EVERY town has a ‘local business forever supporting its community’ or those ‘inspiring individuals, who we all wonder where they find the time’ according to the Victorian Community Achievement Awards (VCAA).
Overcoming Obstacles is a Stratford-based disability service and certainly fits these descriptions.
“It’s the program that helps people overcome, well, obstacles but not just mentally, sometimes physically,” Overcoming Obstacles client, Louisa said.
Hence, the organisation was recently nominated for the VCAA’s 2024 Regional Service Award, recognising how people in the regions help “reshape and inspire their local communities”.
“We call ourselves a disability service, but I like to call us a goal achievement facilitator, and that can be anything, from helping someone live independently, someone to get a job, it could be just helping them get out of the house for the day,” founder of Overcoming Obstacles, Rachael Nicholls said.
In the regions where “resources, infrastructure, or opportunities” for people with disability are scarce, says Ms Nicholls, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this.
“We have had some challenges in finding people with disability work. The Australian Disability Enterprise businesses closed in the area through COVID, and they didn’t reopen,” she said.
Overcoming Obstacles is one organisation in the Wellington Shire that is filling this gap.
Ms Nicholls said some of Overcoming Obstacles’ clients working in Australian Disability Enterprise “felt pretty lost” when it closed because they had been working there five days a week.
Overcoming Obstacles was established in 2020, and Ms Nicholls said the team has worked hard to link clients with volunteer work to rebuild their employment skills and connect them with employment pathways.
This has included opening Yoyos at Stretton Park café last year with the support of Central Gippsland Health and Stretton Park Aged Care. Café manager and employment coordinator Rachael Macreadie said it’s giving clients an “opportunity to shine”.
“I’m very grateful to Rachael for the opportunity to have helped establish Yoyos and to give our clients the opportunity of paid employment,” Ms Macreadie said.
“I used to manage the Foster Place Café here in Maffra that was a support employment café as well, and a social enterprise. It was devastating when COVID shut that down.”
Ms Macreadie said Yoyos was opened at a “really hard time for society” due to the cost of living.
“Everybody’s got a lot of walls coming up, business has, and it’s a struggle for a lot of businesses, and we’re starting to really notice that the more I talk to businesses around town about opportunities for the guys to get other work experience, they’re really struggling.”
Still, after building their skills with Overcoming Obstacles, clients have gone on to other employment.
“By becoming upskilled it’s actually moved me out of home…Overcoming Obstacles has helped me move out and move out independently. They helped me get a job and I volunteer, make coffees and do some of the cooking,” Overcoming Obstacles client, Justin said.
In addition to managing Yoyos, Ms Macreadie helps clients write resumes and sit job interviews. She said the employment process at Yoyos practises these skills because employees need to submit a resume.
The volunteering-to-paid employment pathway begins at a Stratford café called Segue, where Overcoming Obstacles clients volunteer five days a week, making coffee and preparing food. Those interested in paid employment can apply for a paid position at Yoyos. By building these skills, clients can embrace opportunities to pursue other open employment.
“In an ideal world, we hope to then transition them into unsupported employment, which a couple of our clients have done, which is really exciting – when they don’t need us anymore,” Ms Nicholls said.
“As sad as it is, if any of them did ever leave our space, that’s the growth. I say to them all the time, ‘The less I see of you, the more you’re doing well’,” Ms Macreadie agreed.
Overcoming Obstacles partners with other community organisations like the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
“The clients were actually paid to help at the banquet this year,” Ms Nicholls said.
Clients also volunteer at the Stratford Football-Netball Club, Stratford Bowls Club, Stratford Men’s Shed, Segue Café and Courthouse Theatre.
Ms Nicholls said the Stratford community has been “amazing” for supporting volunteers.
“It’s really exciting to… see how the town have embraced it because lots of people want to be part of Overcoming Obstacles, whether it’s as a client or as a staff member,” she said.
“We’ve got 54 staff, and I would say half of them are from Stratford. There’s not really a lot of industry in Stratford that employs a lot of people, so it’s not nice to have some opportunities for people to work in their own town.”
Just as the community has given back to Overcoming Obstacles, Ms Nicholls hopes the nomination highlights the “great work” their clients do in the community.
“I hope that it will break down some barriers for people. Perhaps other businesses might look at employing people with disability,” she said.
VCAA nominations close on Wednesday, September 4, with judging to take place throughout October. Winners will be announced on Friday, December 13 at the 2024 Community Achievement Awards Gala Presentation Dinner.
