Testimonial from a parent

Dear Finn,

Here is my testimonial.  You know I mean every word of it.

I have been associated with SSH for about two years. SSH has helped me to co-parent my daughter at a time when her living at home was impossible for both of us for many reasons. At SSH my daughter has learned to accept boundaries, respect others and take responsibility for her actions.

I have always been grateful for SSH's intervention because I knew my daughter was always safe and supported by staff who are both firm and caring. My daughter has learned to be responsible for her words and actions in an atmosphere of support and sensitivity.  The caseworkers are not just doing a job, they actually care about the adolescents in their charge.  On many occasions the manager, Finn and the caseworkers have gone beyond the call of duty when dealing with my daughter and I. They have always encouraged my daughter to make sound decisions by discussing with her all the possible consequences of various behaviours.  I fully appreciated their input and I always felt heard, valued and accepted unconditionally and unjudgementally.

Furthermore the manager and workers have patiently taught my daughter to be respectful towards others, fulfil her duties in a household situation and attend school and TAFE regularly.  Consequently, she gained her School Certificate and is currently completing a Certificate 3 office administration course at TAFE.

Thanks to the efforts of the manager and workers at SSH the relationship between my daughter and I has improved immensely.

I have been to Christmas parties which left me in awe of the manager, Finn and the workers who so naturally and sincerely made these occasions so special for all of us.  The young people were showered with attention and gifts.

Finn, you as manager have a true affinity with the young people because you understand them and always have their best interests at heart.  You are intelligent and savvy and have no qualms in arbitrating judiciously and unjudgementally over the most difficult situations with the goal of achieving the most favourable resolutions for the young people.

Many volunteer workers add to the positive ambience of SSH. I can't commend them enough.  They are inspirational people who remind me how much we could all do for others less fortunate than ourselves for whatever circumstance beyond their or our control.

From a mum who will always be grateful to SSH.

To all the wonderful people who made everything happen:

I would like to say thank you so much for making my Christmas for the last 2 years the best I’ve ever had. I'm sorry for being absent last Friday on the 28th January 2011. Despite all the ups and downs I have to say I’m a lucky duck!

I don’t know where to start. I wish I could say it face to face but paper and pen doesn’t really put out that raw emotion. I will try my best.

CHRISTMAS!

Well all I can say is WOW! I can’t believe the sheer amount of presents I got- the amazing food and all the thought and preparation that went into it was amazing!

I opened up my presents and Santa sack and got dresses and practically everything I liked and suited my personality. It’s amazing how much the staff take notice of what we like/don’t like and how we dress-basically everything. I felt overwhelmed and being quite an emotional person I got quite teary...it’s just this...I never thought Christmas was like this. The way I grew up it just wasn’t celebrated. And after that I had my birthday! A day later! I got a cake and more PRESENTS! :D Yep I got REALLY spoilt!

I wish I had been there last Friday to give all of the volunteers and committee members and anyone who made these unforgettable experiences and memories happen for me a hug and a heartfelt thank you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Oh and by the way I forgot to mention that as I sat there in stepping stone house surrounded by presents-I declared I would never leave...to Finn’s dismay-

Thank you for making SSH the best place I’ve ever lived and giving us all the opportunities like fitness classes, movies, dinners, trampolines and bikes especially things like trapezing where i overcame fear and panic after being reduced to tears-but with the encouragement of everyone managed to try again and again! To be honest I never thought I would do so many things that have been available to me now because of your support!

Thank you so much!

Lots of love,

Lisa!

Dear Finn

I would like to thank Stepping Stone House for all they have done for me. I came to Stepping Stone House in October 2007 as you know, convinced it wouldn’t work for me at all. I was thinking that stepping stone house would be like every other refuge that I had been to but when I came to stepping stone house to live -  after a few weeks I started to feel like it would be a little different to the rest of the places I had been  to and I was right.

Stepping stone house has a very good structure to the day to day stuff and routines such as Monday night actives night. Tuesday and Thursday nights were chore nights we had our house meetings on a Sunday night where all the residents who lived there were given the chance to have a choice in what they wanted to cook for dinner on their night to cook. I had never really been given the choice to come up with something I wanted to cook as the most of the other places you had a list to chose from -  so being able to have a few choices in what I wanted was kind of like being at home which to me was a very wired but a good feeling  that I never got  from being at the other places I had been to .  I also liked the fact that I was in the medium to long term but stepping stone house had the medium to long term in the main house and the independent living program out the back which to me made me have something to look forward to as a goal to were I wanted to be and I finally made it - even though I never ever thought I would. When this happened I was delighted and felt I was at long last getting my life together.

The  staff at stepping stone house are very friendly & the make an effort to get to know you and that made me feel like I was not just a case file from Docs.  Stepping stone house always feels like it’s a family environment, I have never called it a refuge I always called it home. Stepping Stone House  had really good living skills to teach  - we even had working bees where we would mow the lawns picked the weeds and do any work that needed to be done outside.

Since I went in to care of the minster at 13 years of age to when I came to Stepping Stone House I hardly spent a week at school but in the two and a half years I was at Stepping Stone House I had finished my year ten certificate and then enrolled at TAFE to do a childcare course. And this to me was a very big thing. I also was assessed and moved in to the Independent living unit which made me feel like I had achieved something from being in Stepping Stone House.

As of January 2011 I will be 20 years of age and I now live in a private rental accommodation with my partner and our beautiful son. I still call Stepping Stone House “home” and I continue to call  to say hi and pop in from time to time.  I really hope that Stepping Stone House stays open for many many years to come because its a one of kind place to live.