A Message From Our CEO
This Annual Report attempts to capture what’s happened through Soul Hub from April 2023 to March 2024. It’s a small reflection of the everyday growing engagement with some of our city’s most vulnerable.
We had an ambitious goal to fully fund a purpose designed new home at 437 Hunter Street. With the generosity of the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation, Insight Building Services, and a massive response to our “BIG ASK” from our community this became a reality just prior to Christmas. We are so thankful to everyone who helped make this happen. This has become a game changer and set us up for a new future! Soul is now open longer and offering more than ever to help our guests navigate turbulent times.
Our Guests are why we exist. Everyone is welcome. We are highly motivated, passionate, and compassionate doing whatever we can with whatever we have for anyone who walks through our door. Our Community empowers everything at Soul. The generosity and time, talent and treasures is astonishing! Our small staff and army of volunteers help to create one of the most welcoming spaces one could imagine. A place of belonging and new beginnings!
Soul Hub is a grassroots charity, community resourced creating a convergence of help, hope and healing. Soul is a community response to some deep community needs.
Whilst hundreds volunteer at Soul we know hundreds more think and act generously toward Soul. Every donation made and partnership established is a vivid reminder that we are in this together.
THANK YOU for partnering with us this year. Some for the first time, some who’ve journeyed with us for a long time, Thankyou!
RICK PROSSER
CEO SOUL HUB and TRUST CHAIRMAN
Take a virtualtourof Soul h !ere
Soul Hub Has A New Home!
Soul Hub moved into our new home on December 11th 2023 and we celebrated our new home with an Official Opening on February 9th 2024 marking a new chapter for Soul Hub. The custom fit-out of our new home at 437 Hunter St includes a 150 seat dining room, internal goods lift, spacious commercial kitchen, generous fridge, freezer and pantry facilities, laundry, café, reception and wonderful new health and wellbeing zone. The relocation and purpose fit-out have increased Soul Hub’s capacity to serve the vulnerable community of Newcastle and provide a wide range of judgement free assistance.
Soul Hub has so many people to thank for our new Home...
We would like to thank the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation their generous partnership with Soul, providing us with a 10-year rent free venue in the CBD.
We would like to thank the kids, mums, dads, community groups, churches, schools and businesses of Newcastle who responded to Soul’s ‘Big Ask’ campaign and raised $1.8 million to pay for the fit-out of our new venue. Thanks to everyone who looked so glamorous and attended out first ever Gala Ball.
We would like to thank Insight Building Services who brilliantly delivered on the fit-out of our new space. Not only did they deliver on the build, they did the extensive work for cost price and advocated on behalf of Soul, calling out for other contractors and suppliers to show generosity to our project.
We consider every gift to Soul Hub a huge deal. There are no small gifts, but we do want to acknowledge significant gifts from the Ian & Shirley Norman Foundation, The Wests Group, Port of Newcastle and The Edward Alexander Foundation.
Guests
At Soul everyone who walks through our door is a guest. We don’t have clients, customers, participants, service users or patrons. We don’t have homeless people, street people, addicts, users, winos or hobos. We don’t have patients, cases, schizophrenics, acquired brain injuries, alcoholics or anything else. We just have guests.
Our community life is very simple because if we are not sure what to do with someone we just treat them like a welcome guest. And for many vulnerable people that alone is transformative.
Many of our vulnerable guests are experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, mental unwellness, addiction and social isolation. Many have fallen through the gaps of society and societies support services.
What one of our vulnerable guests said about Soul:
“Soul to me means family. If you are someone that’s never been here before; if you are a volunteer, a donor or guest the minute you set foot through the door you’ve become part of a family that cares and looks out for each other without judgements. It’s a family you feel has got your back not only for now but forever.”
What we say at Soul:
“Everyone’s welcome because nobody’s perfect and anything is possible.”
Mark’s Guest Story - A Path to Stability
Mark has been a familiar face at Soul Hub for over a year now. His journey with Soul began during a time of profound loss and hardship. After losing both his mother and his six-month-old daughter, Mark’s life spiralled into homelessness and heroin addiction.
His first visit to Soul Hub was a turning point. A conversation with a volunteer named Matt led him to temporary housing, providing a much-needed respite from the streets. As Mark started to visit Soul Hub regularly, he found more than just a meal; he found a community. He joined a SMART recovery group, receiving crucial support system in his Life, however, continued to challenge Mark. When his temporary accommodation was nearing its end, he faced the prospect of homelessness once again. In an unexpected moment, when he was tempted to spend the $20 in his pocket on drugs, he put it into a gambling machine, hit the button to be rid of it and was about to leave, when he won the jackpot.
He made a decisive choice by crossing the road and taking out a year’s accommodation at the hotel across the road. He wouldn’t be homeless for a year. The hotel had to get the boss, they had never had a years accommodation paid in one go. When he shared these events in his SMART recovery group he was met with silent awe and then hearty applause as the room erupted.
Yet, Mark’s path to stability was interrupted when he had to serve time for past offences. However, this period was a time of reflection, continued sobriety, and he did all the programs he could. He’s now clean and free. Mark has remained a regular at Soul Hub. He says, “You guys at Soul really saved my future and my life. Down that bad road could have been fatal health-wise and mentally.”
Today, Mark’s life is on a more stable track. He has married his childhood sweetheart, and they are expecting a child, bringing new hope after loss. Mark is now a healthier 93 kilograms and is free from drugs and alcohol. He’s also got a job opportunity. Today at Soul Hub, he not only had a nutritious meal, he took the opportunity to have a haircut. He plans to bring his partner into Soul Hub, as he thinks it may be good for her.
Mark gave Soul permission to share this great story.
Soul Hub In A Little More Detail
Soul Hub is not a soup kitchen. Soul is a ‘compassionate community response to some deep community needs’. And, though we do a lot of free hot meals, we are way ‘more than a meal’. Soul Hub’s model for supporting vulnerable people is much like a 3 legged stool.
Leg 1: Simple Practical support.
Leg 2: Community, our ‘secret sauce’ for transformation.
Leg 3: A Convergence of Help.
Leg 1: Simple Practical support.
Responding to the deep needs they saw around them, Ken Gibson, Bill Elkin and their families started serving coffee to vulnerable people. A simple, practical support. Today we serve on average 165 meals a day and 135 grocery hampers a week. Guests charge their phone at our charging stations and use our clean bathrooms. On a hot day Guests enjoy our cool air conditioning and on a wet day they come to Soul to dry off because life on the streets is harder than you think …
Practical support. Community.
A Convergence of Help.
Guest Story - Blisters
A full bathroom bin is not what most people publish in a booklet like this. But there is a story to our full bin.
Life on the streets is hard. Life on the streets is harder when it’s wet. One recent Friday was wet. We walked into our bathroom Friday morning and there was a guest barefoot in the bathroom with paper towel everywhere. We asked him what was going on and he said he was trying to treat the blisters he had from walking around all night in wet shoes. Life on the streets is even harder when it’s wet.
One of the simple practical things Soul provides guests with is somewhere dry to go when it’s wet, somewhere cool to go when it’s hot and somewhere warm when it’s cold. Simple practical supports can make a big difference to someone.
Soul Hub Is Like A 3 Legged Stool...
Leg 2: Community.
If there is a ‘secret sauce’ to Soul’s response to the needs of vulnerable people it’s Community, a sense of belonging. We will work with ‘whoever walks through our door’ but our focus is on those who have fallen through the cracks of society and between other support services.
And for many of those vulnerable people a conversation is transformative. For many of those vulnerable people a sense of belonging, a reconnection with community is transformative.
What one of our vulnerable guests said about Soul:
“If it wasn’t for Soul, I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to … ever.”
At Soul we have a Guest Support Team whose one and only role is to connect with Guests. On any given shift, Guest Support Team Volunteers move around the tables greeting guests to welcome engage and inform. For Guests who need a bit more support volunteers Guest Support Coordinators refer, reconnect and review. And if required our Social Workers advocate for guests. A fish tank, newspapers, magazines, library, café, music, live plants, TV screens, board games and art supplies also
Guest Story - Raquel
Raquel has been a regular face in the dining room for the last few months now. Addiction took her home, job and family.
She was forced to battle her addiction alone, hungry, cold and living on the streets.
Unfortunately, this was not her first-time battling addiction and after years living clean and rebuilding her life, she suffered a real quick relapse, one that caught her off guard.
“I was desperate and needed help, I didn’t know where to get it from. It was a really scary time.”
She found Soul online and came to lunch. She was only really looking for meal support but through chatting with one of our floor team members we were able to identify her needs and support her with meal and pantry support, social work advocacy, access to the ‘On the Road with Soul’ car maintenance service and she received a sleeping bag and some clothing thanks to generous community donors.
“Soul is invaluable, it’s so much more than just a meal. Soul gave me back my sense of worth. The volunteers and staff actually wanted to get to know me. I was hating the world and Soul gave me hope.”
Leg 3: A Convergence of Help..
At Soul Hub the meal is just the beginning. Meals and other simple practical supports (Leg 1) tend to bring Guests to Soul Hub. Friendships and a sense of belonging (Leg 2) tend to keep Guests coming to Soul. That sense of belonging and community is a valuable end in itself but it also acts as a bridge to help guests connect to other services we provide. We refer to our services and programs as our Convergence of Help (Leg 3).
Ideally in the Soul Convergence of Help we invite other services (or professionals) to provide their skills at Soul to empower our Guests. The Soul Medical Clinic, established by Dr Milton Sales in 2010, is one much appreciated example of this. The Soul Clinic, utilizing volunteer GP’s, provides weekly bulk billed medical care, free prescriptions, and referrals to Soul Guests.
Some of the services currently contributing to the Soul Convergence of Help include:
• Chiropractors
• Audiologist
• Podiatrist
• Doctors
• Hairdresser
• Barber
• VOCAL
• WHOS
• FISH
• Seniors Rights
• Centrelink
• Outreach
• Service NSW
• Outreach
• NDIS
• Gamblers Anonymous
• and more
When Soul cannot get another service in to provide the help we consider doing it ourselves.
The Soul team provides SmartRecovery groups, a Guest Volunteering Program and a Guest laundry service.
Soul employed 3 part-time Guest Support Co-Ordinator’s to particularly help guests with information and referrals.
Soul employs 2 part-time Social Workers to advocate for our Guests.. Thanks to ElectroDry, Bondi Chai, Orica and PWCS for sponsoring the wages of our Social Workers.
When Soul cannot get someone in to do it and we cannot do it ourselves, we put it on our Convergence of Help wishlist. One day we might have a dentist, a counselor, art therapy, a movie club, a day program rehab, a handyman social enterprise or a diversional therapist. We are ambitious when it comes to our hopes and dreams for how our Convergence of Help might support our Guests.
A Wednesday in the life of Soul
Soul Volunteers
At Soul Hub a lot of our time goes towards treating our Guests with dignity, value and worth but our focus is firmly on our whole Soul community:
◦ Guests
◦ Volunteers
◦ Donors
Soul Hub is volunteer driven and our staff team extremely small with only 1 full time worker. Our volunteer team is the ‘heart and soul’ of Soul Hub. 283 volunteers are volunteering 905 hours each week and we could not do it without them. They selflessly give so much time and energy and hope to guests. They don’t get paid, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get anything out of the experience.
Volunteer Story – India
India is like a smiley, friendly breath of fresh air at Soul. She literally adds a little more Soul when she turns up. A full time recruiter, this photo was her third shift with us at Soul Hub and by all accounts she is loving it!
India always wanted to volunteer and contribute to the community but there were not that many opportunities in Muswellbrook. When she came to Newcastle (the best city in the world) she looked around and found Soul Hub.
“Do you have enough volunteers?”
At Soul we are often asked, “do you have enough volunteers?” And the answer is both ’yes’ and ‘no’. ‘Yes’ we have plenty of volunteers, 283 volunteers get a lot done each and every week. And ‘no’ we don’t have enough volunteers because there is always someone else to talk to, something else to clean, someone else to help.
India feels that personally she is in a very “cool position” in life and so she wanted to give back and do something to benefit others (which we at Soul think is very cool).
At Soul she says that she loves connecting with others and meeting new people.
When asked what she enjoyed most about volunteering India said “it’s just an extraordinary experience.”
Volunteer Story – Leelani
“I have to share my favourite Soul story when one of our Tuesday lunch guests came back for lunch after a few weeks absence. When I told him I was happy to see him, he looked at me in shock and asked if I really noticed he was away. The look on his face when I had told him he was missed was heartbreaking. He hadn’t been told his presence meant anything until then. I’m glad I was the person to tell him.”
“The guests have taught me so much in my time here. They have some of the most interesting stories to tell. They have taught me more about patience, gratitude, hope and generosity than anyone else.”
“I would say volunteering at Soul has changed my outlook on my life completely. I am so much more grateful since I’ve been at Soul than what I was before I was a volunteer. Grateful for my roof, my meals, people to talk to and my health. I also find myself smiling at everyone I can and loving the world around me a lot more.”
“I keep volunteering because I love being able to help people in a safe environment, which is a luxury I’m grateful for. Being able to brighten someone’s day and make them feel a bit better is so rewarding. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life.”
“Soul helps everyone so much. It has helped me more than anyone will ever know.”
Lee with her Tuesday lunch offsider Billie
More Opportunities Than You Think...
There is probably more to volunteering at Soul than you think. Many people volunteer with the Hospitality Team and the Guest Support team. But volunteers also have roles with reception, deliveries, admin and
Soul Hub regularly hosts functions like corporate breakfasts and A Taste of Soul. Recently Soul volunteers hosted the Soul Hub Big Ask Gala Ball which was an astounding success.
And every summer season Soul Hub hosts Friday Chill in Pacific Park. Friday Chill is a free family friendly, live music event run as a ‘thank you’ to Newcastle for supporting Soul all year long.
The Soul Donor Community
Every contribution adds a little more Soul.
Donors are the third community within our larger Soul family. The Guests, are the heartbeat of our mission. The Volunteers, selfless contributions are the cornerstone of our existence. And the Donors generosity fuels our collective soul.
Perhaps that language is close to a little too flowery, but without our donors and supporters Soul cannot do the things that we do for our vulnerable Guests. Soul Hub does not receive government funding and is community funded. The kids, mums, dads, community groups, churches, schools and businesses of Newcastle are the ones who generously support Soul Hub and enable us to support Newcastle.
Financial contributions are obviously very important to Soul. Everyone has bills to pay, even Soul. But there are numerous other creative ways to support Soul:
◦ Sharp Office donated milk.
◦ Newcastle Limousines donated the meat and veg for our Guest Christmas Party
◦ Pro-Torque sponsored Sleepout for Soul
◦ And these two young ladies donated goldfish for our guests tank!
Linda’s Guest Story
“Asking for help … is a difficult thing”
In the past Linda has run a number of successful businesses, however, events, challenges and pressures in her life meant that she looked for an escape. Sadly, this led her to alcohol, gambling and later drugs.
Linda is a fighter and managed to overcome her dependency on alcohol on her own. However, drugs and gambling were too much to shake off and so her life somewhat spiralled, relationships fractured, and she became very lonely.
Coming to Soulhub was a very big step and one that took a lot of courage, Linda has been coming for about 2 years, enjoying a meal, using the pantry, visiting the doctor and making new friends. More recently she joined our SMART program where she found kindred spirits and a supportive environment. She says that “asking for help is not in my nature, it’s a difficult thing for me to do”.
Since joining SMART she has found the motivation, developed strategies and discovered an inner strength that has helped her move forward. Linda is now watching videos and podcasts that are helping her understand her situation and how to resolve it. More importantly Linda has been ‘clean’ for 36 days when this booklet went to print. Linda has a much more positive attitude, has greater self-control and is living a more healthy lifestyle.
(Linda is pictured with John from Soul)
Your Support Makes A Difference
We do all that we can with what we have for whoever comes through our doors. But to do that, we need your support. Soul Hub is non-government funded, and we rely on the generosity of Newcastle individuals, families, businesses and community groups to carry out our work – work that offers a compassionate community response to some deep community needs.
There are so many ways to get involved, from being a major sponsor to running a fundraiser for Soul to making a cash donation or becoming an active participant in one of our fundraising events. No matter how much or how little time or cash you have, we hope you can find some way to help Soul help Newcastle.
If you would like to make a donation to Soul Hub:
Online: To donate online and for an automatic taxdeductible receipt go to soulhub.org.au
Direct Deposit:
BSB: 032-505
Account: 299497
Account: Lifeshapers Family Services
Reference: your name
For your tax-deductible receipt, email finance@soulhub.org.au
Every contribution adds a little more Soul...
