A little help from our friends

Meet two of our valued team members here at Hutt St Centre – Gabrielle and Doris!

Gabrielle is an Occupational Therapist supporting people at risk of or experiencing homelessness who have a disability. That’s around 24% of people who seek our support each year.

Her role often means she’s on the road five days a week. From visiting people in their new homes to supplying adaptive equipment, it’s essential that Gabrielle can be out in the community helping people wherever they are. That’s where our friend Doris comes in!

Thanks to our partnership with CMI Toyota, Doris enables Gabrielle to connect with clients and provide the support they need to live independently. Here they are delivering vital equipment to a client who has recently found a permanent home.

“Supporting people through Occupational Therapy means helping them to live independently in their own environment,” says Gabrielle.

“For people who are housed, that means providing occupational therapy (OT) assessments to ensure they can manage day to day tasks, and feel safe and comfortable in their home or out in the community.

And for people who are rough sleeping, our support involves discussing their needs and goals for the future, building their capacity to live independently, providing OT assessments in housing advocacy, and connecting them to further supports.

Doris even helps me transport people to their appointments.”

With the support of our community and our friends at CMI Toyota, we can ensure people with a disability who are experiencing homelessness have the support they need to rebuild their lives. Thank you!