AALIYAH 29
“ “
I love it here in Langwarrin, all the trees and birds. It’s been a great place to have Kira grow up in.
ABOUT
Aaliyah, Kursley and their little one Kira live in Langwarrin, all their family are still in Christchurch, but they have made Australia home. They both had good jobs at a winery down the peninsula, but they have been laid off when the winery closed. There isn’t much work in hospitality at the moment, and they couldn’t afford rent on their house, so they moved into the caravan park. They are not eligible for social support, apart from a parenting supplement, which means after paying the caravan rental, they’ve got $40 for the fortnight. They have come to depend on Community Support Frankston to help with groceries. Aaliyah’s applied for a job at a big bottle shop and has been called for an interview - they are hoping they can turn their luck around.
WISH / HOPE
They hope they can manage to get back into a house and get Kira some proper presents for Christmas.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That they’ll be stuck in the caravan park for a long time.
ABOUT
ANDREW 45
No one can really help me, can they?
After all, I’ve recovered from the accident. “ “
Andrew has a good job, loves his wife and two kids and is comfortably paying off his house, but he doesn’t feel like himself anymore. Two years ago he was involved in a serious accident and was hospitalised for two months and had several operations on his shoulder and leg. It was eighteen months before he could go back to work, but his employer was understanding and supportive throughout. His leg and shoulder still “ache a bit” but he says they’re OK. Andrew’s wife and kids have noticed that he is grumpy and short tempered a lot more than before. The kids ask him to play footy or go cycling with them but he’s not so keen. Before the accident Andrew played tennis once a week with friends at his local club but now he rarely goes because he feels tired and “can’t be bothered”. Andrew is an independent type – he travelled the world and worked overseas, that’s where he met his wife – and has never really had too many setbacks in life. This morning he started crying while mowing the lawn. His wife saw and asked why. “I don’t know. I can’t put it into words.” She hugged him. He knows she loves him, that his life is a good one, but he still doesn’t feel right.
WISH / HOPE
That life will get back to the way it was. He knows there is a bright future for him and his family if he can get over this ‘slump’.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That he will feel like this for ever, even though he doesn’t really know what’s going on.
BRUCE 42
I just want someone to give me a go... give me a chance, you know? “ “
ABOUT
Bruce lost his job a couple years ago, and he has really struggled to get a new one. He left school in year 10, he doesn’t seem to have the qualifications or skills that employers in the area are looking for. All the money worries added to his marriage to Emily breaking down, now he is on Job Keeper, and the only place he can afford to live is a rooming house. This wasn’t how he thought his life would go, and he needs a good strong drink to help him numb out at the end of the day. His best mate keeps encouraging him to apply for jobs, and maybe to go to TAFE. It’s good to have someone who still believes in him.
WISH / HOPE
He wants to get out of this rutt, get a better place to live.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Bruce worries that he’ll not be able to get a job again.
ABOUT
CAROLYN 64
I haven’t gambled since 2015 and I am so proud of how far I have come.
“
I started gambling regularly in my 50’s, at first it was to spend time with a friend and we enjoyed going out after work for dinner and then play the pokies. But I was soon going by myself with the excuse of using the pokies to relax. When I was feeling stressed or lonely I would take myself off and sit and play all day. When I was in a pokies venue I used to say I could stop playing these machines anytime I wanted, but in really it was not me playing them, it was the machine playing me. I knew it was getting out of hand when I started taking money from the company where I worked. Over seven years I stole more than $400,000 of the company’s money and I have no idea how much of my own money I wasted. It was not until I was in prison that I received the help I needed to stop gambling and even though going to prison was not a good thing if I had not, I might never have got the help I needed. The counselling and support made me realise that I was not alone.
WISH / HOPE
That she can continue her life without gambling.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That people can get counselling and support before reaching the point of going to prison.
This is a real life case study
DIANNE 15
trying to do something different to what your family have done. “ “
It’s
a bit scary
ABOUT
Dianne is 15 and in Year 10. She loves school, especially her English class, and gets good but not amazing marks. Her teachers feel she could do better. When her English teacher asked her about it she said “It’s just hard, you know. No one else at home really gets it.” Dianne lives in a three bedroom house with her mum, step dad, brother and two younger step sisters. She shares her room with the two other girls. No one in the house is working at the moment. Her step dad lost his job five years ago and her mum has never worked. Mum has developed various health problems over the years. Dianne’s older brother was working for a mate, but he quit and told her “I’m gonna stay home and look after Mum, she’s more important than a job.” Dianne wants to go to university and maybe become a psychologist. No one in her family or the people they know has ever been to uni before so she’s a bit worried about how it all works. She likes to go to the library to study after school because it’s so crowded at home, but her step dad teases her about being a bookworm and her mum keeps saying that she has to come straight home and help her cook tea and look after the younger kids. There are no books in the house, but a lot of noise from the TVs and stereo. Dianne doesn’t invite many friends to come to the house, only a couple really who live in her neighbourhood and undersand. Otherwise she makes excuses or meets her friends in Frankston when she can. She doesn’t think her family are deliberately trying to hold her back – it’s just that they have a different idea about what’s important.
WISH / HOPE
To get a good education and job and to remain a part of the family she loves.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That in 20 years’ time she’ll be living the same life she’s living now.
It’s
lovely getting a parcel isn’t it!
ABOUT
Enid loves her grandkids, but doesn’t get to see them much as they’ve moved interstate. She always sends them in a little something in the post for their birthdays. Her granddaughter’s birthday is coming up, so she heads to her local post office. Someone has parked in front of the ramp, and she is not able to squeeze through with her wheelie walker. She waits for a little while hoping the driver will return. After a while she decides to head home, she’ll have to come back another time.
WISH / HOPE
That people would be more mindful of others.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That soon it’s going to be too tricky for her to get out and about.
JAY & MIA
“ “
We
can always afford to eat, right?
ABOUT
Jay works hard as a labourer and builds up an appetite. He and his girlfriend Mia like to cook for themselves, although a couple of meat pies for lunch are always welcome. Mia is at home with their two young kids. Their son is in Prep and their daughter is three. Jay works hard and enjoys the job but he doesn’t earn a lot, and they are finding the cost of raising the kids higher than they expected. They both have a car, for Jay to get to work and for Mia to take the kids to school and shopping, and petrol isn’t cheap. Jay would like to work shorter hours so he could spend more time with the kids, but they need the money. Mia has to be careful with other expenses to make sure she has enough left for the weekly shopping. She knows what she’s doing – she looks for specials and buys in bulk if she can, but often she hasn’t got enough cash to buy anything more than what they need right then. She hasn’t spoken about it yet to Jay. She figures she can keep to her budget and cut back on other things if she has to, but she worries about it a bit. It would be terrible to not be able to afford healthy food for the family. And the kids take after their Dad – they can eat!
WISH / HOPE
To keep having a healthy, happy family.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Having to buy low quality food for the family.
JENNY 55
I’ve worked all my life, brought up my kids without much help from anyone. Now I’m looking at being old, sick and poor.
“
ABOUT
Jenny is 55, divorced and has back problems. She has worked all her life in child care but it is getting more difficult for her. Her own children live interstate and she doesn’t have a large circle of support. She has minimal superannuation and is having trouble paying the mortgage on the house she bought after her divorce. She is worried for her future.
WISH / HOPE
Jenny just hopes to be able to keep working as long as she can. It would be good to have more support from her family but she doesn’t want to impose on her kids and their lives.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Money. If Jenny has to stop work she doesn’t think she’ll have enough money to live and pay her mortgage. She’s heard of women in her situation ending up homeless. Could that happen to her?
ABOUT
“
I love
running with my friends in the playground.
JESSIE 4
Jessie was born early (prematurely) and has a resulting vision impairment. He has no vision in one eye and low vision in the other. When he was a baby he’d be quite happy playing with his hat slipped over eyes as he struggled with glare, and he was hesitant to move around on his own. When he was three he received some mobility training, including some sunglasses and a long cane and his confidence grew. Now he is at kinder, and although his parents were initially worried about the rough and tumble of playground, Jessie has been holding his own and has developed some close friendships. His kinder teacher has also had some additional training to know how best to support Jessie’s learning.
WISH / HOPE
Jessie’s family wishes that he continue to be the confident happy little person he is today.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Jessie’s family would like for other people’s perceptions of what Jessie can and can’t do to change. Without meaning to other people can undermine Jessie’s confidence by doubting his abilities. Other things like would like improving are access to spaces - having shaded playgrounds to allow children with vision impairment to use their vision more successfully, having good footpaths, high contrast step markings on playgrounds...
ABOUT
“ “
JOHN 15
I am proud of my culture. I’d like others in the community to understand more about it.
John was born in Frankston. His parents and grandparents were born in the area. His family has lived in and cherished this area and the land of his ancestors for thousands of years. He knows about and is proud of his family and their history, but he can tell that a lot of the people around him at school or in the streets of Frankston don’t know much at all about it. Some people are truly interested and want to learn about and respect Indigenous Australia. He knows too that some people don’t want to know, or react badly when they talk about Aboriginal people. But John gets the feeling that most people around Frankston just aren’t aware of its Aboriginal past, present or future. They don’t realise that the Aboriginal people are still here and connected to their land, and that life for Aboriginal people around Frankston might be different sometimes from their own. Sometimes he thinks that if there was more stuff for people to see and voices to hear, then they might understand better. He likes seeing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags flying at the Civic Centre and war memorial, but what else is there that he can show his mates while he walks around Frankston or his neighbourhood and say “See that? We’ve been here a long time. Let’s understand each other. Let’s share.”
WISH / HOPE
That there was more understanding and respect of Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culutre.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Let’s improve the visablity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the area.
KARMEL 26
I
just want to move on and establish some connections.
“ “
ABOUT
Karmel has a four week old baby, and everytime she looks at her she filled with love. She’s been in Australia for 18 months after meeting John. She thought she was the luckiest person in the world, until John started taking out his frustrations on her, and now she is terrified and very alone. Her family back in the Phillipines don’t know about what is happening, they have their own issues, the government has been shooting people who break curfew and her Mum has lost her job, barely having enough money to feed herself and Karmel’s little sister. Karmel thinks about leaving John, but she has no idea where to start.Her visa is tied to being with John. It is all so overwhelming.
WISH / HOPE
That she and her daughter can live safely and happily in Australia.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
She’d love to have more connection to other people in the area, and she is hoping a mother’s group might be able to meet soon.
PAULA 38
I don’t want my kids to go through what I have. I want them to be able to have loving safe relationships when they are older. “ “
ABOUT
Paula has recently moved back to Seaford with her four kids. She had been living in Queensland with her partner but the verbal abuse she had put up for years had started to turn phsyical, and she could see the impact it was having on her kids, so she fled with only one suitcase for all five of them. She’s got a little unit now, and the older kids have started school, but she is finding it tough. Her GP has referred her to see a psychologist to help work through some of issues that living in abuse relationship has left her with. The psychologist is in Langwarrin, and Paula can’t drive, so she needs to take two buses and it can take up to an hour, her youngest is only 8 months and keeping him entertained on the bus is exhausting.
WISH / HOPE
That she and her kids can set up a new life here, and move on from the trauma.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Improving public transport links across Frankston City would make Paula’s life a little easier.
ABOUT
RICHARD 80
It’s my decision to make! “ “
Richard is 80 years old and lives alone, after his wife of 50 years died three years ago. His two children both live in Frankston, and at least one of them visits every week to bring shopping and help around the house. He has fallen a couple of times, but fortunately wasn’t hurt too seriously. His children are getting more and more worried for him and are looking into different aged care options, or maybe finding a one bedroom flat that’s easier for Richard to maintain. They had a look for units but soon realised that there aren’t many one or even two bedroom units around in Frankston City. “I’m not moving ”, he said, “I’m staying here near you kids.” He knows there are services offered by Council like cleaning and meals on wheels, but isn’t keen having ‘strangers in the house’. Many of Richard’s friends have passed away or are in aged care facilities, so his circle of social contacts has become smaller. He refuses to have a mobile phone and doesn’t use the internet. His children wonder if he might not enjoy the company in an aged care home. Richard doesn’t want to sell his house to help pay for aged care, he says “The house is for you kids when I’m gone”. The stories he’s heard from the Aged Care Royal Commission and around Covid only make him more certain he won’t be going anywhere.
WISH / HOPE
To live and die in the home he built with his wife.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Loss of independence. ‘Abandoning’ his wife and children.
ABOUT
SALLY
“ “
Catching up with friends over a big cup of coffee is my favourite thing to do!
Sally and Karen haven’t seen each other for a couple months, and a good catch up is in order. Karen suggests her favourite café as a meeting spot as the weather is forecast to be stormy. As predicted it is pouring with rain when Sally parks outside the café, with very few people out on the streets. She gets to the front door, but she can’t get in – there is a big doorstep that she can’t get her wheelchair up. No one can see her from inside the café, and sometimes accepting help from people who don’t know much about wheelchairs can be a little dangerous. Sally rings Karen, and suggests they go to another cafe, albeit if they get sopping wet!
WISH / HOPE
I wish I could just go out for simple things without having to triple check if the place is accessible.
IMPROVE
/ CONCERN
Accessibility everywhere!
SIMON 17
“ “
I’ve stuck it out at school. I’ve done what everyone’s told me to do and now I want to make choices over my own life.
ABOUT
Simon is 17 and can’t wait to leave school, but his parents won’t let him. He struggles with school work but doesn’t really know what he wants to do after he leaves school either. He used to say he wanted to be a carpenter or electrician, but isn’t keen on going to TAFE. He hasn’t had any real experience in those areas but has worked successfully at the local take-away for nearly two years.
WISH / HOPE
Simon wishes everyone would stop telling him what do. He feels pressured into making decisions that he’s not prepared for. He wants to leave school and ‘get a job’.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
That there won’t be any jobs around that he is qualified to do, or that the ones he can do will be boring and low paid.
SAM
Better disability access to the beach and foreshore for people with a disability. “ “
ABOUT
Sam goes to school in Frankston, he’d love to catch the bus with his friends, but it’s the only time his wheelchair gets in the way. The bus stop near him has accessible buses, but only once an hour and the timing doesn’t work for getting to school. He lives with his parents and younger siblings, at home with his family he knows no limitations and is expected to help out. In the community the situation is different, he often misses out on social activities with his friends he can’t get into his friends’ houses, or the places they want to go aren’t accessible.
WISH / HOPE
To go to university to study engineering and live in Frankston close to his family. Sam would love to be able to go to the beach with his friends.
IMPROVE / CONCERN
Losing friends and being left behind, not all places are accessible and sometimes its easier for Sam to stay at home than it is to find out that access is an issue.