example the ongoing harassment of for example the aboriginal community by police much simpler. It will also leave youth less able to select safe places to go with child stealing NSW Communities Profiteering Partner agencies also able to use the data collected as a datum point to manufacture allegations in order to steal children.  

   These new rules by NSW Housing represent a gross invasion  of tenants privacy and their rights to the peaceful enjoyment of their tenancy. The rules are completely contrary to the rights tenants enjoy under the Residential Tenancies Act -even the watered down version implemented by anti-people Labor governments in recent years.

  While some of the tenants (even according to some a majority) apparently agree that these rules are necessary, there are a large minority who do not -and they are having these draconian invasive conditions -spying into their homes and lives- imposed against their will.

 If wider society chooses to tolerate this imposition, you can look forward to the pollicy flowing to all residential property rentals in the coming years -irrespective of political denials.

  Doubtless such rules have the support of NSW Police who think that everyone should just follow orders from their racist anglophile officers irrespective of the right or otherwise of their often anglo serving opinions given as orders. Doubtless these rules will be the direct cause of direct violence against the State Applied Fascism being imposed by Housing NSW -simply,I can’t see the security guards not getting beaten to a pulp or even shot – with very good justification.

  Most of our Sydney Homeless long term community have long ago rejected invasive intrusive government as a precondition of social housing. We see many more people leaving social housing in preference to living in Labor imposed NAZISM.

 Having heard not a peep from The Coalition or The Greens on the subject,we can only assume that they too,agree with the policy.

  This extension of the economy first -society last mindset enriches todays politicians ,empowers todays exploiters and impoverishes todays ordinary people. The mindset that governments should collude and conspire with businesses and NGOs to manage people – as fodder for the economic machine. Social housing becomes mere storage boxes for economic tools.

A Rock of Charity in an Ocean of deceit

We don’t often have anything good to say about ANY of the corporatised “charities” – especially the majors. It is widely known among the sector how and why their aims of monetising the marginalised has earned them our eternal scorn and contempt. We are more than ready and able to throw shit where it sticks and in doing so, it may be seen to reflect badly on some operators within the sector who have long been stalwart unsung heroes of the marginalised in Sydney. There are some committed people and groups within even the most monetised of the Marginalisation Sector NGO Industry and we’d like to thank one of the genuine, make it up as you go along, old school operations who have spent more days and nights providing essential services to Sydney ‘s homeless and marginalised community than the average low income family living indoors have had nourishing hot dinners in the Howard-Rudd_Gillard era. On the First Sunday evening of every month for many years now an old Nissan Urvan in Salvation Army livery with a distinctive yellow roadworks light appears outside Nicks in Woollo, then later at Martin Place and later at the railway station,sometimes even at Belmore Park. This van, staffed and supported entirely on the resources its small team manage to bring together, provides the only freely available eyesight tests-oh yes-and glasses available on the Streets. This is old school Salvos,a regrettably rare relic from bygone times when The Salvation Army were a genuine charity, not a thinly disguised business masquerading as a Not-for-Profit. This small group are from the era when Churches prayed,not prey as they do today. Over the years countless homeless,many who had long ago resigned themselves to never enjoying a good read ever again,due to government (and government funded) services being a quantum leap short of the abyss width between the rhetoric and hyperbole of government / NGO hyperbole -compared with the crushing demeaning reality of meanspirited minimalist delivery, have been quickly given a new lease of sight by this apparently cavalier but deeply committed crew of genuine stalwarts. Stalwarts whose good work is consistently being diminished by the money first antics of their associated Job Network and  parasitic family destroying Oasis divisions. Are this small band who do so much for the homeless community the last genuine Salvos?? We hope not. Now, we spend a lot of time telling people NOT to give to the poverty industry-but next time you’re approached by a Salvo check his nametag.If it says Major Hilton Harmer, open your heart,open your mind and empty your wallet.The man quietly does what all the spin & rhetoric makers can only hope to do -without the millions of your tax dollars squandered annually by the pariah poverty industry.Your money goes where its needed. To Major Harmer and his merry band of volunteers merry christmas,from a grateful SydneyHomeless community .

Ripping off HousingNSW

As NSW Government super department Human Services seeks to micromanage the lives of marginalised families and communities for Australian & NSW Governments capitalist ideal -the Wageslave Farm, the ripoffs of your taxpayers dollar continue unabated from the leaky sieve of NSW Governance. HousingNSW is the States biggest residential property landlord (by residential properties leased) and now,it seems, HousingNSW is also the States largest residential tenant.

We’ve been aware of the distance between both Federal and State budget appropriation figures for social housing – huge budgets, which shrink inexplicably when measured against the actual social housing incomes. Inexplicably if one uses prevailing market prices as guidance of housing unit acquisition.

But the Treasury geniuses in Canberra and MacQuarrie St are no longer just  buying properties, in their ingenuity, they have decided to burden taxpayers for the longer term with recurrent rental arrangements -arrangements which are sure to drive residential property prices ever skyward as the ever greedy investors continue to buy borderline habitable properties to rent for maximum market rental to the gullible minions of NSWHousing.

Rort a)

How it works:

NSW Housing have selected realtors in a closed market arrangement, as area providers of rental properties. These realtors are supposed to charge NSWHousing “80% of market rent” but with no quantification of a formula by which to calculate market rent.Simple.Property “real” market rent is $450 per week. Agency advertises property for rent at $650,minus 20%, thats $520 per week- an  actual $70 above market payment.

What should be happening: (assumes HousingNSW should be renting,another issue completely)

• All available rental properties in an area should be considered, not just the stock held by one,or a particular group of realtors.This would include direct owner-to-department rentals.
• Properties would be selected on the basis of value as HousingNSW needs to accumulate stock.
• A price cap per area would be applied on the basis of property configuration,and the last months rentals across the area (based on security bond lodgements).Rental would be 80% of that figure.
• All properties to be pre-inspected professionally for health safety and maintenance compliance.

Following confidential discussions with a current realtor employee, we can say that this agent consistently engages in this pricing duplicity.This agent even has a related party purchase properties which are on-sold within months on to grateful new investors,at a reasonable profit to the realtor related parties.

On the basis of rents notified to tenants, cross referenced to Real Estate .com.au and Domain.com.au , we have found that actual rents paid by the department are consistently higher than the average for the area -not the “80% pf market value we are led to believe” and the properties we visited are invariably below average in appearance, badly located,and sometimes badly maintained compared to the area norm.Of the 48 properties used in our sample,just two,in the Newcastle area appeared at below “market rental.” A further online archive search of the properties concerned showed that many properties leased for $100 or more per week less a mere 6 months previously.1 property was rented to House-O for $220 more than last advertised.

Our concern is for the gross waste of taxpayers funds,and also that those funds could buy much better value, while not driving private housing purchase and rental affordability beyond the reach of even workers and working families.

Rort b) This ones even better:

HousingNSW also rents ‘temporary accommodation’. I don’t know whether they actually check the quality liveability or fair pricing of these temporary accommodation solutions, and I’m sure the majority are properly priced and maintained – but some clearly are not.

We have had many homeless men and women-even family groups-prefer to sleep on the streets when faced with the unsanitary, unhealthy or illegally dangerous accommodation solutions HousingNSW pro-offer as Temporary emergency accommodation.

The cockroach infestations and bedbugs many report from Wesley Mission owned Edward Eagar Lodge in Surry Hills are comparative non issues. Naked electrical wiring, rising damp, stinking carpet, filthy urinals, syringes, and inappropriate management or staff behaviours are the norm- coupled with “terms and conditions” which state that HousingNSW will not assist you further “if you do not get along with the landlord.”

The ripoff?? $460 per week for a single smelly room which many have walked out of in disgust. Double that if 2 people occupy the room.

Several properties have been notified to us but none as often, or as loudly, as Tivoli Accommodation 205 Cleveland St
Redfern NSW. Owned since 2002 by JU’NEE PROPERTIES PTY. LTD. & TIVOLI DEVELOPMENTS PTY. LIMITED,We have received reports concerning this hellhole,which HousingNSW has no qualms in sending junkies and young families to co occupy,since 2003.Its remarkable that none of these people who have complained to us have not complained to HousingNSW,and even more remarkable that, if they had, HousingNSW still persist in sending people there. We are continuing our checks to try to understand more fully the precise relationship between HousingNSW , its officers, The NSW Labor Party and the above identified businesses and their proprietors. The place makes Fawlty Towers look downright respectable and Smoky Mountain look hygenic.

Our checks of several other motel/guest type accommodations we are aware of reveal that these premises are rented at advertised peak market rates. WOTIF and several other booking engines all confirm the same price. I wonder how many millions of your hard earned Tax Dollars evaporate in practices like these?? Shonky businesses & cohorts ripping of Housing NSW -willingly or not,Housing NSW ripping off the Taxpayer Homeless & Marginalised

How City of Sydney and NSW Govt drive #Wageslavery

The City of Sydney recently changed rubbish contractors, with Transurban subsidiary URM the successful bidder.Transurban immediately offered the previous contractors collections staff jobs-with longer hours-for $200 per week less pay. They were reportedly using fewer trucks as well meaning harder work for fewer staff on less money. With the ever escalating property values in Sydney, goes an ever rising pool of council rates. We note that most City Councillors are on salaries in several multiples of the wages the City Garbos get. Is the councillors job really that much more important? If you think so, contact us,with your phone number and address and we’ll arrange for your rubbish to be left for a month.If you haven’t changed your mind by the months end you’re right and we’re wrong.

The City of Sydney and NSW State Government BOTH need to ensure that staff employed by new contractors are paid the same,or better wages than paid by the previous contractor.

before the Liberal/Labor orchestra of empathy commences its chorus of approval … Sydneys Local Electricity Underground Maintenance is subcontracted,largely to a company called Subakette. They in turn use a contractor called Australian Traffic Management to provide Traffic Control Services. I’ve taken to meeting and greeting these companies crews, and in 2 years have yet to find an Australian Citizen.Most are Irish or Pommy Backpackers. Paid,ultimately,by Taxpayers dollars -that would be your money.Many of our homeless community have Traffic Control Tickets, but those who have called have all met a polite but firm refusal. Why are State Government Corporations hiring only backpackers? Is that what the stimulus package was intended to fund??

We advocate for #payequity – equitable sustainable pay capable of supporting and advancing the worker in the area where they are working.Not the wageslavery rates Howard finessed, Rein profited from and Rudd kept.

City of Sydney

Many of the City of Sydneys ratepayers depend on a pool of surplus low cost labour.The Hospitality, retail and many service industries provide many examples of such labour requirements. The City would accumulate a developer funded (tax deductible) pool of owned properties, whose maintenance could be undertaken by Council Works. They should also gain control of State owned social housing in their catchment.

With the many wageslavery reliant exploiter employers in Sydney City, the City of Sydney has a duty of care to ensure that those workers have choices of affordable and appropriate properly maintained housing within The City of Sydney Catchment. This could be implemented in every council area by making developers (residential commercial & industrial) contribute to a social housing fund.

Federal Government;

We call on the Federal government to impose a punitive tax on investment residential properties, which would drive home ownership; and a progression plan towards a mix of owned and social housing only. No investment residential properties.

Federal Government should also take over administration of State Tenancy and Property Law. 1 law for all Australia.

The Case of SydneyHomeless Youth vs The Minister for DOCs

Sydney Homeless Youth Wing report swelling numbers of Homeless Youth in the Sydney CBD – in situations where its too late for us to help. Many are dropping out of school and unsurprisingly turning to selling drugs, doing “earns” or “fissicking”- as a means of survival. The reasons for this rejection of “values” are stunningly simple. Summarised in one word. #Wageslavery. Multinational conglomerates and some of the largest Australian public companies make an art form of exploiting young people-made to work like slaves for pittance payments, which government assist these vulture businesses to enforce. Many working youth are forced to couch surf as do many of Sydneys homeless workers.The billions of dollars they declare as profit in their inevitably glowing annual reports are the nett result of Systematic wageslavery – controlled by callous Governments both Liberal-Coalition and Labor at State and Federal levels.

A major failure of the

The SydneyHomeles Youth Wing has a growing pool of young adults who successfully reconnected with their communities.As luck would have it, a few come from communities- neglected comunities – in the NSW Human Services / NSW Communities / DOCs Minister Linda Burney’s electorate. They have put the suggestion forward that they campaign against Minister Linda Burney in … and are resourcing to do so. They,along with their friends and supporters, will campaign I believe with friends who have been in DOCs care… and are willing to tell their stories, gag orders or not.

For those (of any age) wishing to join the

“Canterbury: Sack Linda Burney as your MP”

campaign please get in touch via this post comments, or via @SydneyHomeless on Twitter.

We especially encourage ex-DOCs case-workers, case-managers, Parents and ex-DOCs-Care people to submit their DOCs horror story – for use as a public information tool.Names will only be used with your permission.

Gambins good news….& Weekly Update

Gambin good news…and weekly update…and proof of Teles misreporting

The good news is that the Gambins now have no further legal issues going forward.The traffic offence type tax misdemeanour resulted in a judgement involving payment of $119 in court costs-NOT $22000 restitution as falsified by the Tele. 

 The beginning of the end is nigh for the anticipated benefactors of the  orchestrated litany of lies conspiratorially concocted by John Oliver and his underlings, brewed by the media and cooked by Exodus in collaboration with NSW Govts OLGR. Well peepz, we can now report that their resulting concoction is an inedible goulash-similar to some of the main meals recently served up. It may well pain those greedy parties who thought that they would become the prime benefactors following their engineered demise of Just Enough Faith- but its time for you all to suck it and see!!

Homeless Services Leaders Jef and Alina Gambin

Contrary to false mainstream media reports in the Tele, which we attribute to a one eyed apology for a journo who happens to be a neighbour to one of the conspirators and Tele employee, Jef and Alina DID NOT have to pay $22000 in Taxes- heres a letter from their lawyer stating as much- http://jefvolunteers.org/sol_email.html  (suck it & see)_posted on the JEF Volunteer website, which explains the full outcome of Jef and Alinas case. There are severe penalties,including disbarment, for lawyers knowingly making false statements, and in any case, why would their lawyer lie?

 You will note by comparison of the outcome of these proceedings as related by Jade Lawyers, with the mainstream media stories, that they may well be discussing two completely different cases. The mainstream media published fabrications are clearly an unrestrained personal attack on Jef Gambin and vindictive attempt to excorcise the demon that Just Enough Faith had become for pseudo-charities and an incompetent State Government- carried out as a pack of unchecked, unrestrained dogs. The presiding magistrates ruling and recognition of the inadvertent misdemeanour nature of the “offence” relating to tax, and the lawyers statement as to a lack of further proceedings, is clearly at odds with the media beatup. Clearly, News Ltd drove the media coverage and it seems ay well be called to answer for what have now been confirmed as their indiscretions. As, we hope, should other parties to this despicable conspiracy.

John Oliver has put his name to the unlawful removal of certain documents from JEF offices. Exodus and the OLGR e their so far unpublished MOU, and undoubtedly an unwritten agenda. Exodus thought they were going to get Jef assets, which were donated to a non faith based charity, not a church- for the provision of services to SYDNEY HOMELESS, not Ashfield or even Lilyfield (although they are welcome at JEFs corner. We understand that Jef Gambin

Just Enough Faith ....Perfectly Simple and Effective

thought as much of Olivers grand plan for JEF, as luckless investors now think of his Babcock & Brown. Jef being Jef, he would have told him so. Apparently Oliver has issues with all kinds of rejection- we’re told its treatable.

  Micro businessman Alan Byrne has also proudly pinned his name to his own little treacheries- his is understood to be the sole allegation of financial misconduct upon which the OLGR is acting…based on published information. An FOI request would soon reveal precisely what complaints or perhaps requests, OLGR may be acting on. 

   In sifting through the carnage created by the malicious, there are some worrisome features. On the basis of the information which we have,we are unable to fathom where and how the OLGR have legitimacy to place JEF in administration- unless there is further information available to lawyer for parties to the issue, which we are not privy to.Clearly, two of the most respected minds in the legal profession concurred that there ARE GROUNDS-and we must respect their view. Our legals, who are not parties, cannot fathom what the information we are missing may be! As we continue to sift and attempt to find answers, we have found some references by public commentators to issues and facts not widely known. In the days of clay drainage pipes,drainers would pump smoke through newly completed pipeworks, smoke would rise from all flawed pipes and joins.We are about to conduct our own version of smoke testing, and hope to have conclusive evidence to share sooner rather than later.

However legitimate the siezure of JEF by OLGR may be, it is equally clear that the administrator has virtually from the outset, acted in contravention of his mandate.The OLGRs maestro of administration incompetence in his inimitably duplicitous way, has put about that “the Jef Vans are only on loan to Exodus.Exodus obviously don’t think so,they immediately set about wrecking the carefully thought out food service system in JEFS main foodvan, and substituted it with the yellow monstrosity at a reportedly outrageous rental, reportedly from a friend of someone in the Exodus office(nice, legal rort).Certainly NOT the actions of a recipient of loaner vehicles. In addition, we believe that the high priest of administrative incompetence hired in a “technician” who stuffed the coolroom, providing a pretext to legitimise the transfer of all frozen/refrigerated foodstocks, of which we understand much was dumped by Exodus.

In short,our strongest advice to volunteers, JEF people and anyone else associated with Just Enough Faith approached by the administrator is that any and all instructions/orders/ made by him should be in writing- and then check with lawyers to assess their legitimacy. If you don’t have legal advice available,we do.Verbal instructions,suggestions and orders have as much legal standing as the wind entering his mouth and blowing his tongue around,are little more than verbal diahhorea and should be treated with the scorn which they so richly deserve.

 So you thought JEF and the Gambins were gone for all money??? Wrong bet!!! This is merely a further opportunity to develop a leaner,cleaner organisation, with an even greater focus on exemplary service delivery to the Sydney Homeless and Marginalised community.

 And all you pseudo charities and govt departments who “legitimately” milk revenues in the name of marginalised communities, while feathering your organisational self interest, SydneyHomeless suggest that you watch out for the runaway freight train we are driving- hell bent on ensuring that we maximise returns to marginalised communities from EVERY DOLLAR VALUE donated…..by whatever means necessary.

News on Jef Gambin

Our information regarding the status of Mr Jef Gambins legal matters and those of Alina Gambin are somewhat different to those borderline defamatory comments published by the Murdoch Media Sunday. Our source, who claims to have attended the actual hearing, swears on a stack of Books of Mormon that Mrs Gambin had her matters withdrawn and Jef had a misdemeanour sized fine of < $150…and no conviction recorded.

  A further witness who spoke to us shed some light on probable cause for the local Murdoch Media Rag to mount such a prolonged and vicious personal attack on Jef Gambin. Turns out that the journalist responsible for these articles is known to the sole complainant to the OLGR.This source,who was able to provide full and correct details of the complainant, his business dealings, his history and reputation and a claim that he was mentally unstable.  And whom one of his neighbours is- a News Ltd journalist!! We have checked out and verified some details given by our source and drawn the conclusion there is sufficient truth in the informants account (and no detail tested incorrect) for us to reasonably conclude that these allegations have merit.

 The Telegraph have persistently pressed the unsubstantiated allegations that Jef gambled JEF Foundation Funds. In this rendition of their tale they quote an amount of $250,000. Gee!!! They sat there and counted? How DID they arrive at this figure? Jeffs office tell them, perhaps? Or now struggling flooring contractor Alan Byrne with his own financial and other problems? Did John Oliver do the rithmitik before he removed bank statements without permission or authorisation? Or did the tele just make it up? Their published figure has varied wildly. And their ongoing personal attack on Jef has really upset a lot of people in the Gambling Addiction Recovery Field who are unanimous in their view that an attack on a gambler is an attack on a person who is gravely ill. An unconsiencably low act. We add that we are sure Jef Gambin DID NOT gamble JEF funds(the majority of which he and Alina Gambin contributed anyway, and that the sole reason for him drwaing money at that ATM is that it is the closest to JEFs Rozelle facilities with decent parking arrangements.We went out there and looked. It is the closest ATM to Jefs Rozelle facility.  

 On 12th September 2008, SMH reported (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/judy-davis-awarded-150000-damages/2008/09/12/1220857797110.html?sssdmh=dm16.334392 ) Actress Judy Davis’s $150,000 defamation win against News Ltd for implying that she had behaved unreasonably and selfishly in relation to a development near her residence.

 Then ABC reported http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200309/s943818.htm  about an eye surgeon whom they also falsely claimed was negligent.

Then,in 1996 Multiple the infamous “Class We Failed” case against The Daily Telegraph saw 28 students from the
1996 Mt Druitt HSC class successfully sue the newspaper for defamation.

 In fact a veritable highway of defamation actions have been successfully prosecuted against this publication stretching back to 1908. The Tele is NOT known for its commitment to journalistic integrity.It is known for publishing sensationalist attention grabbing half truths and the same devil may care attitude to people shown by its owner Murdoch in his dealings with UK staff of his first Fleet Street rag.

NSW Labor Strategy Exclusive

Few would accuse the NSW Labor Party of having a strategy,but we do.

In this exclusive report SydneyHomeless reveal for the first time the brilliant strategies of the ever forward thinking NSW Labor Party.The steely resolve of Sussex St.(who may have secretly recruited John Howard as strategic advisor) is nigh unbreakable. At the coalface,valiant NSW Labor Cabinet and members unite leaving no stone unturned in their quest to sieze the opposition benches at the next NSW State elections.

Because the NSW Liberal Party have no discernable policies leadership or clear support base, Labor will prove a formidable foe in the battle for opposition. Looking further afield it seems that the Gordon Moyes christian right, independents and Greens are blissfully unaware of this strategy. Indeed our attention was only drawn to the brilliance of this unusual strategy courtesy of the different approach applied by NSW Labor on the second last day of the past sitting of parliament, when the only minister in the upper house left, enabling the speaker to close for business a day early. It may well be that the combined Labor/Coalition eforts to gain/retain the opposition benches may well force the Greens and independents to take the government benches while Labor and Liberals sort out their squabble.

 We initially treated the information that Howard had been recruited as suspect, but our attention was drawn to two important factors.Tripodi and Della Bosca-they stop at nothing,no stoop too low,to get their own way. And why wouldn’t Howard sell out the Liberal Party? He spent three terms in office selling Australia out to America.

 The NSW Labor strategic direction is said to be driven by complex polling personally commissioned by OLGR and Sports Minister Kevin Greene,touted as the post election opposition leader-in-waiting.Greene has moved early and decisively in the race to alienate public opinion. His introduction through the Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing of the Fun Police effectively turned our once vibrant and thriving nightclubs and pubs into crosses between morgues and mausoleums, with even weeding and function venues forced to toe the sterile line or risk loss of licences and fines.

 Police operating under this Greene inspired legislation recently evicted a man from Wests Campbelltown for high fiving( cited as evidence that he was drunk). He was black as well so theres another reason,police just couldn’t say so. And the two barstaff were fined.Greene has ensured that funding for an election campaign will not flow from clubs hotels Clubs NSW or the Australian Hotels Association.

And the OLGRs malicious and illegal attack on micro charity Just Enough Faith ensures that not one person with a social conscience, or respect for legal process will vote State Labor. Kevin Greene must have consulted Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels records prior to his media release, and the following disinformation campaign perpetrated by his hireling, administrator Chris Jones. Greene must also have acquired the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler manual for following legal process as a guide for Chris Jones administration process.

 Following in the wake of wannabe leader-of -the opposition-Greene is wannabe deputy-leader-of-the-opposition Linda Burney, whose DOCs department thinks that the community it is charged with protecting is the community of its workforce. This department, redefined as the Family Police in the aftermath of the Woods report, is now a purely persecutory division whose agenda is to force families to adopt anglo christian values, while paying tokenist lipservice to multiculturalism. Cultural pluralism doesn’t exist never mind multiculturalism. Linda Burney might have noticed this in her previous incarnation as DG Aboriginal Affairs.Linda Burney is really onto a winner here in ensuring no self respecting ethnic family member, or discerning member of the general public will vote State Labor.

 The word is that in addition to wanting to sell off several police stations and other public buildings, the Rees Government have quietly hatched a secret plan to sell off the part of Callan Park not already occupied by the University for a private development of a gated enclave for the Mega Rich. It is understood that with the new charities legislation awaiting enactment, the DG of the department alone can order a charitable trust wound up,which they plan to do with Callan Park. This would be a powerful extra reason to rid the park of the embattled Just Enough Faith. It is said that this sale, along with that of power assets police stations and there is mention of Sydney Water as well as The Sydney Foreshore Authority, are regarded by Premier Rees as must-dos. There will be widespread voter dissatisfaction and disillusionment and great satisfaction within the Labor Caucus.

 And Nathan Rees has added his in his own inimitable style to the sterling efforts of his team to dislodge themselves from government-by creating a right pickle out of bottled water. Who would have thought that our inexperienced overworked premier had the time or resources to spare to carefully research this amazing policy.The scientific justification for the policy is breathtaking!!! Who would have known that the bottled water industry is actually such a high contributor to the carbon footprint-apparently, as the premiers careful research has obviously shown, more carbon positive than carbonated softdrinks,for example-or alcohol. We would have thought that the transportation of the multiple ingredients involved in the manufacture of softdrinks and alcohol would leave a much higher carbon footprint but we can’t argue with the premiers carefully researched science.

  And on the question of footprints, and science, we understand that it is scientifically questionable to follow just one set of footprints,when there are many others in the vicinity. Police forensics could perhaps advise the premiers department on this if they weren’t sure whom to ask. For example, the health footprint leads the casual observer to the view that softdrinks and alcohol are bigger contributors to issues in that area than bottled water. Then there is the moral equity footprint. The community of Bundanoon actually voted to ban bottled water in their town because a company wants to take their water,truck it to Sydney,then sell it back to them in bottled form-Of course State Government owned Sydney Water takes our Sydney water, puts it in leaky grime filled pipes and sells it back to us. Team Rees is advised to consider other footprints in the area of any issue-merely following the most likely may have the undesired effect of catapulting NSW Labor way past the opposition benches and off the abyss into oblivion.

DOCs on Homelessness

NSWDocs on #Homelessness

This is a link to a DOCS publication which paints a glossy image of “how things could be.”

In response to the blinkered Wood Inquiry with its unfortunately narrow terms of reference the NSW State Government have with their typical incompetence revamped their delivery of the incongrously named Childrens Services to further protect their miserable department while exacerbating the opportunity for harm to families and children to occur. DOCs have now become a focussed inquisitorial and persecutory institution by definition, with their surrogates now having the dual and unenviable roles of providing care downstream of DOCs family persecution machine while having their DOCs personal data collection mechanisms finetuned. In a stunning slap in the face for aboriginals and ethnic communities, NSW Police, known as the most Anglocentric and latently racist government department, have been given an extended role with children, and greater opportunities to persecute families who do not conform to the Anglocentric agenda they call Australian. And beleagured teachers and educators are also scrambling to resource schools with the skills to provide the additional responsibilities foisted upon them, while at least privately many denounce the stupidity of effectively undermining marginalised ethnic and indigenous community confidence in education systems. 

We have ongoing evidence of adolescents hiding in abject fear of being discovered by DOCS, and with excellent reasons. DOCS are consistently responsible for so much harm to children and irrepairable damage to families that the only option for a NSW government with conscience is to shut it down.We don’t know how Linda Burney can sleep at night,knowing the real disasters her department continues to perpetrate particularly against aboriginal communities.

 As Sydney Homeless struggle to provide the small amount of assistance we can to the few families we can, we are confronted nightly with the reality of NSW government and DOCs social engineering policies. We are confronted with the end results of their systematic interference often collusively with others in families and communities where they have no capability to assist.

 DOCS Minister Linda Burney is a career bureaucrat. Her approach to successfully dealing with the issues growing from the fertile gardens of failed government policies is to implement further policies ripe for failure.

 SydneyHomeless cannot guarantee the safety of minors attending at the foodvans or their families wellbeing, due to the potential for incursions by DOCs and its agents and the inevitable disastrous downstream consequences thereof. We advise any homeless families to send adults or over 15s to the foodvan, and ask around among the homeless community as to resources.Do not ask at the foodvans directly.

Jobs for Marginalised?

SMH at http://www.smh.com.au/national/disadvantaged-workers-dispel-myth-about-lack-of-ambition-20090706-dais.html detail an interesting study. Commissioned by the Brotherhood of St Laurance, onetime home of  Workchoices architect Patrick McClure, the study concludes that many of Australias marginalised are aspirational, and implies that further casework is the pathway to achieving this. Yet another example of a large influential business posing as a charity, seeking to create further opportunities for itself and other like parties to maintain their relationship with their income generator units(that would be us). They use as a reason the fact that a large percentage of marginalised do not remain in employment for three months or more. There are good simple reasons for this. The slave labor environment foisted on marginalised people by these government Job Network service providers  is economically mentally and sometimes physically exploitative. The minimum wage is totally out of sync with the spiralling costs associated with maintaining a basic lifestyle.Often workers have to spend a large percentage of their meagre income on costs directly associated with their employment, such as recurring fuel and car running costs where some employers require workers to have a vehicle. The few tax deductible expenses left for workers are not directly available to the worker ,who the tax system treats as a interest free lending service to the government. Often, these untenable conditions are exacerbated by draconian workpractices which are borderline in OHS compliance due to the stress placed on workers by draconian management practices. And excessive profits for the employer. In short the failed and discarded Workchoices model addressed the needs of industry for well trained dirt cheap labour. The Job Network Industry and its surrogates were not heard once advocating for better pay or conditions for workers, in words louder than a whimper, but were known to have been party to the creation of awards in connivance with employers which minimised worker rewards. It might come as a huge surprise to the slave labour operating Bentley drivers of this world, but people do not go to work on the basis of creating huge profits for you while running further into debt personally. And when people grow exhausted with this government supported , NGO managed tyranny they will simply take what they perceive as rightfully theirs. 

  We categorically reject the Job Network Model as worthy of survival while its role remains with only the words changed.We categorically reject the status quo which is that people organisations and a culture which have for so long been a root cause, and even beneficiary, of the perceived problem, should or could be part of the solution. Its like discussing the solutions to Aids with the disease.

Confidence builds for JEF Return

Support for JEF’s in our opinion imminent return to their rightful control of the organisation we know and trust remains rock solid among homeless, and key supporters are noticeably enlivened by the latest developments. Anticipating a return of control, we are already looking at fundraising strategies to keep the operations liquid. The current situation is that Just Enough Faith,once returned to the control of its members, may still not have the right to solicit donations in NSW. However, there is nothing stopping us,or any other party,soliciting on their behalf, and they are still registered as tax exempt with the tax office. We ask that all potential donors NOT DONATE IMMEDIATELY, but register their intention to do so with us at

sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org. While we will simply pass this information to JEF, we want to ensure that it is we, not they who are soliciting the donations on to their organisation.

 We want absolute transparency in this process and to be clear that we are acting entirely of our own initiative, and that Just Enough Faith are at this stage blissfully unaware of this solicitation. For Legal reasons.

 The unrequited need from the marginalised community has never been as evident of a winter as it is this year. And the NSW government continues to drive its submarine with the softtop down, affecting not to see as has been the case for the past 16 years. 

 We the Sydney Homeless Community will not stand idle to watch our most essential service destroyed by a government hell bent on driving developers property values up by driving us out of town. Nor will we stand and watch our key service provider destroyed, because they and many genuine supporters saw and fulfilled a genuine, ongoing community need.

 And we remain rock solid behind Jeff and Alina Gambin, separately from the JEF organisation. They are like the family many of us never had,and we,the street, do not turn our backs on family.

Words without Deeds are a Garden of Weeds

 We have, we believe, given ample opportunity to the poverty industry and its State government sponsors to come to the party, to hear our proposals for resolving long-term homelessness. Their deafening silence punctuated only by DOCs Minister Linda Burneys espousement of tired government/poverty industry driven policy lacking in direct target  group consultation.

 We knew that they were discussing these very important (to us) matters on the 19th and 30th June, and MLA Sylvia Hale (Greens) actually invited her to meet with us on the issues which concern us. She offered a meeting with her department on her agenda terms. Well, we regarded it as a bit like finding a cure for aids. When the medical profession developed drugs to combat aids, they didn’t consult the disease- and we do not need to go to antartica to know its cold there. Her agenda and her departmental minions are the singular most common cause of homelessness and marginalisation in NSW. A common story of the men on the Streets today is coming home from work to find wife has a

IDENTIFY ACT WIN

 brand spanking new court order banning him from the house he paid for and sometimes, even a brand new bf, who tell him hes not allowed in the house he paid for- all arranged by DOCs on the often manufactured allegations of a bored housewife whose real reasons are her new bf or sometimes the idea that a single parents pension is a good idea. Between 5 and 10 percent of men on the streets at any one time are in this category. Ms Burney has had her chance, and as alluded to previously we can now confirm that we will be taking strong action, in defense of our Jefs Corner Foodvan service, and in defence of Just Enough Faith as the rightful and illegally siezed service provider.That action will commence this week, and progressively escalate from there. 

  A series of actions will be revealed this week aimed at stabilising and maintaining our foodvan service at the levels which the founder of the Jefs Corner Foodvan Service established.

 This service has not only fed up to 600 people per night, but also, by providing wholesome, nutritious selections, driven the Poverty Industry Meal Services to  upgrade their shameful minimalist services, only providing half decent meals when media were present.An average of 190 people eating every night at the foodvan would indicate that it provides an esential service. Where else would homeless women and children, and even Youth off the Streets Don Bosco Hostel charges eat?

 We invite all local and the entire homeless and marginalised community in NSW to come and eat at the Jefs Corner Foodvan Site 8-30 p.m. every night corner of Yurong Parkway and St Marys St. Thats Straight below the St Marys Cathedral (bottom of the hill). And stay a while, right here in Sydney 2000, home of the homeless.

Homeless Happenings-Govt driven loss of services.

also today

Updated “Parallel Universe” story https://sydneyhomeless.wordpress.com/nsw-docslinda-burney-in-parallel-universe/

Brothel Owner sides with DoCS https://sydneyhomeless.wordpress.com/brothel-owner-drug-dealers-support-docs-minister/

Urgent Call for Community Support; https://sydneyhomeless.wordpress.com/donations-and-support-urgently-required-by-homeless/

Elect Sydneys Homeless Ambassador; https://sydneyhomeless.wordpress.com/elect-sydneys-homeless-ambassador/

An anarchic group of homeless people and supporters are looking at setting up a semipermanent camp in a crossover of modelling between Brazils Favelas and Canberras Aboriginal Tent embassy. Among the sites under consideration is said to be the Sydney Domain area directly across the street from the parliamentary dining facility, affording DoCS minister Linda Burnie, Housing Minister and Gaming and Lotteries Minister Kevin Greene a reverse goldfish bowl opportunity to observe the impact of their policies at street level, while they feast at the largesse of taxpayers.

 As the whole of government approach continues to increase the surpluses (in combined government funding corporate sponsorships and donations) among service providers, as demand increases at street level across Greater Sydney, the accessible services for homeless and marginalised people diminishes.

 And as the State and Federal governments, and their NGO/NFP/Business partners apply ever more coercive strategies to force marginalised people to drive earnings for increasingly bottom line focussed charities the dillema for Homeless and Marginalised people is reminiscent of the Victorian Bushfires Fiasco; “Run and Hide” or “Stay and Fight.” Now we are NOT about to compare the Victorian Fire Authorities with the NSW Government. It would be  totally unfair on the Victorian Fire Authorities.

 When the going gets tough,the tough get going.

 Wesley Mission, who have according to their own account been a service provider since the 1820s, have recently closed their much used and now lamented meals service at the Edward Eagar Lodge in Surry Hills.This important service provided an important link in the food and social fabric of the inner city’s burgeoning street community sector which is afflicted by mental health issues. Wesley Mission have seemingly chosen to reject the coalface of need in line with government strategy, with their strategy shifting to SAAP modelling in which Marginalised people accessing their services become long term income generators, trapped in isolation from their foster kinship communities in the isolation of such facilities as The Noreen Towers Centre in Liverpool. With an inbuilt DoCS and Mental Health spying program which clients are not told exists and can be used against them in any future proceedings various arms of government, or Wesley Mission itself may choose to institute. A dangerous radical extension of these policies; Person with assets is diagnosed as “mentally incompetent”, so Wesley get to determine where their assets go. Or any other SAAP.

 We are astounded to find that Mission Beat, that innovative corporately funded income generator unit of Charity/NFP/Business Mission Australia,which recently announced a mobile bike patrol service, no longer run their van services, which for many years took drunks and drug affected people off the streets to the relative safety of drunk tanks and detox units, no longer operates full time- and the hours which they have cut out include weekend nights, which everyone except Mission Australia knows is the most critically underserviced time frame, and arguably when the risks are highest-when the going gets tough,the tough get going.Long gone is the unlamented Swanton Lodge, a Sydney City Mission run pigsty which nevertheless did provide emergency beds. Of course, Mission Australias ex CEO, and the ex head honcho of Perth City Mission, was credited as the architect of Howard/Costellos marginalised services reform, ramming the slave labour Workchoices program down the throats of the community, and coercing the population to work for pittances which actually saw workers families worse off than ever. And of course, as a contractor to the Australian government Mission Australia did exceedingly well-financially. The whole notion of mutual responsibility as espoused by this series of invasive programs is morally flawed. Mutual responsibility pre-existed the Howard definition and is the fundimental basis of the Social Security system. When you work or generate income, you pay tax, so that when you don’t, the government picks up some of your costs. Thats mutual obligation. Howard and his cronies simply created an extra and onerous set of obligations which created massive new revenue streams for Mission Australia, and other FACS/DEETYA contractors, and a pool of among the most ineptly trained jobless in the world.

 We found out about Missionbeat not operating 24 hours only when we rang on behalf of a drug/alcohol affected guy who ended up being attended to by ambulance officers-and they arrived almost before we called,well done, AMBOs. We fully support NSW AMBOs and if they have a tenfold increase in funding we will applaud the orchestrators of that decision- we just don’t see anyone in NSW Labor who has the balls to do it. Ambos don’t get paid enough and their service is underfunded.FIX IT!!!.

 And joining (or encouraging) the throng at the exit gates is the Marie Antoinette of NSW Labor, Linda Burney, who thinks that 50,000 people who are homeless every night over the next ten years don’t need any government assistance…. and Ms Burnies response to MP Sylvia Hales question ; http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/18101dc36b638302ca257146007ee41a/87903a78de63f12cca2575b5002ec64b!OpenDocument in which she states; “The City of Sydney and the Department of Community Services have been working together on a range of strategies with day programs and food services to increase coordination and integration of programs to ensure homeless people are assisted out of the homelessness cycle rather that sustained in sub-standard conditions.” We are not sure that Sydney City are in agreement with this.

In NSW Parliament this week, in fact, there has been a committee sitting to discuss Homelessness and Low Cost accommodation. Once again, the parliamentary committee will spend weeks considerng the views and objectives of the very poverty industry operatives who have benefitted from a plethora of social programs concocted and connived by an array of Federal and State governments since federation. Well, our research shows that in fact homelessness is a lifestyle which predates federation. We know that the current generation of submitters to the State and Federal Government policy committees will drive more earnings for their NGOs. Thats what happens when you try to solve a problem by listening to those whose financial wellbeing is dependent upon the problem continuing to exist? A nice, cosy arrangement where the relevant ministers increase their power, and the relevant NGOs increase their earnings. Where are the benefits to marginalised communities and people? You will have to ask the perpetrators of this travesty, because marginalised people don’t see them-just the scraps from the well fed at the welfare table.

 (We base the above calculation on the prime minister,Mr Rudds figures, which indicate 105,000 homeless every night nationwide, and a goal of reducing this by 50% by 2020. We think he has grossly underestimated the figure, and many from various branches of social services privately agree. But we will use it. And use conservative accounting principles in all our calculations,as we do.)

 If Ms Burnie is Marie Antoinette, then Minister Kevin Greene of the OLGR surely deserves to the title of Guy Fawkes for his role and stonewalling in the demise of Just Enough Faith. And we would not have a view if he were in fact treated like Guy Fawkes; at least Sydney homeless may be able to keep warm for a while at the bonfire!!!

 By the same definitions, we see John Oliver,Tim Buckley or Alan Byrne architects of the demise of Just Enough Faith, as  Pinnochio Goofy and Mickey Mouse… the three advisors whom the mainstream media based and OLGR based their trial and execution of Just Enough Faith and Jef Gambin on.

 And,we confidently predict that the Lazarus in this story will be Jef and Alina Gambin, who will again take their rightful place at the head of the homeless and community table, analysing for and servicing the immediate needs of Sydneys Homeless and Marginalised community, because Governments and their feeding frenzy of baitfish NGO contractors won’t.

A likely story, John Oliver!!!

John Oliver is the multimillionaire retired bigwig from Babcock & Brown (in liquidation).

 John Oliver reportedly told the papers  ” that by the end of 2006, he and his fellow volunteers had been reduced to buying pigs’ cheeks for 50 cents a kilogram to keep the food program going.””Once the money ran out the food deteriorated quickly. All we had was fatty rubbish, the food was absolutely dreadful and we struggled in the kitchen to make suitable quality.” (Read News Item). A multimillionaire notices that a charity doesn’t have sufficient meat, so spends 50c a kilo on fatty pigs cheeks??? Is this an indication-a measure of the man? We think it is. A man who dedicates seven years to feeding the homeless, a man worth millions, would really do this? Only if he is the same sort of man prepared to accept millions of dollars for denuding, robbing, workers of their lifes work and entitlements, by the simple device of sending an email saying “you’re fired”.

 We wonder how many people in the queues of homeless and marginalised people lining up for charitable assistance around the country are victims of this ruthless culture-this gung ho attitude-to the human cost of achieving corporate greed.We must point out that what John Oliver/Babcock and Brown did was probably perfectly legal;we have no reason to believe otherwise.What we question however is the morality.The morality of callously sacrificing the financial well being of staff in the name of corporate greed-and personal gain.

And we asked ourselves, if these are the corporate morals of the man, are there skeletons in his corporate or personal closet??? And bingo, what did we find??? We won’t say directly at this juncture because to do so may embarass at least one otherwise innocent party…and we won’t do that.But we reserve our right to at a time of our choosing, just as Team John Oliver did in their masterfully executed character assasination and trial by media of Jef Gambin and Just Enough Faith. Looking at this mans ruthless track record, we asked ourselves, why does a man who cares so little for the staff who built businesses and treats them as one would toilet paper, spend seven years feeding the homeless?

 Un requited guilt? Perhaps a personality disorder? We don’t think so.We are discussing an incredibly smart man- a man who jumped into the anonimity of retirement at almost the precise moment that the good ship B&B started to flounder.We don’t know if he breached his duty of care to other shareholders or if he disposed of or dealt in B&B shares using knowledge gleaned as an insider (insider trading,ASIC call it)-he probably didn’t.And if he did, he certainly would have known how to conceal the fact.For example, if he had shares held in a Delaware Company(and there is no evidence that we are aware of that he did),there is no requirement in that state to name directors of an LLC- hell-if everyone on the street knows that,surely John Oliver would.We don’t mean to insinuate that he did-he probably didn’t; but he certainly could have used this or any of the many other complex corporate strategies to do so if he wished to.

 So what posessed Oliver to on the one hand create financial mayhem in the homes of  innumerable sacked workers, and on the other hand spend seven years feeding the homeless??? Did he think he had found another cash cow which he considered ready for butchering??? 

 Did he have anything to do with, or any prior knowledge of the unfortunate events which were about to unfold at Babcock and Brown, shortly after he retired? 

 And is it more than a coincidence that he resigned just before bringing Just Enough Faith to its knees? 

 It seems Mr John Oliver has a habit of jumping just before the ship goes down- maybe because he’s pulling the plug?

One  question Mr Oliver,sir.In relation to the exerpt below-

“If [the foundation] doesn’t continue, we just hope another organisation can step in and use the facilities.”

Hope? Or did you always intend to oust Jef Gambin and turn Just Enough Faith into your personal fiefdom, soliciting donations in the name of Sydney Homeless and Marginalised, while using JEFF as an investment vehicle-like the Sydney Anglican Synod did on their way to losing 100 million dollars?

 Are you or any of your Team of conspirators working with insiders within OLGR to further your personal vendettas against Jef Gambin ,Just Enough Faith and Sydney Homeless people?

 

The Hard Questions start here….

This excerpt( below yellow) is the only known mention in the saga of Just Enough Faith, of John Oliver. But we are going to give credit where credits due, and throw shit where it sticks,like we usually do! We believe that John Oliver is the man who, with a total and callous disregard for the homeless and marginalised,orchestrated a perfectly executed media and political attack on Jef Gambin and Just Enough Faith-The day before Just Enough Faiths long awaited and eagerly anticipated Free Dental Service was due to become operational.

Accidental?

 No,we believe that ex merchant banker Oliver was way too smart for that!!! We believe that the timing of his carefully co-ordinated media release was a masterful display of maximising damage to Jef Gambin personally, Just Enough Faith organisationally with Homeless and marginalised people in Sydney posted in the “acceptable collateral damage category”. They were the targets squarely in his sights. And his impact has been felt. By Jef Gambin. By Just Enough Faith.And by the homeless and marginalised community of Sydney, who are deprived of a much needed free, no questions asked, dental service- as well as the possible loss forever of the amenity and ambience of the old JEFF foodvan system-Not that Exodus are not trying.

 We know that Mr Oliver is a very intelligent numbers man, (hell, his company,Babcock and Brown(in liquidation) tried to swallow Qantas-okay, they got what turned out to be a terminal lump in their corporate throats). And the carefully orchestrated media driven attack on the above mentioned parties bears all the hallmarks of such careful execution-it was a Babcock and Brown trademark.

 We challenge Mr Oliver to come out of hiding and say whether or not he is the media source of the original allegations which have jeopardised the good work of JEFF. And would he,per chance,be the single complainant upon whose allegations the current OLGR siezure is reputed to hang?And we’d like him to give his reasons. If not to us, then to the board of (JEFF) the NFP he has teetering on the edge of oblivion. 

 We would also like to ask Mr Oliver whether he is behind the Exodus takeover, and how much funding he’s arranged for them, if any? And ,Mr Oliver we would also like to know whether you are, or know the person who made available confidential Bank documents, taken,we understand, from the JEFF offices without authorisation of staff or directors- and subsequently made available to journalists? And we’d like to know whether you consider this action moral, legal and ethical? We would also like the police departments Strikeforce to investigate possible offences under the crimes act committed by the person who illegally made these documents available to the media.Its certainly within the scope of their inquiry. We would also like to know whether these possible offences were considered by OGLR in their instructions to police, as outlined in Hansard NSW 29/10/08.

 Anyone who thought they could cause damage to the Sydney Homeless community, and its most reliable support network, and remain beyond reproach had best think again.

“After seven years of feeding the homeless every Friday night and raising more than $120,000 for the charity, in January last year John Oliver, a retired investment banker with Babcock & Brown, decided to walk away.

“I was just concerned about the lack of governance and financial transparency out there. And there were rumours of Jeff having some sort of a gambling problem. People said that they’d seen him gambling, but it was just their word against Jeff’s.”

Oliver says that by the end of 2006, he and his fellow volunteers had been reduced to buying pigs’ cheeks for 50 cents a kilogram to keep the food program going. “Once the money ran out the food deteriorated quickly. All we had was fatty rubbish, the food was absolutely dreadful and we struggled in the kitchen to make suitable quality.”

excerpt taken from 

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/where-did-all-the-money-go/2008/04/25/1208743290873.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

NSW OGRE ..sorry..OLGR takeover JEFF no explanation

We have looked and can find no peacetime precedent of any Australian government having siezed control of any organisation without ANY explanation.

 This is what the NSW State Labor Government’s  Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing has done in the case of Independent charity Just Enough Faith. The Board of Just Enough Faith’s statement on 3rd June 2009 that there has been no explanation whatsoever given by either the government department concerned, the minister responsible for that department or the administrator, exposes the first instance we can find of such arbitrary and draconian use of executive power by any Australian government. There is no question of the application of anti terrorism or any emergency legislation, in fact, there is just no legislation at all !!!! Rodney Bryant, The Skaf Brothers, Alan Bond and even major drug importers are all afforded the natural justice of actually being told what they were charged with.

 Even in the Childrens Court system, where Mr Greene’s previous department, DoCs, are completely free to fuel often malicious prosecutions with heresay and innuendo, the defence is still presented with a set of allegations. These often baseless allegations are tested in a Court of Law where the Evidence Act does not apply, and hapless defendants, many of whom are marginalised people using much restricted govt funded Legal Aid, oppose the unlimited research and investigative resources of Police,DoCs, the Department of Public Prosecutions, the very biased Childrens Court Clinicians. And these departments have the temerity to cry poor! But the Hon Mr Greenes OLGR goes further. In an increasingly common display of state government arrogance and disdain for process, OLGR’s appointed administrator simply walks in, shuts legitimate office holders out on penalty of arrest, gives away assets, with no explanation whatsoever.

 Our people and legal researchers have looked-we think thoroughly. The only place we couldn’t look was into NSW State Labor Government  Minister Kevin Greenes mind. The answer is probably not there either.

 The actions of the hon. Kevin Greenes Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing appear to be on foot with planning minister Keneallys Catherine Bay fiasco, possibly another arrogant display of the illegal actions of the current NSW Labor administration. And we have to ask, to what lengths are they prepared to go to facilitate their illegal actions? On Catherine Bay, we understand that there is legal advice suggesting that retrospective legislation is needed to “fix it”. What next, the Just Enough Faith Dissolution Act, also retrospectively? 

1. We believe the takeover to be without legal basis, and encourage the Board of Just Enough Faith to take immediate high court action to secure the return of control, and damages.

2.We urge appropriately qualified counsel, interested in supporting a pro-bono application  to contact us, with a view to supporting JEF Foundation Board, or initiating our own action to have JEF Foundation Board Control restored.

3.We seek the written support of Trades Unions, NFP sector organisations and all registered entities to whom this type of interference may be applied by this or a future government.

4.We call for immediate public clarification of the OLGR’s reasons for placing JEFF under administration, and the role of the administrator appointed by the department.

5.We call for restoration of resources and services stripped from JEFF to the rightful control of the JEFF board of directors. We call on the OLGR to effect an immediate and unconditional ex-gratia payment to Just Enough Faith to cover re establishment of JEFF services and operations for 3 months.

6.Sydney Homeless viewpoint call for the OLGR to immediately restore Just Enough Faith’s permissions to solicit donations in N.S.W. in line with the organisations Fereral Tax exempt status, and  for this permit to be issued retrospectively.

Your questions answered.

 

 

 

There appears to be some speculation regarding who we are and our motives, which are as follows;

1) We are a loosely aligned part of the homeless community who attempt to communicate our views regarding the various issues which are regarded as problems within our homeless and marginalised community.We also try to help other marginalised people secure better access to resources, jobs and opportunities. We are unpaid and do not seek payment for this.

2) We also include among us some grateful ex patrons of the JEFF Foodvan service, with some having received other assistance from JEFF. As such we are fully supportive of all efforts to restore an independent JEFF run foodvan, and will continue to be so until there is compelling evidence that there was substantial wrongdoing by current the Board of Just Enough Faith. We are not adverse to new parties joining, but not dominating that organisation.We do not seek any role within any reconstituted JEFF, however many are prepared to assist on an individual, voluntary basis.

3) We are personally supportive of both Jeff and Alina Gambin in whatever the future may hold for them, and wish them all success in dealing effectively with the current issues before them. There remains overwhelming support from the street for them, and universal condemnation of the injustices being perpetrated ironically, in the name of justice.We support them without qualification, in part because they supported our community without reservation for so long. We believe that what has happened to them is a tragic indictment of the effect small minded number crunchers can have on people-who willingly give so much, expect so little. If this is the return on investment effective selfless visionaries can expect, it will act as a disincentive for others to follow in their footsteps. This will draw a huge sigh of relief from social service sections of state government and the poverty industry,with only the effective pockets of those cognizant of the overwhelming wrongs perpetrated against these good people.

We have received some feedback this past week reflecting differing views, as one would expect. Today we will deal with the objective criticisms, which we appreciate,in particular those coming from JEF-Exodus volunteers and some observers. We know the concerns expressed to be of the utmost sincerity, and respect these views.

1/ We believe the takeover of Just Enough Faith has no legal basis, and is illegal, because the responsible government officers or their administrator have NOT told the Board why JEFF has been placed under administration. We believe that this is a core requirement of any appointed administration of any entity.

2/ The main concern we have heard is that the foodvan service should continue uninterrupted. We agree. But we will not accept or tolerate a reversion to a “foodvan for the cameras” as Exodus first turned up with. Apples for apples. We continue to support a return of the services to Just Enough Faith Board control (providing they still have capability). We do not support a reconstituted board which gives control to any outside organisation. Our reasons are that Just Enough Faith successfully identified and developed the foodvan service filling a blatantly obvious unrequited need of Sydneys marginalised people. Just Enough Faith has faithfully delivered and expanded those services and would continue to do so today,were it not for the governments perhaps illegal intervention and, we think, Exodus Foundations support of that intervention. 

 3/The second concern communicated to us is that we have it all wrong regarding Exodus, and their role in the takeover of Just Enough Faith.To our knowledge this came as a complete surprise to Just Enough Faith. Exodus, who did not warn JEFF of the impending takeover, are therefore seen by us as government conspirators and contractors, and party to an illegal act of government.  We may have. We just don’t know-because the government department who engineered this, its director general, its minister and the administrator refuse all requests for information. Exodus also have not responded to requests for clarification, either by us or privately by our community. So we rely on a media release from the OLGR which says that Exodus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the department to take over providing services.This MOUs terms have never been made public but means that Exodus are contracted government service providers. Exodus are also known to receive DoCs funding for other of their programs, meaning that they have a government dictated obligation to provide information services about some community members to DoCs. In our vernacular,thats spying. And collecting information for a department with an unfortunate reputation for destroying families and providing adolescents with pathways to drug addiction and prostitution based on the informed opinion of 23 year old university graduates was never part of the JEFF deal. We simply don’t know what deals Exodus have, or are in the process of doing without our knowledge to further the interests of government departments at our expense. 

 We also don’t know what funds Exodus plans to raise in the name of this service, and what proportion of those funds will directly benefit our community. We don’t, for example, view budgets for paid staff or high rentals for foodvans as benefitting us.

 We see Exodus Foundation as part of the Uniting Church, whose Wesley Mission subsidiary recently closed their dining facilities at Edward Eagar Lodge to non-residents. We prefer that Foodvan services remain free of religious or government control whatsoever. No surprises.No chicanery. We support JEFF on that basis.

 We note that The City of Sydneys working paper on foodvans specifies support for VOLUNTARY foodvans.Because the Exodus foodvan model is managed by paid staff, it may not retain the support of the city.

 (more soon….)

Statement from The Board of Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc.

Editors note: The Meeting mentioned in this notice has been postponed until further notice by the board for unforeseen reasons.We & they apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.- editor

Statement by the board of Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc.

3rd June 2009.

Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc. board alive and

well.

We are the members of the board of JEFF, and have been working frantically in the background to try to get a resolution on the matter of the administrator appointment to the board of Just Enough Faith Inc.

 The request by The Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing (OLGR) involved the finances for the years 2004 to 2007. These financial records were not submitted by Mr Jeff Gambin.The current board members were not present before September 2007.How does the appointment of an administrator in 2009 have any relevance to 2004 finances?How has the current board breached The Charitable Fundraising Act? The board doesn’t know because it has never been told.

 During the investigation by the OLGR, the board has NEVER been approached by an officer of Liqour Gaming and Racing.This is a clear breach of natural justice.

The appointment of the administrator to Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc. was made on 3rd April 2009-this was the first and only time that any face to face contact was made between the Board and The Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing.

We appreciate that there is a fair amount of angst in the community about the current state of affairs, and we offer the following facts for your information.

1. The appointment of the administrator may not be legal.

2.The administrator is acting outside the brief of the act, as the act serves only as a regulatory and compliance base- that is it can instruct us to stop certain activities, not ‘take over” the foundation.To date,despite several requests,no brief as to the administrators terms of reference have been made available.

3.There is a new Public Officer who has been threatened with arrest if she appears at the premises of Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc. Indirect threats have been made against the board of the same nature.

4.Minister Greene has refused to meet us.Hon Verity Frith’s office have not returned our calls,and the Director General of the OLGR has also refused to meet us.

5.Jef Gambin is no longer officially associated with Just Enough Faith Inc.His legal issues,ongoing police investigation and bankruptcy has meant he cannot be associated with the foundation-once his legal process is complete and he is “of good character” he will be welcomed back to Just Enough Faith Foundation Inc.

 

Whilst it is questionable whether the administrator had the right to enter  into an agreement with The Exodus Foundation, we appreciate the work  they have carried forward in ensuring that our clients the homeless continue to be fed. 

 Although we have a great deal of respect for the Exodus Foundation, our concerns rest with the actions of the OLGR and the administrator.

Finally the supreme authority of the JEF Foundation rests with its members, not with the Office of Liqour Gaming and Racing, or the Department of Fair Trading.

According to the constitution an open general meeting has been called at the premises of JEFF for Saturday 13 June at 10-30.

 

 

Kamalle Daboussy

for and on behalf of the board.

 

(editorial: This is a retyped exact copy of the original statement issued.)

click here to view the original statement

NSW Labor incompetent to run Foodvan.

 Following Gaming & Racing Minister Kevin Greene’s departments dubious siezure of the Just Enough Faith foodvan operations late April, the ministers department have willingly allowed current government contractor and replacement service provider Exodus Foundation and its founder, Bill Crews to cop all the flak. Disgruntled service users, dismayed or disillusioned volunteers or irate donors fired an unrelenting barrage of angry protests at Exodus , this commentator group being one of the critics. The Office of Gaming and Racing, who actually bear full responsibility for this debacle, have yet again brought into question the very ability of NSW Labor to govern. An astute government may have considered more thoughtfully the impact upon and implications for Sydney Homeless and marginalised that their decision to sieze control of Just Enough Faith would have. An astute, in tune government would have measured the services provided, by the simple device of actually sending someone qualified to quantify the services being provided-then moved to ensure that their alternate provider was suitably organised equipped and funded to “replace apples with apples.” With hindsight, we are certain that this would have been the preferred course of action for Rev Bill Crews, but we are also certain that he completely misjudged the adverse impact his arrangements with Mr Greenes department would have. It would be unfair to expect that a department such as Racing and Gaming would have much knowledge of socially marginalised issues, or the resources to assess them. But Minister Greene was previously Minister for DoCs, a position he held until late 2008. Was he asleep at the wheel? Did he not know what resources that department had? Or, did he just not care? We have written to the esteemed Minister in relation to the qality of services provided under his contractor. We have yet to receive a response, and doubt that a timely response will ever arrive. After all, his portfolio is that all important Gaming and Racing revenue stream-the same one that sucks the lifeblood out of countless households and even businesses state wide, as State Labor feeds its addiction to gambling taxes. To our knowledge, Minister Greene has never visited the Foodvan service which his department have now given an uncertain future. Neither have any of his department. All the decisions, apparently were implemented on the calculator and excel spreadsheet of public service accountant ( and now administrator) Chris Jones. To our knowledge he’s seconded from another government department, whose forte is accounts management. While the minister is perhaps entitled to believe that he has the figures right, via Chris Jones expertise, who did he get to evaluate the social impact? As mentioned previously a simple step backwards into his old department would have helped. And the donated resources held in trust for Sydneys Homeless community by Just Enough Faith- much of which the donors especially selected Just Enough Faith(to donate to) because of its non-faith base AND its delivery style. Are they not entitled to feel ripped off by those resources being handed over to Christian Exodus? Many volunteers who spent thousands of hours building Just Enough Faith into the success story it still can be, will be gutted to learn that their unselfish efforts have been subverted to benefit the very religion which they chose not to contribute to- Not as a result of any act or omission by Just Enough Faith, but by a callous act of NSW Labor Government.

The Rent Trap-New Govt rules don’t go far enough.

Fair Trading Minister Ms Virginia Judge

N.S.W.Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge’s announcement of relief for renters affected by bank foreclosure does not go far enough. The ministers announcement will give tenants 30 days notice, rent refunds for advance rent and no rent payable in the notice period, together with removal expenses. While this measure will undoubtedly ease the pain for a few, and doubtless keep those with perfect rent references and the money to pay the ever soaring rents demanded, even as properties fall in value, the core issues for marginalised people as well as perhaps the majority of renters remains unaddressed. These laws further exacerbate the chronic instability that is already todays norm in the rental housing market. Many agents routinely evict tenants after six months, simply because they can increase rents on that property. Excellent tenants report being offered similar properties in similar locations at a premium to their current rent by the same agent, only to find their old rental property beng released for rental a week later at $80 to $100 more. Removal and relocation costs, regularly in the order of $4000 per move, have become an unwelcome twice yearly expense for many renters.There is the additional uncertainty and expense associated with securing new tenancies, in monetary, time and emotional terms. 

 The fair trading ministers rent reforms are obviously very positive for Banks, who can now say that there is a government program which they are compelled to follow. The real estate industry would we think approve also as it creates the opportunity to create further churn in property sales and rentals. This would be of little solace to the renter who has been in residence for two weeks when the bank forecloses.Our view is that once again,the State Labor Government has got it wrong, if it were that governments intention to act in favour of tenants. The response typifies the sad debacle State Labor has become; so bad that they cannot even get running a foodvan service for homeless people right.

 The commonsense, equitable solution for tenants is for all parties to a property’s ownership, including the mortgage holder, to be held to be party to the rental agreement. The mortgage holder, after all, would in the normal course of vending the loan product, give contractual consent for the property to be rented.Flowing from that contractual consent would be the mortgage holder’s obligation (as mortgagee-in-posession) to honour any subsequent contract (the tenancy agreement) entered into by the defaulting owner. This solution prioritises security of tenure for both the tenant and the mortgagee-in-posession.The property can still be sold with the sale subject to the tenancy agreement.There has always been leeway for tenants and owners to negotiate equitable terms for early termination.

 Especially at the lower end of the rental market, where there is a dearth of properties in suitable locations, it may take months for a low income family to secure suitable alternative accommodation.This is the sector that most homeless marginalised or at risk of homeless people and families would be affected. The challenge for State Government is to ensure that suitably priced accommodation is  available for renters in locations where it is required, as compared to compelling people to confinement in particular areas on the basis of income.

Dear Mr Greene (Minister for Lotteries,Gaming and Racing)

Mr Kevin Greene,

 As our community has been demanding a response, we asked them to be patient.We sent you our letter on Monday 18th May.We asked them to wait until Friday 22nd.Today is Saturday.We have but one response from your office,seeking a name and address for snail mail.We responded. So we are forced to publish our original letter and notify of your offices subsequent disinterest in our community and our concerns.

 We believe that the letter addressed reasonable concerns which a transparent government department would have no major task in responding to,to allay the reasonable concerns of our community members.

  Our concerns have broadened as it has since become obvious to our community that there are apparent inconsistencies in the actions of your appointed administrator, when compared with business liquidations, AND since Exodus have assumed such a dominant role in what has traditionally been a reliable and responsive non-faith-based resource  for many of our community. These concerns are outlined as follows;

a) That Just Enough Faith and its directors appear to have been denied many elements of procedural fairness, such as the opportunity to contest proceedings, which we understand have not been initiated. This denial of process opportunity appears to be in contravention of some federal as well as state legislation, and, we are advised, appears in conflict with at least one leading case ruling.

b)From our simplistic viewpoint, it appears that no  consideration has been given to the fact that, since funds and assets raised by Just Enough Faith were actually raised in the name of Sydney’s homeless community, they were held merely in trust for the specific purpose for which they were raised. On that basis, we proclaim our position as stakeholders and beneficiaries. It is our contention that flowing from that stakeholder position so claimed is an inherent right to be party to administration proceedings, and to be represented in that process.

c) We call on The Minister For Gaming and Lotteries to make public the reasons for placing Just Enough Faith in external administration, thereby jeopoardising our nightly hot meal service.

d)We call on the Minister to make available on an urgent basis to an acceptable organisation the funds equal to what your administrator has wasted

Dear Mr Greene,
               we address the following issues relating to the Just
               Enough Foodvan service, which is currently under the
               administration of your department, for ourselves, a group
               of marginalised people who are at least partially
               dependent on the services of the said Foodvan, and also
               that we may pass your advisements on to the wider
               homeless and marginalised community which uses that
               service.

1) We understand that a MOU was signed between your departments
representative and Exodus Foundation as per your media
   release of 28-04-09, to provide continuity of service for an
   undefined interim period.What (if any) arrangements
   are in train to provide continuity in should Just Enough Faith be
   unable to continue to provide services?

2a) Is it your departments intent that the full complement of services
provided by Just Enough Faith would be provided
   in the interim by Exodus Foundation?

2b) Are you aware that the food service that is being provided has left
several people unfed due to insufficient
   food supplied?Is the food service arranged supposed to be a like
   service to that provided by JEF?

3. Has any consideration been given to the provision of the basic
ancilliary services which Just Enough Faith provided
   on a regular basis, in particular the supply of bedding and clothes,
   especially in the current season.Several
   evictees and persons returning from work assignments out of Sydney
   have missed this especially welcome and
   necessary aspect of JEF services.

4. We note,and are extremely grateful, that a large number of Just
Enough Faith volunteers whom many of us have come
  to know over the years,have selected to continue to provide most of
  the frontline services,in spite of having a much
  reduced service capability.

5.We note for your advisement for many marginalised women in particular,
as well as low income workers with high rents, JEF services represent
THE ONLY EVENING option of a hot meal.We note also the downsizing of
Vinnies sandwich & drinks van operations in the area and the imminent
closure,we understand,of Edward Eagar Lodge,may further add to the
community using this essential service.

Sir, we ask that the JEF volunteer team receive the at least some of
recognition that they have never sought yet so richly deserve for their
in some cases years of selfless dedication to this cause,

 We thank you in advance for your consideration of these matters,
 

—
  Sydney Homeless
  sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Greene,

The fact that your office has chosen not to respond to our questions of Monday 18th May 2009 raises further questions as to the proper procedural course of action undertaken by your department and its servants.Is it not the case that your liquidator was appointed merely to assess the future of JEFF 

We note that as homeless people in Sydney, in whose name the funds and resources of Just Enough Faith were raised,we believe that we are stakeholders in any process regarding the disposal of such assets and resources.We assert this right on the basis that donations made to Just Enough Faith were made in good faith by the respective donors, and merely held in trust by Just Enough Faith primarily for use in association with the supply and distribution of essential services to our community.

We ask that a delegation of homeless nominated representatives and/or their advisors be party to current and ongoing proceedings in respect of the disposal or dealing in Just Enough Faith and its assets,which were raised to benefit us.

 

whose attacking Just Enough Faith

These are the people and organisations who are

destroying Just Enough Faith.

 

 

 

 

 

show me the money Crews

 

Bill Crews is the English born

leader of the Exodus Foundation,

a minister of the Uniting

Church ,a disciple of Ted Noffs of

Wayside Chapel a fame and cosy

buddy of sometime politician and

church minister Gordon Moyes. He has a

reputation for working with such efficient

 departments as DoCs of which minister for

 Gaming and Racing Kevin Greene is ex minister.

His work with DoCs related programs such as

Child Abuse Prevention Program is indicative of

his values. DoCs are known in our community as

 a primary cause of family breakdowns, and the

majority of prostitutes, male and female known

 to us disclose a history of DoCs assistance…

Thanks,DoCs. Bill Crews Exodus Foundations

involvement in the Foodvan operations stems

from their behind the scenes collaborative

memorandum of understanding with Minister

Kevin Greenes Gaming and Racing Ministry

representatives, by which they went behind Just

Enough Faiths back and aided and abetted the

government in displacing JEFF. They have

picked up a large crew of volunteers whom they

are feeding the line “If we didn’t do it, the

foodvan wouldn’t be operating today,

 

BULLSHIT!!!!!

 

Do you really think that the already on the nose

Rees Labor Government wants to have shutting

an essential homeless service down added to the

 reasons why only Bill Crews will be voting for

them at the next state election??? Shutting the

foodvan service down would have suited Labor .

not at all.They are in it for the money which has

 already been promised to them. We can’t

understand the huge apparent discrepancies

between his stated budget targets and what is

chanelled back to the marginalised

communities…hundreds of thousands a year the

 difference…you guessed which way.

  And Bill, we just want the same blowtorch

applied under YOUR arse as you and your co-

conspirators applied to JEFF!!! No More No

Less. Maybe you really are an honest man,but we

are NOT taking your or the governments word

for it. Show us your books, and justify your

expenditures to auditors of our choice, then we

will know.

 

He’s the Minister for Gaming and

Racing, and the member for

Oatley out Hurstville way. We

sent a letter to Minister Greenes

office but the only reply we got

 asked for a name and address.

And given that we supplied one

and received no further response, we have to

assume that the minister cares not one scintilla

about matters which affect Homeless people. His

 lack of caring for homeless and marginalised

people is borne out by the sustained and

unfounded attack his department have mounted

against independent charity Just Enough Faith.

His department appointed administrator has

been responsible for the siezure of Just Enough

 Faith assets, assets which were donated to Just

Enough Faith because of that organisations  non

 faith base. His administrator has since taking

over absolutely obstructed or rebuffed

any attempts to restructure or recapitalise Just

Enough Faith, [referring to hand everything

over to known government collaborator Exodus.

 Well Mr Greene, we will be campaigning against

you and your party at the next election, thats for

sure. Mr Greens also cut his ministerial teeth in

that highly favoured “pass the baby” portfolio,

DoCs.It is said to be known among pollies on

both sides of the house as “the death seat.” If

memory serves correctly, Mr Greene was

instrumental in setting the ineffective terms of

reference for the latest inquiry into DoCs.

Changes? We don’t think so. How many kids died

on your watch,Mr.Greene? And how many

Gamblers have lost their family homes on your

watch in Gambling and Racing? Minister,we sent

 you a letter.This one below;

Dear Mr Greene,
               we address the following issues relating to the Just
               Enough Foodvan service, which is currently under the
               administration of your department, for ourselves, a group
               of marginalised people who are at least partially
               dependent on the services of the said Foodvan, and also
               that we may pass your advisements on to the wider
               homeless and marginalised community which uses that
               service.

1) We understand that a MOU was signed between your departments
representative and Exodus Foundation as per your media
   release of 28-04-09, to provide continuity of service for an
   undefined interim period.What (if any) arrangements
   are in train to provide continuity in should Just Enough Faith be
   unable to continue to provide services?

2a) Is it your departments intent that the full complement of services
provided by Just Enough Faith would be provided
   in the interim by Exodus Foundation?

2b) Are you aware that the food service that is being provided has left
several people unfed due to insufficient
   food supplied?Is the food service arranged supposed to be a like
   service to that provided by JEF?

3. Has any consideration been given to the provision of the basic
ancilliary services which Just Enough Faith provided
   on a regular basis, in particular the supply of bedding and clothes,
   especially in the current season.Several
   evictees and persons returning from work assignments out of Sydney
   have missed this especially welcome and
   necessary aspect of JEF services.

4. We note,and are extremely grateful, that a large number of Just
Enough Faith volunteers whom many of us have come
  to know over the years,have selected to continue to provide most of
  the frontline services,in spite of having a much
  reduced service capability.

5.We note for your advisement for many marginalised women in particular,
as well as low income workers with high rents, JEF services represent
THE ONLY EVENING option of a hot meal.We note also the downsizing of
Vinnies sandwich & drinks van operations in the area and the imminent
closure,we understand,of Edward Eagar Lodge,may further add to the
community using this essential service.

Sir, we ask that the JEF volunteer team receive the at least some of
recognition that they have never sought yet so richly deserve for their
in some cases years of selfless dedication to this cause,

 We thank you in advance for your consideration of these matters,
 

--
  Sydney Homeless
  sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org

 

 

We sent it on the 18th of

 May, and still haven't

received a reply. We take

that as a definite

indication of your concern

with marginalised peoples

issues. Perhaps your

department were all busy

with TABCORPs expansion

plans for the casino or

perhaps checking out

comparative gambling

facilities in Las Vegas? We

don't know, but the several

street people who once had

homes and families, lost

through your governments

addictions to gambling

revenues aren't too happy,

let me tell you. And guess

what? They have decided to

tell us their stories. But

we won't print them here.We

will wait until election

time.

Hey Kids, did you have Mr

 Greene for a teacher???

Its your turn to mark Mr

Greene

 

sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org

 

 

 

The administrator;

Meet Chris Jones

administrator

extraordinaire

Chris Jones is the guy actually making the decisions about the future of Just Enough Faith. We had hoped to have his address for all to contact him personally but its a carefully guarded secret. Mr Jones is apparently a contractor to the government, so the government must approve every move he makes. Meanwhile he and his bosses hide like the invisible man as they set about destroying Just Enough Faith and building their government approved version using Exodus Foundation as a delivery vehicle.

  We understand that Chris Jones orders have been to “see if Just Enough Faith is viable”. No reasons are given  his appointment what-so-ever. However, in his first act of bastardry upon siezing control, he shut the kitchens down, gave the food vans to Exodus Foundation, and paid them to continue JEFs nightly foodvan service. He delivered the funds  which  had been donated by donors who did not want to support a church based charity or government, to Uniting Church subsidiary and government contractor Exodus Foundation. He has refused point blank to even speak with some very credible parties who have been interested in continuing the good work of Just Enough Faith.We know that the administrator has held discussions with several other charities with absolutely no expertise in delivering homeless services.The persons whom he spoke to were puzzled as to why he would contact them.These are the but window dressing to paint a picture in line with approved practice….He has handed over confidential databases of Just Enough Faith volunteers to Exodus, and allowed Exodus free reign to propogandise those volunteers. Some simply left. Others, with divided loyalties to the homeless being fed, kept volunteering reluctantly.Some, after a month of being spoonfed Exodus/Government propoganda are now even buying the line.Mr Jones has gone even further…hes authorised the JEF foodvan to be converted in preparation for delivering the miniscule menus he and his Exodus/Government cronies expect will eventually give them reason to say “no one uses the foodvan anymore,we will close it.” Homeless people will be so much more comfortable in Bill Crews church in Ashfield.(Please don’t tell them Ivanhoe exists,they’ll probably move the foodvan there.The administrators belligerent one eyed attempts to destroy Just Enough Faith even extend to hiring an outside contractor to destroy JEFs major food storage asset.A large walk in fridge unit  doesn’t work thanks to his superb management. He actually used JEF money to hire someone to destroy it!!!! As the saga goes on we understand that he and Exodus are still sitting down penny pinching,trying to quantify how little they can get away with giving out at the foodvan while being seen to deliver a good service.

 

More on Chris Jones as it comes to hand

Turning Crews Missiles into Boomerangs

sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org skype:sydneyhomeless

We were looking around the blogocracy today , and look what we found!!!! A blog starting out about our good mate Bill Crews. Makes an interesting read,it does. We are so enthusiastic about the personal empowerment afforded by this new form of political action that we are waiting to join the blogocrats.

 Anyway, welcome to part one of our campaign to make the bastards honest. Since April 2008, we have learned a great deal about the power excercised by the triumvirate of government, church and media. Mates assisting mates! Politicians. Media Barons. And Churches.

 We followed with interest a series of carefully placed “news items”  on our mate, Jef Gambin. Perfect timing, if you want to destroy a brand new FREE dental service which Just Enough Faith were about to launch. Another FREE dental service, with its own facilities, provided by that pain in the butt upstart Gambin again. What would it do to the reputation of other FREE dental services,targeting the same constituency? We suspect that we have identified the motivation behind Exodus Foundation decision to join the government and media in destroying Just Enough Faith, or even take it over.

 As the rabid press rolled out their orchestrated litany of deceptions a devastated Jef Gambin struggled against sudden and catastrophic impact on his Just Enough Faith clientele, moving at once to ensure that the foodvans were secure. As time dragged on and the tentacles of government moved at their glacial pace our mate Jef kept his Just Enough Faith just above water as it struggled to provide the service JEF were renowned for….

….and then in April, with no charges laid whatsoever,Just Enough Faith was siezed by a belligerent administrator, appointed by a hostile government, itself in its death throes. Thats when the State Labor Government, with typical disdain for all but their own interests, fired their Crews missile at us!!! An attack not only on our Mate Jef Gambin, but an attack on the standards he had set in quality and service at the foodvan, an attack on the homeless of Sydney City.

 Well, Minister Greene, Mr Administrator and Exodus, we are sending your Crews missile back!!!!

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Welcome to billcrews.wordpress.com the site dedicated to assisting the Rev. Bill Crews and Exodus Foundation in continuing to provide the services they say they provide, and bringing transparency to their fundraising activities, expenditure, and social programs.

See also https://sydneyhomeless.wordpress.com/severe-storms-forecast-for-diddling-charities/

 In a news release dated Mr, sorry Rev. Crews, you say that Exodus are issuing 800 food parcels per month. OK.We will say $50 per food parcel. $40,000. In the same news release, you say Exodus Foundation serve 630 meals per day. I beleive you. You don’t say whether this includes the 200 per day Exodus is paid to deliver at the old Just Enough Faith site you got for free, by conspiring with state government. I’ll assume you don’t include this,because I believe you’re an honest man. I know that it doesn’t cost $10 per head, Reverend, but we will use that figure to calculate your costs. Thats $6300, 31 days a month, say $200,000 a month. Showers,lets say,cost $1000 a month to run.Okay,$2000. We will be generous because you are a man known for your generosity. Thats $242,000 a month.And,you will notice, we are always rounding the figures upwards,because you are known as a generous man. And then Bill,lets add the $750,000 a year you say you spend on education… divided by six, thats $125,000 for two months. We know you probably get some of that from DoCs and some from Education, but lets say you don’t. And say another 100k for 2 months at the dental clinic no one on the streets heard of (but we know you have it,you told us,and we trust you). Like you,Bill,we are being generous. Thats $725000,but we will call it $750k. Thats only 5 donations of $5000 difference.

 Now,Bill,and we know you won’t mind us calling you Bill by now, as we are already good friends and trust each other so much, just last week you had a page posted saying that you needed one point five million dollars by June 30th just to have a dollar in the bank… we know you didn’t mean you yourself, but Exodus Foundation. Now,Bill, most of us were abysmal failures at maths,arithmetic it was in our day,right? And I’m no execption. So,just so that I don’t get myself in trouble, I have with me a friend from PWC (Price Waterhouse Coopers). No,not the brewery, they’re some accounting, and I don’t know how good they are. But I know old matey here was pretty good at the old rithmetic back at Barcaldine Public School,topped the class he did! And Bill, me and old matey here well, we just can’t figure it out. According to old matey here, even by our generous calculations based on figures you supplied, that leaves a gap of about, wow,one million dollars!!! Now,Bill,we know we are wrong,but we can’t quite work out where. We know that you would not spend only one third on actually providing services. But thats what it looks like to us and to all the other simpletons out there not blessed with the same fiscal prudence and acumen that Lotteries and Gaming obviously recognise you for. But we are short in our calculations, a cool $750,000.Where is that going? So,Bill, I’m sure you won’t mind showing us where we went wrong.

 By the way Bill, how are things going with the administrator of Just Enough Faith? Got all the goodies you need? I didn’t notice any mention of the freebies you got on your website. You forgot right? I know you are a busy man.All those FREE resources,handed to you on a plate? Bill, I congratulate you. You are indeed fortunate to have the hard work of not only Jef and Alina Gambin, but also the hundreds of volunteers who worked so hard to build a fair and independent non religious organisation which for seventeen years provided excellent services to homeless people. Aren’t you the lucky one to have it handed to your church based organisation to control? I heard that you threw out a whole lot of the food you got from Just Enough Faith today; wasn’t up to your high standards? Well, at least you managed to put some of the fish products to good use in Loaves & Fishes.Yes,we have seen some of the meat at the foodvan, like the sausages and even some of the gravy beef, and we are looking forward to seeing the rest of it too.

 

Oh and how remiss  of me, I forgot to introduce myself,

I am Sydney Homeless.

kind regards

Sydney Homeless.

————————————————————————————————————————————————we thought that the trial and conviction by media of our mate Jef Gambin was such a successful campaign,  without a single court case , and when we see a good thing we back it!!! So we are going to subject all the charities who profess to raise money for marginalised groups benefit to the same trial process afforded to our mate Jef,and Just Enough Faith… we will see whether they stand up to the same rigorous scrutiny as JEF was put under. Exempted? Not by Us!!!

www.billcrews.wordpress.com is the first in a series of mini sites we are developing to report on the financing of the charities and not for profit organisations which collect funds and donations in the name of homeless and marginalised people. We picked Exodus and Bill Crews to start with, because we know hes so honest and therefore checking his business(sorry,charity) out should be quick, and we can move on to the real rogues!!!And of course when we find that everything is as above board as you say,mate, we will endorse your organisation(sorry,business) too.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Letter re: volunteers

Letter regarding this page;

  

Whom ever posted this report needs to take a good look at themselves, just shows your lack of intelligence! Any organisation where volunteers give up their time & church groups who offer services to all needy people should be welcomed not criticised. We should be striving for the same thing, making life a bit better for those in need! Wake up before you destroy everything!

 Our reply

hi,

and thanks again for your viewpoint. Our recommendations to volunteers have a moral basis. We consider that many volunteers are simply exploited by organisations which in some cases receive millions of dollars annually to provide services, yet have volunteers perform much of the labour component of that funded operation. Where the operation is publicly funded, and in some other cases, it is a cynical conspiracy by the funding provider and the charity or other NFP involved to provide the service at minimal cost. The downstream effect is that the work done at 0 cost by volunteers represents another potential paid position which is lost, and expotentially another job on the scrapheap. In many cases the “good works” performed by committed volunteers in one sector of an organisation are pointed to in other sections of the organisation as stimulus for often unaccounted donations. Church pulpit collection systems spring to mind.

 

Our volunteer recommendations page does not look at the merits or demerits of volunteering per se, nor does it consider organisations whose activities fall outside the “homeless/potentially homeless” sphere, which we cater to. Our endorsement or otherwise of an organisation is purely on the basis of whether we consider the organisation to be “a homeless services organisation who fundraise” or “a fundraising organisation who provide homeless services”.

 

If by chance we happen to destroy, as you put it, or expose, any nepotism, cosy deals between charities and their government or corporate sponsors, or instances of special relationships between parties which cause funds or resources raised in the name of marginalised people to be siphoned off then we make no apologies whatsoever. In fact, for the charities/NGOs who operate in that way in the name of homeless people: Storm warning. Hurricane Homeless Viewpoint is heading right your way and its a category nine!!!!

Homeless(Not seeking housing)

While many homeless people state that their aim is to be housed, a small number have rejected conventional housing as component of their lifestyle option. Today, we spoke with a family who have lived in many locations in three states and for the last nine months around Sydney. Two adults, two kids and a stationwagon, is the setup they call home. The well kept if ageing vehicle is easily mistaken for a sports mum and dad. Dad works in warehousing but is casual.Never been out of a job. But because he’s a casual worker,he can’t get a bank loan to buy a home. They lived as many do for most of their lives, paying off someone elses mortgage in a traditional rental situation. Their last four tenancies each lasted the term of a six month lease. References from the agents,and offers of new rental tenancies, at different properties at increased rentals. The cost of relocating every six months, so that greed driven landlords and their real estate agent collaborators could increase the rent, eventually forced the family to live in their car-they’re saving for a camper truck which they plan to have in a couple of weeks. This family have none of the standard “marginalisation” issues. Full time workers. Decent income-by the standards of many streeties downright affluent. Bright and clean, cheeky kids, obviously well cared for and at ease with both parents and strangers(us). Non gamblers, non christians, non drinkers, non smokers,no drugs. None of the five big addictions.They made the decision on the basis that they will never be able to afford a home in a metropolitan Australian area. Some already live in vans and mobile homes.Others are waterborne. There are a few who don’t think past the next drink,but we don’t include them in the count because they cannot be said to have made a decision-it just happens that way. (to be continued) if you can make a contribution to this article and are not promoting a government funded service, please send your contribution to sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org

A plea from a JEF supporter.

Ever wondered why so many people over the years have preferred to stand in a long line on often cold rainy nights, waiting for a delicious hot meal?

 In the past few days, I had three conversations,indenendent of each other. I asked the first man, a chronic alcoholic,  how  the food was at Matthew Talbot(Vinnies). He said “oh no, I don’t go there, theres no forgiveness in that place. He made comments about the group actions of staff, and how he had been barred years ago and how they are christians and how they are supposed to forgive, but he kept returning to the same theme “theres no forgiveness there.”

Yesterday, in the course of a group discussion, another guy volunteered in relation to Foster House(Salvation Army). I got taken there by police. The Foster house I had stayed in about ten years before was gone. But they would not let me stay until I paid the $35 I owed from 10 years ago.

About ten minutes ago, we had a couple of people start a conversation regarding Exodus/Just Enough Faith. One of the guys asked how anyone could get barred from a church. He had been barred from Exodus Foundation for life, supposedly for pulling a chair from beneath another guy. He says he offered to bring his passport in to confirm that in fact he was overseas at the time, but was told words to the effect of “just don’t bother coming back in this lifetime”.

 The vast majority of us first went to the van to eat, and found something else.Something not found in the multimillion dollar facilities some organisations have. Something institutions seem devoid of. We who found fallacy everywhere else faced something genuine.Something that was part of ourselves, for we found ourselves. We found that intangible that the combined will of an army will fail to build, where only the combined love and toil of a genuine few can succeed.

 To the many who have jumped on the bandwagon to crucify the founder of JEF, I ask, when you see a man fall off a chair, do you kick him senseless?

 From the utterances I have read in the news, it is unthinkable that persons who obtain and misuse confidential and sensitive documents(which they are granted access to in trust) as leverage,perhaps,for their own agenda: are they not thieves???

 Mr Crews,you may mean well,you may not. Your organisation have already replaced the JEF magical formula with sterility. Please don’t do to JEF what an accountant did to Harrys pies.

 And Mr Administrator, Mr Minister, and your respective staff. You seek to quantify in dollar terms alone, what every government department at state and federal level, ACOSS and the poverty industry have failed to do in Sydney. Its not built of money, good people. Thats why it is the most successful marginalised support service in inner Sydney; viewed from street level,you understand. Please, place Just Enough Faith in the care and responsibility of its volunteer force, (if not Mr & Mrs Gambin), to be nurtured and loved, not in the rough hands of those who only seek to gain. 

Street People Investing Wisely

 As a full shareholders meeting sat around the boardroom table, four upturned milkcrates courtesy of Kirin Breweries local milk producing subsidiary, and soon to be sister company of Tooheys, there was an air of hope, nay anticipation, that the executive might deliver what few boards worldwide had managed to accomplish in these recessionary times, a healthy dividend and strong capital growth. Could the street accomplish what even the millionaires factory had failed to deliver? An opening speech by the chairman laid bare the facts.Some acquisitions had been made on the basis that the board (after careful consideration of duly presented expert opinion) was of the opinion that these assets were highly liquid, with the total value of the individual parts being worth considerably more than the whole. There had also been some purchases, shareholders were told, of some more speculative assets, which while having considerable immediate upside, would impact negatively on bottom line if immediate upside was not achieved in line with expectations. General business over, the CEO arose and drew shareholders attention to the liquid assets procured… One case of Victoria Bitter and a cask of dry white. There was short discussion as to the merits of retaining the VB in the hope that its value would rise after the bottle o closed. A motion was put to the floor in favour of this course of action, and a shareholder representing minority interests protested that this course of action would delay the immediate positive benefits to members, carried the associated risk of possibly contravening liqour licensing regulations with the attendant penalties, and did not guarantee a significant increase in value for shareholders.Minority shareholder put this counter proposal to the floor and the motion was quickly carried on a show of hands. As the beers were being apportioned between shareholders, the treasurer arose. The Powerball ticket had 2 numbers and the powerball,for a return of $17 on a cost of $7-35, and number 9 in race 7 ran 3rd, with only the first two placegetters paying dividends. An immediate motion was tabled that the entire board be sacked, but the chairman, noting that all shareholders had commenced to partake of said liquid assets, closed the meeting under clause 3 of the constitution which states that shareholders must abstain from alcohol for 48 hours prior to voting on matters concerning board positions. The motion was seconded by the treasurer and the next shareholders meeting was scheduled for next week at the Ivy Bar.

A Level Playing Field for all Charities

There are numerous organisations who profess to speak in the name of homeless and marginalised people. Gullible or culpable politicians and corporate directors seem willing to swallow the fallacy that they speak on our behalf,but who elected them,or pemitted them to speak on their behalf? Not me…and its a straight all up bet not you either. Charities fall into two categories for state legal purposes. Religious organisations are exempt from state government controls. Non religious organisations are not.Why? Is there some ideal or whatever which ensures that religious organisations act with absolute integrity and honesty. Did they tell the aboriginal communities of Sydney harbour two hundred years ago that the blankets they were giving them were contaminated with smallpox? Probably not. Morals? Just last week another long term member of a prominent social services providing religious organisation was jailed for 12 years for paedophilia. Financial propriety? We don’t know, they are exempt from scrutiny!!! And as far as providing government services is concerned, one of the consistent failings of contractor and government alike is the predisposition of both to implement care and maintenance progrms,as compared with providing solution based programs with clearly defined success milestones, ending with a sunset clause and resolution where the problem has ceased to exist. But what government minister or charity business administrator actually wants to be the reason that their department no longer has a reason to exist?

 Lets start with a level playing field for religious and non religion based charities alike. Lets either have all or none exempted from the current unfair model where some have Office of Gaming and Liqour compliance responsibilities and some do not.

 The next step would be to apply the same principles as infrastructure projects to social marginalisation issues. The current Sydney Metro project has a defined program to resolve a particular transport issue by providing specific infrastructure, which should end the initial transport problem. In the same way, Sydney has a chrnonic lack of affordable housing. Sydney also actually has close to sufficient residential “human places” to cater to its population. So the state could,for example, simply pass a bylaw requiring all operators of income generating residential property to provide x-percent of their accommodation units(or the revenue equivalent) for social housing. This pool could then be passed to the Housing dept for example,for redistribution, and federal government could provide a tax offset to the owner. No more ghetto housing projects,and a quantum increase immediately in social housing units.

see also mission australia with the only statement they have made since becoming the architects of the Howardly “work for the dole” and related slave labour schemes: http://officialmissionaustralia.blogspot.com/2008/04/regulation-needed-for-charity-sector.html

Exodus Takeover of JEF “Not up to Scratch”

Perennial Corporate Fundraiser and purveyor of minimalist services to the marginalised Exodus Foundation have certainly upset a lot of people in their short tenure operating Just Enough Faiths Foodvans. Many ex JEF Volunteers have complained bitterly of bland and insufficient food to serve and insufficient choice to offer. Some ex-JEF volunteers feel deceived at being told that the operation is being maintained “same as usual” only to find on arrival that Just Enough Faith under Exodus control is a draconian, cold and bland team environment. Volunteers, some of whom have faithfully provided the caring and friendly service to Sydney Homeless and Marginalised for years, say they are most unhappy to have this “jilly-come-lately” impose sterile ineffective systems on them. Her condescending approach is an insult to those who have faithfully provided the service for years.

 Many patrons are also decidedly unhappy with her attitude to serving food. “Either vegitarian or non-vegitarian”she says. Non vegitarian often is 2 chicken legs and 75 grains of rice with no vegies. There were many expressions of relief Sunday night when, under the supervision of JEFs experienced volunteers, patrons were able to select what they wanted,abeit from the scant but tasty range available.

 Patrons are consistently underwhelmed by the pretty van ( Reputedly costing a whopping $2500 per week to rent), and total absence of the bevy of extra services which JEF regularly offered.No raincoats on some rainy days, no blankets on offer from time to time when it is cold. No clothes. These services being replaced by the vultures from quasi autonomous NGOs and other churches (who have been notable for the past 17 years,by their absence) as if swarming a carcass.

 Heres a message to Bill Crews,Exodus Foundation and the government cretins responsible for hijacking and diminishing the services so painstakingly crafted by Jef Gambin and his team. The Just Enough Faith Brand as a fundraising opportunity for Exodus or any other government puppet organisation will be a dismal failure. Marginalised people are already abandoning the once mainstay service in droves, thanks to your bland delivery systems. For the time being,you are a contractor, paid , we understand,$55,000 to offer the service for a month. You have been given JEF’s vans YET YOU CHOOSE TO SPEND $2500 per week hiring your yellow bus. Does it belong to one of your friends? Very profitable for them.I’m sure. As you are being paid by JEFs administrators, why are you promoting your Exodus Brand? As you are actually funded by JEF money,shouldn’t your role be to promote JEF, not Exodus? Your site manager,Karen,when asked by one of our people what was happening, told the enquirer that “Jeff is sick,and we have to look after this for him.” Unfortunately that person actually believed this outrageous lie, and spent a few hours later being pacified by a group of fellow patrons. So while your lies and spindoctoring may have the desired effect of raising the desired millions in donations you so whimsically choose, they can have a cruel and devastating effect on marginalised people and we ask you to save them for your corporate friends and the media, who doubtless find them so wonderfully entertaining.

 Take notice,also, that we will monitor your activities daily, until the service is returned to the control of Jef Gambin. The only thing you can do to gain our support,is leave.

JEFs Foodvan at risk of closure!!!!

The foodvan operation which Jef Gambin and his merry team of volunteers worked tirelessly to make the most well known marginalised peoples food service has been placed at risk by an uncaring and bureaucratic government, to the dismay of the homeless and the applause of many so called homeless service charities. The State government installed their favourite charity,Exodus Foundation, as a paid contractor to fill the gap at a reputed cost of $55000 for one month. The issues regading this contractor have been covered elsewhere. In short, this contractor is providing a infrastructure heavy, light on food service, serving the same skimpy meals they are notorious for.

 However, we must look at the very real possibility that JEF doesnt get their resources back, and Exodus close the service( which is probably the governments end game. So we, Sydneys homeless, must act to replace the service ourselves.

How Good Was Jefs Food??

We thought it was pretty damn good too!!!! With apologies to the ex member and authors whose site is credited below.

Tribute To Jeff And Alina Gambin.
Extract from NSW Legislative Council Hansard. This record is a corrected copy version. See bottom of
page for classifications and links relating to this extract.
TRIBUTE TO JEFF AND ALINA GAMBIN
Page: 8650
The Hon. C. J. S. LYNN [10.12 p.m.]: Tonight I pay tribute to a couple I
met last week, Jeff and Alina Gambin, who run an organisation called
Just Enough Faith which operates of an evening across the road from
Parliament House. Their story is very interesting. Jeff was born in Tibet
and came to Australia at age four and was raised here. He did national
service—he served in Vietnam—and eventually became a very
successful restaurateur. A few years ago when times were a little bit
tough he was sitting on a bench in Martin Place trying to work his way
through a problem when a fellow said to him, “I understand you will have
a cold night tonight. I suggest you sleep over there in that doorway where
the heat comes through.” Jeff thanked him and the man went away. The
bloke came back and said to Jeff, “I can see this is your first night, you
had better have my blanket. I know how to keep warm.” Jeff realised that
this fellow had only a blanket, yet was prepared to give it to him.
Jeff eventually reorganised his thoughts. He sold up his businesses and
for the past six years he has fed the homeless in this part of the world
every night of the week. Later he met a woman, Alina, who worked in
advertising, heard about him and joined his organisation. They got
married a couple of years ago. The fellow who had offered the blanket
was invited to be their best man. Jeff and Alina started feeding a few
people, and now every night they feed 200 people in Martin Place and
another couple of hundred people in the Domain. Giving them one
substantial meal of the day is not their main purpose. Their purpose is to
use that as an attraction to get those people out, find out their difficulties
and work out how they can help them. Of the people they look after,
about 20 per cent have virtually no hope in life, 40 per cent have a mental
problem and 40 per cent have hope. Jeff does not discriminate against
anyone; his aim is to give them all hope.
When they find out what their difficulty is, what they like and so forth, Jeff
and Alina work out a way to house them. Currently 17 houses, leased
under his name, accommodate three people per house. He has just
established a 25-acre farm at Minto where people who have come down
from the country can live in familiar surroundings. The people on the farm
are starting to grow vegetables and Jeff is teaching them to be selfsufficient.
He is returning their dignity to them and lets them know that
there are people who care for them. I have known Jeff for only the past
week. I have been over there each night, got in the queue and had a
meal. The food is better than it is in Parliament House—in fact, I would
like to get him here to feed us out the back after the House adjourns!
Earlier I was reading an article by Hugh Morgan from the Westpac Bank.
The article is about corporate and mutual obligation, which is all well and
good. But out there on our doorstep are two people who are making a
difference in their own way.
John Saunders, a wonderful man and one of the founding partners of
Westfield, was stricken with heart problems and sugar diabetes—stuff
that money could not fix—not long before he died. A plaque at the front of
his office read: “If you have health you have hope, and if you have hope
you have everything.” I could not help but think about that when I met Jeff
and Alina, because they are helping these people restore hope so that
they will have a future. I would like to pay tribute to Jeff and Alina. I invite
other members of Parliament who want a good feed between 9.30 p.m.
and 10.30 p.m. to pop across the road. Jeff would be only too happy to
oblige. He would like to meet more members of Parliament. At present
Jeff funds the service completely himself. Although he will not take
government funding, he would not mind a bit of corporate support. He is a
wonderful man.
Speakers: Lynn, The Hon Charlie .
Version: Corrected Copy NSW Legislative Council Hansard Article No.37 of 05/09/2000.
Speech Type: ADJ; Adjournment.

(see original @ http://www.charlielynn.com.au/docs/speeches/Community%20Issues/Tribute%20To%20Jeff%20And%20Alina%20Gambin.pdf

Action Alert..7th May 2009

Following early discussions with homeless and marginalised people, the major concern is the status of Just Enough Faiths Foodvan operation. Rumors abound, contributing to further anxieties and destabilisation as the marginalised overwhelmingly express a real fear of being cut adrift from one of the few safe anchorages in the stormy unpredictable ocean which is the world of many.

a) Will Jef regain control of the foodvan? A petition would easily raise 1000 signatures in 24 hours if this would effect the return of control to the Gambins or their nominees.

b) If not, will Exodus offer the same bland unreliable service they offer now?

 

c) Will the foodvans cease to operate?

Options b and c are unacceptable to homeless and marginalised people!!!

 We are discussing alternatives to both unacceptable options. Our aim is to put in place a “for the homeless, by the homeless” alternative, and we are canvassing the following options/will consider other non government offers.

a) A Marignalised peoples barbecue type gathering. Ideally above the current JEF site. Food cooked on site in an informal arrangement. Stews, rice,mince and whatever else all possible. Considering operating 24 hours a day.

b) A similar resource in Belmore Park. Maybe just breakfasts/brekkie & dinner.

c) Utilising one of three currently disused commercial kitchens known to us.Discussions are still at formative stages.

in short, we need reliable methods to cook bulk amounts of food, about 350 kilos a night.Preferably using health department and council approved facilities. We will need to move quickly to use them if options B or C are the outcome. We would of course welcome Jef as co-ordinator should he wish to do so.

 We also need to identify and contact regular suppliers of FREE MEATs and Vegies as well as volunteers to make it all happen….. sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org.

Suggestions/offers of help & support to sydneyhomeless@letterboxes.org

We are not a registered entity of any kind, nor are we registered or licensed to solicit donations. We are also not registered with the tax office. Reasons??? Its very hard to throw stones at a non entity, and anyway we are homeless people of very modest means. So we are not soliciting help of any kind, simply advising of how we might accept prooffered donations.

 In discussions with regular and current clients, there is almost universal opposition to the current takeover of JEF by Exodus. There is also a large groundswell of opposition to the prospect of the salvos taking over. There is vociferous criticism of Exodus current operations in relation to both Loaves & Fishes and JEF Foodvan operations. The key factor is diminished services. People do not eat flash vans and napkins. They eat food. Another issue is the surveillance camera in the Exodus supplied Yellow Foodvan. Who are the surveillance tapes made available to? Are there live feeds perhaps, police stations, DOCs or even City Council? There are no signs warning clients that they are subject to surveillance and the “its not turned on story just doesn’t wash.

The groundswell of opinion against the salvos picking up the service is also unexpectedly strong. Many Homeless already reject the brand thanks to their experiences with other Salvation Army facilities which they describe as institutions. There has been criticism by young street people of the Salvation Armys Iternet van passing on information about them to DoCS, long recognised almost universally(with the exception of government politicians) as childrens and families worst nightmare. Our immediate concern is that a substantial number of young people will feel unsafe to eat at a Salvos run van, as will some parents  who occasionally visit the vans.

 Just Enough Faiths foodvan operation and its equipment have been siezed by the Office of Liqour and Gamings (see website http://www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/olgr_default.asp )administrator (see  article, http://www.smh.com.au/national/turned-out-just-enough-faith-wasnt-enough-after-all-20090429-anf7.html?page=2 ). That administrator has paid $55000 to Bill Crews Exodus Foundation to keep the service running until June. The administrator has handed over Just Enough Faiths vans, as well as the private contact details of Just Enough Faith volunteers, to the administrators contractor, Exodus Foundation. To the disgust of some JEF volunteers and confusion of many more, Exodus have been contacting them to continue to volunteer to provide the service, for which Exodus are being paid. Exodus have taken Just Enough Faith t-shirts (apparently sourced from JEF storage) and handed them out to some of their volunteers. Exodus masquerades as Just Enough Faith, but they don’t fool anyone. Their insubstantial, inadequate and for many inedible meals are trademark Exodus…straight out of their loaves and fishes fundraising display centre. Their lack of duty of care was graphically illustrated, when it was left to a tiny ex-JEF female volunteer to quell a potential violent altercation Tuesday last week with no support from Exodus staff. I would personally like to apologise to that person for not intervening as I should have.

Marginalised?? Where to eat in Sydney

Without doubt, struggling Jeff Gambins Just Enough Faith were until a couple of weeks ago the undisputed “must have meal a day” for Sydneys Homeless and marginalised. Their extraordinary effort and achievement has been to feed up to 600 people per night from their site at the intersection of Cathedral and Sir John Young Crescents in Woolloomooloo /East Sydney for 17 years,never missing a day, never running out of food, and providing a selection of restaurant quality meals that were nourishing and sustaining. Sadly The Gambins and their support team are rught now fighting to regain control of Just Enough Faith from a belligerent uncaring Gaming and Lotteries Department, who have siezed control and handed over the organisations assets to Darling of the rich and Pariah-in-the-name-of-Sydney-marginalised Bill Crews and his Exodus foundation,who are now a government paid contract service delivery provider. The consensus among the regular diners is “the foods ratshit”.A significant number of the older guys endure the indignity of missing their nightly meal in silence, because they cannot eat the undercooked meat. Bill Crews, that scion of the marginalised establishment,after 20 years of accepting government and corporate money in the name of Sydney Marginalised, has still not worked out that a large number of streeties have dental problems and so cannot eat much of the undercooked food he serves up. This is a graphic illustration of the difference Jef Gambin makes for marginalised people.He analyses. Then He fixes it. Bill Crews? He looks for more money, then works out the minimum services possible, in an uncaring, almost contemptuous way. A historical note;  Crews Uniting Church ancestors were among those who handed out smallpox infected blankets to local aboriginals in Australias first encounter with germ warfare.

 Our appreciation to JEF original organisation and their many volunteers, without whom this cutting edge service would not be possible

 There is a huge groundswell of support for the return of JEF to the control of Team Gambin,who actually knew what they were doing 

1/ Martin Place outside Westpac 4-30 to whenever, weekdays… ex shop stock, ad hoc take it and go stuff. Can be messy.2-30 Saturdays.

2/ Monday-Friday 7-30am. Station Ltd.

U make toast and coffee,u do it laundry and showers(til 1 pm), lunch(cooked) 12-30. They’re government funded and accept some donations. Nice staff, mostly,but they don’t hesitate to call police. No under 22 year olds. DOCs are involved as a funding provider, so its not advisable to take kids there anyway, you might lose them. Largely clean, largely old fashioned, has doctor/centrelink/lawyers one day a week.

Matthew Talbot…Talbot Lane,Woolloomooloo…. Vinnies run Matthew Talbot is a draconian jail like facility (except jail food is said to be better). Reputedly the largest recipient of government funding for homeless services in Australia, they get more than their fair share in corporate support too. Homeless people used to be charged to eat there, but were reputedly forced to withdraw their charges by a large, unamused media based corporate sponsor. With its prison like facilities and food, children and women are not permitted. Matthew Talbot residents form a large percentage of the attendees at the services run by Coptic Church,Bexley (Wednesdays,Cathedral St Carpark,St Marys Cathedral St Entrance & Wynyard Station Park, Vinnies Foodvans, and Just Enough Faith(currently operated by Gaming and Lotteries contractor Exodus Foundation. This should be a good indicator as to the quality and quantity of food available. Not on our recommended list, but they do make breakfast lunch and dinner, lunch I think. Latest reports indicate that Talbot food has improved in quality. In winter hot porridge is the breakfast staple,and an appropriate staple it is too. Men only… this quaint and archaic rule is from a bygone era when people simply forgot that women and children get hungry too. 

Vinnies Vans…. At one time Vinnies Vans were the showpiece of corporate fundraising at its ugliest… Vans dispensing  luke warm tea and stale biscuits to small groups of homeless, in the main, drunks. How times have changed. Forced by the high standards set by Jeff Gambins ,Just Enough Faith, to their credit,Vinnies lifted their game. They now operate at 4 locations per night( Martin Place,Westpac) 8-40 to 9-30, Cathedral St St Marys Entrance, 9-30 to 10-30, Green Park (10-30-11-15) and Central Station (outside Firefly) 11-30 pm to 12-30 am or thereabouts. We pass on the numerous requests from homeless people consulted to express their gratitude to the many and diverse groups of volunteers who make Vinnies Food Vans the friendly caring and essential service they are today. We would like especially to express our gratitude to the many mini-vinnies volunteers, who spend so much time and effort preparing and presenting the food dispensed by their older peers at the Vinnies vans. Mini Vinnies are the Catholic school kids who are too young to work on the vans (Legal requirement,age 16, good reasons) We would also like to thank the schools and staff who participate in delivering this service, often in cold and miserable conditions.

COPTIC CHURCH;Wednesdays, about 8-30 pm

Cathedral st Carpark(opposite Nicks).

Cathedral st St Marys Entrance(near Cook & Phillip Pool).

Wynyard Station Park

 the Coptic(Christian) church, centred in Bexley, is a vibrant and dynamic group of very enthusiastic mainly younger people of mainly middle eastern origin. Hey, these guys and girls dont get government or corporate funding to do this, they do it from a genuine sense of caring and commitment.They service three sites simultaneously providing a variety of wholesome food and drinks which is gratefully devoured by an ever expanding school of marginalised fishies. Good on you guys and ladies, very much appreciated.

St Canices; Another dedicated crew feed a large community lunches Saturday and Sundays.

Exodus Foundation, Liverpool St Ashfield, Breakfast of toast & tea, Lunch, can be anything, usually served with dessert.

Crews Missile Attack on Just Enough Faith

We are reliably informed that the founder of Just Enough Faith is fighting to regain control of the organisation. Thats good for us!!!

 Since the State government directed bureaucrat(currently running JEF) launched his Crews missile attack against the founders, the standards have really slipped. The made for media show which Bill Crews Exodus Foundation have put on would be funny if it did not have the immediate effect of people going hungry. Never in 17 years does anyone recall Just Enough Faith running  out of food. Hapless ex Just Enough Faith volunteers who have continued to staff the foodvans under the current regime were left monday night to explain to the dozens left unfed that there wasn’t any more food available. Exodus staff nowhere in sight. Tuesday night, our people reported food down to chicken and rice by 8:20 and Rice only by the end of the night. This is in spite of the numbers being lighter than normal, due in part to many JEF regulars staying away in droves because they cannot eat the food provided. Jef knows why, and I wonder how much longer it will take Exodus wunderkind Crews to figure out (hes only been in the business 20 years).We have been inundated with complaints covering almost every aspect of the service since it has been taken over by paid contractor Exodus Foundation.

Lack of Choice;

Just Enough Faith offered a multiple choice menu,with a selection of 5 dishes available during the course of the evening. Exodus offer just vegetarian or non vegetarian, in infinitely smaller servings. Our People knew that they could access nourishing substantial meals at the Just Enough Faith Foodvan.

Flash van and napkins are no replacement for quality nutritious food.

Why can’t people have half vegetarian and half meat if they choose, a reasonable request when the main meat meal is 2 small chicken legs and 10 spoonfulls of rice,no vegies,no sauce.

 Why does the van run out of food, especially when the numbers are quite small?

We note several concerns voiced by many of the homeless and marginalised as to the future of the food van operation after the current contract runs out, should Team Gambin remain locked out of the equation.

 There are voices from almost all corners of the service provider industry with proposals to “take over”.

 While it is a fascinating case study of  “The Vuluristic Tendencies of Charities” , we note that ALL rely on the crowd attracted by the services of JEF. But they all will take government funding, and put in place the same incompetent bureaucracy that has first gave Just Enough Faiith a raison de etre. They will all agree to deliver government programs.This is a condition of all government funding.

 We are concerned too.

A series of meetings over the last few days has resolved to support ONLY a non government, Team Gambin operated Foodvan operation on the currrent site.

 We ask all donors to consider  supporting a direct-to-marginalised initiative if Team Gambin are prevented from operating. The service will be the homeless initiated and run backup plan if Team Gambin cannot recommence their service. Options are still being discussed at this time, however we are NOT seeking the involvement of ANY government agencies or their current church and charitable contractors.

I understand that Crews actually calls his “restaurant” in Ashfield “Loaves and Fishes” . I wonder if that biblical parable has anything to do with the meagre ration packs his church based Exodus Foundation have become famous for. I had a look at their site.  http://www.billcrews.com.au/htm/exodus.htm?misc/blog#6822  is your classic charity bludge, BUT the devil is in the detail. To have just $1 in the bank by the end of June, they need $1.5 million!!!! What??? Is that over and above their coroprate and government funding?  Hey, I’m also not an accountant or the corporate regulator, but if this is May and they are 1.5million short, isn’t that INSOLVENT?

 Hey guys, Bill Crews Exodus Foundation is part of the Uniting Church. Out of pure interest, we are accumulating a dirt file and need your input. Any stories relating to your experiences as a client of Crews and his organisations may help to make a better life for Sydneys marginalised. We are especially interested in any instances of inappropriate care in Uniting Church run Childrens Services Hostels and homes, or inappropriate spending by this long term misappropriator of our names, and beneficiary of government largesse.

For the Homeless, by the Homeless

Sydney Homeless has launched this blog as an interim advocacy platform for Sydneys Homeless and marginalised, flowing from the problems of Just Enough Faith, recognised by the majority of Sydneys homeless as their major support organisation.

 The authors would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Jef Gambin for the assistance he and his supporters have channelled to thousands of homeless people, including ourselves.We would like to thank Mr Gambin personally for the selfless way in which he contributed to our lives and needs. We wish to place on record that we have personally witnessed several spontaneous acts of unbridled generosity in a material sense and of spirit by Mr Gambin, including interstate reuniification of children with their erstwhile estranged families, provision of private schooling opportunities to children, or handing out cigarettes in the early days of the foodvans. We call on all homeless people to support Mr Gambin and HIS Just Enough Faith.

 Our aim is to bring the issues facing homeless people in Sydney into the public focus, as well as raising awareness among Sydneys homless, marginalised and supporters of common issues and solutions.