Starting a new year should be a time of excitement – a time to look back on the good and the not so good so we can adjust our course and find ways to spend our time doing more of the things that give us a sense of connection, purpose and contribution.

For Jeanette Large, CEO of Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI), this is not always possible for her clients, many of who experience difficulty in getting their basic needs met daily.

Jeanette and her team at WPI are responsible for hundreds of properties across Melbourne housing women and their dependents who would otherwise struggle to afford a place to live.

On our recent trip out to visit Jeanette and her team, it was clear to us that their success in growing from a small not-for-profit to a widely recognised and key player in ending homelessness in Victoria was mainly due to one factor…

Their passion to serve the community.

It is this passion that helped their latest trainee, Phoebe, to find her feet so quickly in her new workplace (WPI).

Just a few months ago, Phoebe was unemployed and unsure of how to get into the Community Sector. As you can see now, Phoebe plays a vital role in WPI’s administrative operations and is even being trained up to manage her own portfolio of rental properties.

Most impressive of all is Phoebe’s excitement about going to work every day, a place she describes as ‘inspiring’.

It’s empowering stories like this that show how much community organisations of all types and sizes can make a meaningful difference, not just in the community but also for passionate young people like Phoebe, who will go on to be leaders of tomorrow.