Winsome Newsletter July 2015 Download
A Winsome Resident’s Thoughts
I have lived at the Winsome for 18 months. The Winsome has given me the opportunity to get back on my feet.
The Winsome provides the people with a doctor, Centrelink, Legal Aid, nurses and a homeless persons’ outreach worker from St Vincent de Paul. My health has picked up through the help of these people.
The meals provided are always tasty and filling, no one should leave here hungry. This place is run by volunteers. I volunteer 2 days a week and it has helped me to learn some people skills through the help of the day staff and all the dedicated people working at the Winsome.
This place is a must, both for the people who live here, and those who come here regularly for a meal, and to enjoy community.
This is a comfortable and safe place to come to.
Jim Haughton
Kitchen Upgrade and Clinic Construction
An $18,000 grant from Northern Rivers Community Foundation has enabled a substantial upgrade of the kitch
en including replacement of the linoleum floor, stainless steel wall sheeting, shelf and bench, wall tiling, replacement timber shelf, wall, ceiling and oven hood repainting, waterproofing all power points at splashback level, extension of the fire sprinkler system and installation of a mop sink external to the kitchen. The upgrade satisfies Council DA conditions and workplace, health and safety issues.
Development Consent was obtained following a $20,000 grant from the (then) North Coast Medicare Local (now the North Coast Primary Health Network) and $10,000 from the Lismore Diocesan Office of the St Vincent de Paul Society together with an in house contribution to construct a small doctors consultation room, a nurses’ treatment room and small waiting/admin room in the ground floor space formerly known as Girards Restaurant.
A new pantry attaches as part of “The Nook” next to the kitchen. The treatment rooms are air conditioned. This small medical facility will lift the morale of the Winsome patrons and improve their well being. Wednesday Doctor’s appointments will commence in August. The rooms will also assist service providers on other days.
A big thankyou to Lex Johnston, the Vinnies Supervisor and all involved. All original walls and trim were repainted by Nick, a resident, who has also repainted all residential hallways, stairwell, windows and balcony doors and railing.
Thankyou Nick.
Paul Murphy
Winsome General Manager
Overview of the Year
At the Winsome, we continue to enjoy a vibrant, caring community. As always, I like to acknowledge and
thank our committed volunteers. Walking into the building via the bar, the smell of freshly brewed coffee greets you, and our volunteer baristas do a great job, from providing a low cost cup of coffee, to lending a listening ear to someone who needs to share their burdens! Our volunteer kitchen team always provide a nutritious main meal at lunch time. Words of appreciation and thanks from our patrons flow freely into the kitchen after the meal.
One of the highlights this year was celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Lismore Soup Kitchen. Many of our 500 club supporters attended the dinner, with Tim Costello, our Patron, being the guest speaker. Fabulous food was prepared by Jim Hearn, and served by students from local schools. Tim Costello announced that this was the best meal he had ever had! Thanks to NORPA for their assistance in making this a memorable night!!
This year we have welcomed Gene as volunteer to the Winsome. Gene has transformed the stables in the garden, to a comfortable space for our friends to sit and have coffee. He is also using this space for pottery classes, with a number of people trying their hand at creating an article on the pottery wheel. These pieces are then fired at a kiln in North Lismore, and a new activity at the Winsome has been born!
Being able to provide accommodation for men without a home continues to be a rewarding part of the work at the Winsome. Our oldest resident is in his eighties and was living in a tent before he became a resident with us. Some of our residents tell us that their lives have changed since they have stayed at the Winsome, and Jims story is testament to that! Since November 2009, we have provided accommodation to over 130 residents.
We continue to enjoy the outreach services provided by the various organizations and these are proving very valuable for our soupie friends. We are all looking forward to the new GP, who will run the clinic on Wednesday mornings, starting early August, in our newly built consultation rooms.
Thankyou to all our Winsome 500 Club supporters!! We could not continue this vital service in our community without your help.
Please drop in one day, and enjoy a cup of our great coffee, and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere at the Winsome.
Mieke Bell
President Lismore Soup Kitchen
Winsome Accommodation Manager
Winsome Finances 2014 / 15
The financial position of the Winsome Hotel / Lismore Soup Kitchen continues to be sound and all financial accounts and commitments have been met over the past 12 months.
The Winsome 500 Club as at June 30th 2015 had 130 members who made monthly contributions varying from $2 per week through to $200 per month. The monthly tally at this time is $3960 per month and there are about another half dozen people who make an annual donation rather than a monthly commitment.
The income from meal and café donations and sales tallied $893 / month over the same period, whilst the income from accommodation was as follows:
- Mazzer House - 7 bedrooms - $2954 / month
- Winsome accommodation - 18 bedrooms - $9046 / month
As everyone reading this article would no doubt realise, the cost of living keeps rising and we constantly need to review our costs and income to ensure the ongoing viability of the Winsome.
Because the Soup Kitchen does not receive government funding, we are reliant on the continuing goodwill of the community and the careful stewardship of the resources that we have been given. Care is taken with the funds to ensure that they are spent wisely and economically.
One of our great supporters financially over the past few years has been the St Vincent de Paul Society in Lismore. These generous friends have helped the Soupie, not only by providing us with services from Brian, their outreach worker, but also by paying the gas and electricity accounts over the past few years. I cannot overstate the value of their support over the past few years. Thank you St V’s !!!
Thankyou to all of you who have supported the Winsome and Soupie through your generous giving over this past 12 months.
Ridley Bell
Business Manager
