UNOH Sydney

UNOH Chapters: Where we live and serve Christ

UNOH Sydney began in 2007 The chapter lives and serves Jesus in Bidwill, a neighbourhood of the largest public housing estate in Mt Druitt, Western Sydney. Jon Owen is the UNOH Sydney chapter leader. The UNOH workers in Sydney are:

  • Jon and Lisa Owen with their 2 children Kshama aged 6 and Kiera aged 5
  • Lisa Paxton
  • Adam Booth
  • Matthew and Katie Godfrey

We also have 3 live-in Submerge Students in 2010:

  • Fleur Hardman (NZ)
  • Jarrod Myers   (NSW)
  • Heather Oulton (NZ)

UNOH workers in Sydney serve in partnerships that include:

  • Mt Druitt Community Ministry, Bidwill
  • Emu Plains Correctional Centre and Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre Visitation
  • NEWPIN Fathers Group.
  • Bidwill Community Garden
  • Blacktown Youth College
  • MECA
  • African Mentoring Project

African Mentoring Project

The African Mentoring Project is a community program that was started by a Sudanese man who saw that many Sudanese women were struggling to find their place within the Australian society. Sudanese families will usually have more than five children, so the women, who play very traditional roles within the family, do not always have access to child care and English classes. Mt Druitt Ethnic Community Agency provides the meeting space where the English classes are held and child minding is provided. For many women the African Mentoring Project introduces them to friendships and support as they try and negotiate this new world that they find themselves in.

Mt Druitt Community Ministry, Bidwill

Mt Druitt Community Ministry represents a partnership between the Uniting Church and the Catholic Church. It is the only space in the local area where residents can congregate other than the Bidwill Pub. During the day, it is the Community space where the local Residents Action Group meets and plans community events. It also runs playgroups for single mothers and advocates for residents with Government Departments like Centrelink and the Housing Department. The centre also runs youth clubs and festivals.

UNOH workers assist in running these programs. They also assist in providing refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Emu Plains Correctional Centre and Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre Visitation

The rates of incarceration amongst the racial groups in the Mt Druitt neighbourhood are very high. UNOH workers visit Emu Plains Correctional Centre and Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre to support people from Mt Druitt and, sometimes, they provide accommodation so as to enable the release of inmates who would otherwise have no place to go.

There is card-making / craft program running at the women’s prison to enable prisoners to communicate with their families, many of whom live very far away.

Community Garden:

The Garden was established in 2001 and involves partnerships between Blacktown City Council, the NSW Department of Housing, the Botanic Gardens Trust, the NSW Department of Juvenile Justice, other community groups and volunteers. It provides a place of beauty in Bidwill that encourages community pride and participation.

The Bidwill Community Garden has a number of themed garden beds of edible and non-edible plants and hosts regular school holiday events, BBQs, and demonstrations. The produce of the garden is regularly distributed to helpers and those living in the area.

The garden is as water wise as possible with multiple water tanks, drip irrigation systems and even a composting toilet!

NEWPIN Fathers Group

NEWPIN (NEW Parent and Infant Network) Fathers Group is a program run by Burnside Uniting Care. It supports fathers who have either had their children removed by DoCS (Department of Community Services) or require support for other reasons. It teaches fathers non-violent alternatives to parenting an interacting with their children and partners.

UNOH workers support this program by supporting the fathers to put into practice the lessons learned at NEWPIN, and also by providing respite care when required.

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