NAIDOC WEEK currently supports 20 young people whom she has assisted to find stable accommodation, pursue education and employment opportunities, as well as stability for their families. "I feel as though I have flourished here. Newcastle has provided great opportunities for my boys and I love going to work each day," she said. Annissa's work and experience in the sector has been recognised with her membership of various committees, internal and external to her work at Samaritans. She contributes to the Samaritans Reconciliation Action Committee, Samaritans Domestic and Family Violence Prevention and Awareness Committee, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family and Domestic Violence Committee, the Hunter Homeless Aboriginal Practice Committee and the NSW Aboriginal Homeless Reference and Community Practice Group.
Through her membership, Annissa has been able to reflect on her own journey, her work and her passion and commitment to maintaining and celebrating the culture and contributions of Indigenous peoples in the community. "The committees have allowed me the opportunity to give back, to increase connections with the community, which have in turn provided benefits to the people we support and Samaritans staff as well as furthering my own knowledge and education," Annissa said. When asked about the importance of NAIDOC week, Annissa beamed with pride. "I love NAIDOC week- it's a week that celebrates connection. It showcases who we are and invites everyone in the community to be a part of that. It's a week where we know that we belong.
"NAIDOC week is an opportunity to share our culture, our stories and our knowledge. There are free events held throughout the community and we want everyone to feel welcome and involved," Annissa said. Annissa is looking forward to participating in the NAIDOC week marches in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie with her children, attending the women's dinners and participating in the community day on the foreshore to celebrate. This year Annissa is starting conversations with people about housing shortages, advocating for marginalised groups of people who are facing adversity, and highlighting the increased need for tailored domestic violence programs, particularly for those people who don't fit the usual criteria to participate. She continues to be a warrior for people in their time of need. Because of her, we can.
The Rev'd Helen QUINN Priest in local mission, Forster Tuncurry Imagine living most of your life not knowing your true identity. That was the case for Helen Quinn, Priest in Local Mission from Forster Tuncurry, who found out about her Aboriginal identity at the age of 50. At a family gathering, Helen came to know of her family history that she felt was hidden from her for a long time. She felt a rush of feelings that were overwhelming, a feeling of being deprived. "It was a feeling of anger, and then joy, and then sorrow. I felt there were things I had missed out on and things that would have made sense of some of the things that happened to me." From a young age, Helen always felt "different". "I was called names at school, names I realise now were about my Aboriginality – and not in a very nice way." "I felt frustrated because, although I am happy with the way things panned out for me, I looked at certain family members who'd been able to accept their heritage and use it well to do things for aboriginal
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people. At that stage, I hadn't had that opportunity." Helen found out that her mother had chosen not to acknowledge her Aboriginality and that her father had sworn to secrecy. Her mother was one of 11 children who grew up in the era of the stolen children. When Helen's grandfather died, her grandmother was left with quite a number of younger siblings. "I suspect it was hidden from fear, I'm not sure. There quite a number of younger siblings together, so there was always a concern." Helen looked to her local community to take the next steps in her journey. She joined an Aboriginal elder's exercise group to get to know some of the members. "I then made an application to be recognised as an Aboriginal in the community. I was accepted there, and then was accepted as a member of the Aboriginal Land Council." Over time she got to know more of the local community. She recalls having a bush lemon tree and the
local aboriginal people coming to help prune the tree. She was able to make friends with other people who were in need of furniture and later started making food parcels for some of the Aboriginal families who were struggling. This when she recognised a need for ministry in the area. At the time Helen was studying Education for Ministry and over time she began to recognise the connections and feelings she had grown up with. She had a yearning to learn more and to explore what she might be able to do through the church and through God. "I realised that I could do something for my people and bring us all together," she said. With some encouragement from the Rev'd Les Forester, Bishop Peter Stuart and Bishop Greg Thompson, Helen went into formation. Since then she has been ordained and has been identified and accepted in the local community as an elder. At the end of 2017, Helen started a Culture and Christ group that