The NAIDOC journey began as a movement for recognition and rights, sparked by Indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality. The 2025 theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” celebrates the past and enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aligned with this, each year, Habitat for Humanity Australia commits to keeping NAIDOC a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity. We prioritise partnerships that support indigenous people to thrive. Phoebe House does that just.
Phoebe House Supports Women in Recovery
Phoebe House provides a safe, supportive environment for an evidence-based, alcohol and other drug rehabilitation program focusing on women who may be on opioid treatment and who have children under the age of 5 in their care. Women who enter the program at Phoebe House are more likely to have been impacted by social factors such as lower socio-economic status, social exclusion, poor living environments, difficult life experiences, stress and trauma, lack of education, unemployment, and poor nutrition. The program is designed to reduce the influence of these factors on their ability to cope when they return to independent living.
Every Partnerships Build Strength and Resilience
We partnered with Phoebe House to uplift the space through our Brush with Kindness Program. Volunteers dedicated their time to help paint the playrooms for the children, taking the walls from a bright lime green to a softer, calmer colour of purple. The paint was kindly donated by our partner Dulux, and the colour “Vision Half” (displayed below) was chosen Phoebe House staff as “it makes the playroom feel calmer. We expect that mum and babies will spend more time here now that it has had this change. Thank you, Dulux!”
Creating Calm and Connection for Families
The focus for residents at Phoebe House is a holistic vision that prioritises cultural identity, parenting capacity, family engagement, addressing mental health needs, and other life skills. We’re hopeful that the newly painted space will help contribute to one of the goals of this program, encouraging women and children to spend more time connecting.
The Power of Volunteer Support
“We have been blessed to be invited to spruce up the place by fixing up many of the cracks on the walls and repainting them once sealed. We may also be cleaning, a little gardening could be involved, and anything else we are needed for to get the place looking a little better for the women and staff who live there. Habitat volunteers and Dulux will be saving them about $40,000 in painting costs.” – Habitat Volunteer Manager.
Purpose-Led Partnerships
We’re grateful to our purpose-led partner, Dulux, not only for their support with this project but for their ongoing commitment to Habitat’s mission to empower through shelter, providing us with the paint to be able to transform these spaces. To our corporate volunteers, Selleys, Turner and Townsend, Terumo, LJ Hooker, A W Edwards and UBS – your efforts were invaluable in finishing this project. Dedicated partners and volunteers are the heartbeat of our Australian programs.
Shelter can offer far more than a dry and warm place to live. At Phoebe House, a place to live is an opportunity for safety, stability, better health, and hope for the future. We’re proud to support organisations that not only share the same belief but also spend every day working towards providing that opportunity to others.
Learn more about corporate partnership or local volunteering. Want to discuss in more detail how you can get involved? Email [email protected].
