Support through the pandemic

As a community housing provider, supporting our tenants, residents and clients is at the heart of what we do. We provide more than a home – we also provide wraparound support and services for the people we serve.

The following captures some of the support we have provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are a Link Wentworth client in need of food services or other support, please speak to your Tenancy Manager.

Lockdown support

The latest Sydney lockdown was challenging for many of our residents. Link Wentworth has supported the health and wellbeing of residents and clients during lockdown in the following ways:

• Hampers and meals for residents and clients in partnership with Darcy St. Project Café, Salvation Army Ryde and Chatswood, Tzu Chi Foundation Eastwood, Christian Community Aid, Sydney Community Services, Vinnies Hornsby and One Meal Northern Beaches.

• 80 Rapid Relief Team food boxes distributed to Chatswood and Penrith Hub residents based on wellbeing calls.

• Kitchen item deliveries for 10 new tenancies through the Helping Hands program.

• Transport to help residents get vaccinated or attend other appointments. This was in partnership with Stryder Community Transport.

• The Wellbeing Week Online Zoom series which ran each week for three months during lockdown when in-person programs were on hold.

• Online art sessions for kids offered during school holiday period in lockdown.

• Online programs at Beecroft and Mosman House led by Women’s Community Shelters and supported by Link Wentworth.

• Online Tenant Advisory Group meetings. Members will have a choice to attend future meetings online, or in-person when it is safe to do so.

Together Home

Our Together Home Program has been providing long-term and stable housing to people who have been sleeping rough during the pandemic.

As the largest Together Home provider, we have supported 110 participants through the Program since July 2020. And recently, the NSW Government announced that we have received additional funding that will allow us to house and support 256 more people in need.

We work with the NSW Government, Community Housing Providers, Specialist Homelessness Services, and health services to help participants maintain their tenancy, improve health and wellbeing and move towards training and employment.

We look forward to continuing to improve the Program and deliver more outcomes for participants.

For more on how we support our clients and the broader community, read our 2020-21 Annual Report.

This article originally appeared in the December edition of the Link Wentworth newsletter.