Greater Shepparton City councillor Kim O'Keeffe has teamed up with café and restaurant owner and renowned champion of the down and out Azem Elmaz and others to create a sustainable model for a hobby farm where homeless people can live and work in a rural setting near Shepparton.
“We would hope to create a farm atmosphere where a range of produce could be grown including vegetables, herbs or even flowers,” Cr O'Keeffe said.
“When people are kept busy they achieve more positive outcomes.”
Mr Elmaz said the idea had been a dream of his for a long time.
“I would love something like 20 acres out of town where homeless people can rebuild their lives, get back on track, and get into the routine of work and home,” he said.
Mr Elmaz said seven years he spent as a chaplain visiting Dhurringile and Beechworth prisons taught him the value of creating an environment where people could gain a sense of pride, responsibility and purpose.
“People are always happy to donate clothes or food, but people need somewhere to live and be safe,” he said.
Cr O'Keeffe said her recent effort in helping 62-year-old homeless man Terry get back on track had inspired her to help more homeless people.
“It may be they have just lost their way, so this will be a way of getting them back on track and into society, connecting them with the available support services, to ensure they get the guidance and the support they need. It will also help create a working history and a tenancy record,” she said.
Others involved in the homeless hobby farm project include St Brendan's Catholic parish priest Fr Joe Taylor, Shepparton mental health worker Cameron Albanoi and Shepparton Headspace worker Brett O'Keeffe.
Cr O'Keeffe said group discussions around management and fundraising for the project had already been held.
“It is aspirational at this stage, but Azem really wants to give this a go. We are working on the model, which will depend largely on the size of the land and broader community discussions,” she said.
“We have already started to put the call out to the community and have had a positive response, with some land suggestions being offered.”
Anyone who wants to be involved in the project can call Cr O'Keeffe on 0447713838 or Mr Elmaz on 0418 897 209.
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