Over 20 years of service

Published

February 10, 2021

For two decades, Maidie has been a pillar of strength and support for people facing crisis and homelessness.

Maidie has always been passionate about helping people in need. She began her career as a locum crisis worker in 1996 and continued on to work in disability services before moving into crisis and homelessness services.  Today, Maidie is the Manager of Uniting Crisis and Homelessness Services in Ringwood and Footscray.

Despite the challenging nature of the work, she is committed to supporting people in their darkest times and guiding them toward brighter days.

“We’re here to talk to people about their options and how we can support themto follow through on those options to work towards a better future,” Maidie said.

“We give people a lot of information about what the reality of their situation is. It’s really important to give people an accurate picture of how things are, but also empathise with the situation they are in.”

Maidie is quick to point out that a lack of affordable housing is leaving more and more individuals and families on the brink of homelessness. The biggest change she’s seen in her career is the increased cost of renting.

“Property values have gone up significantly, which is great if you own property, but it’s not if you’re renting. A lot of people are paying a large proportion of their income in rent, which makes it really hard to survive,” she said.

Maidie speaks to the passion and commitment of her colleagues as the reason why she enjoys working at Uniting.

“We’re lucky to have a really good team here, with a broad range of skills and experience. We work well together to provide the best outcomes for our consumers.”

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