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Save Protea Place

Transforming Lives, One Woman at a Time
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We Stand With Protea Place
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On Wednesday, July 24th, Toowoomba’s locals gathered to show their support at the "We Stand With Protea Place" Community Rally. The event demonstrated the strong community backing for Protea Place, much like the support it provides to vulnerable women daily.


Thank you to everyone who attended and stood hand in hand along Russell Street. Your presence made a significant impact. Let's keep the momentum going—please sign our petition to help us reach our goal of 5,000 signatures.


Thank you, Toowoomba, for standing with Protea Place!

Why stand with Protea Place?

Protea Place provides comprehensive, holistic care, including dignity services, health and wellbeing support, domestic violence assistance, housing aid, and intensive case management. Despite its proven track record and significant impact, Protea Place s still lobbying hard for ongoing government funding, making community support crucial for its survival.

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In the last 24 months Protea Place has helped:

WOMAN

Protea Place has supported over 4,000 women in the past 24 months.

FAMILY

Domestic and Family Violence Support: 889 services

HOUSE

Housing Support: 763

CHILD WITH BALLOON

Child Safety Support: 170

Avoided Costs

Due to the effectiveness of the Protea Place Model


Avoided costs for women receiving case management at Protea Place in 2023:
$2.49 million
Conservative estimate of avoided costs per person per year:
$25,615 to $31,000
Potential upper range of avoided costs achieved by Protea Place in 2023:
Between $9.2 million and $11.2 million

What would Toowoomba look like without Protea Place:

Imagine a Toowoomba where the vulnerable women we see every day have no sanctuary, no place of refuge. Without Protea Place, over 500 women experiencing homelessness and more than 370 living in marginal conditions would find themselves even more isolated and desperate.


Women like Nikki, who, after a lifetime of homelessness, finally found hope and stability at Protea Place. Without this crucial support, Nikki might still be battling untreated mental health issues and sleeping rough in a park, covered in bites and sores, with nowhere to turn. Below are some stories of women we have helped back to stability through our holistic approach to care.

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Nikki's Journey: From Desperation to Hope

Nikki, a 37-year-old First Nations woman who identifies as LGBT, has a story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. When she walked through the doors of Protea Place in April 2022, she was a shadow of herself, having endured a lifetime of homelessness and hardship. Nikki's journey into homelessness began at just 17, when she was exited from state care with nowhere to go. Her years on the streets had been more than double the time she had ever spent in a stable home.


Arriving from interstate, Nikki's condition was dire. She suffered from untreated acute mental health issues, had no identification or income, and was sleeping in a park, her body covered in bites and sores. She had rodents as pets in her pocket and was visibly malnourished and frail from lack of food. Within just two days of arriving in Toowoomba, she had been assaulted while sleeping rough. Distrusting of services and people, Nikki's situation seemed hopeless.


Yet, she found a glimmer of hope at Protea Place. Despite her initial distrust, Nikki began attending every session, drawn by the nurturing environment. The staff provided her with hot showers, clean clothes, meals, and toiletries, treating her with dignity and compassion. Slowly, Nikki began to trust. Within a few sessions, she agreed to see a doctor with the support of a caseworker.

Julie's Journey: Navigating Financial Hardships and Mental Health Challenges

Julie's life was on the brink of falling apart when she first came to Protea Place. A resilient woman recovering from domestic and family violence (DFV), Julie was balancing the demands of secure employment, raising her children, and maintaining her accommodation. Yet, the financial pressures were immense. One fateful month, she faced an impossible choice: register her car to keep her job or pay her rent to keep a roof over her head.


Julie continued to engage with Protea Place, participating in therapeutic and social connection activities and receiving referrals to additional mental health support agencies. With consistent medication and support, she no longer faced unnecessary emergency department visits. Her disruptive episodes ceased, and her tenancy was no longer in jeopardy.

Jenny's Journey: From Desperation to Stability

Jenny, a 59-year-old woman, had spent the last eight months sleeping rough in a park. Her life was a complex web of challenges—complex mental health issues, an acquired brain injury, chronic health problems, and frailty. She had experienced homelessness four times, and each attempt at stable housing had ended in failure. With a high level of trauma and distrust, Jenny’s hope had nearly extinguished. Her only constant companion was her beloved pet dog.


Protea Place has also helped Jenny secure appropriate income support and link her with health professionals. Her visits to Protea Place are now filled with warmth and connection. Jenny’s journey from desperation to stability is a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication and compassion of Protea Place, and the transformative impact of their holistic, client-centered support.

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

SIGN THE PETITION

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ATTEND THE RALLY

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Thank you for your support!