One man’s face has come to symbolise Jesus’ love to hundreds struggling in Surry Hills.
This Christmas more than 200 people suffering from homelessness and loneliness will enjoy a hot meal and have a friendly face to talk to at the Anglicare Surry Hills annual Christmas lunch, organised by Malcolm Bloomfield.
However, the day is more than a free Christmas lunch for the inner city homeless.
For Mr. Bloomfield and his team it will be another opportunity to share the Gospel and to show God's love to so many in desperate need of care.
For more than 22 years, Malcolm, who runs Anglicare's Surry Hills centre, has been ministering to those suffering homelessness and mental illness with the practical support and encouragement of Sydney Anglican churches.
For clients like 56-year-old Alice, the prayers, clothing donations and financial support, of these churches have helped turn her life around.
Malcolm first met Alice 18 years ago.
Kicked out of countless half-way houses due to behavioural problems, Alice was homeless and barely surviving on the streets when she came to Anglicare for food.
She was in the throes of her mental illness and plagued by angry violent thoughts that made her life a living hell.
De-institutionalisation has left the bulk of responsibility for supporting mentally ill people to families and carers, placing a huge stress on communities and leaving many mentally ill people homeless.
Some 75 per cent of clients of inner-Sydney homelessness services suffer at least one mental disorder, compared with only 18 per cent of the general population.
"Alice was a very different person when she first came to us," said Malcolm.
"She would demand the world, abuse the staff, spit at us, and throw things through our window."
But according to Malcolm, they could not give up on her.
"At the heart of the Gospel is the fact that Jesus Christ was born so that through him all may be saved. We have to realise that every individual has value, no matter how vile the world perceives them to be," Malcolm said.
Over the next 18 years Malcolm and his team provided love and care for Alice, assisting her with rent; setting her up in half-way houses; counselling her; telling her the Gospel; making sure she took her medication; providing her with food, clean clothes and a safe place to rest.
For 18 years they endured her abuse and demands, repaying her violence with compassion. And slowly, Alice began to change.
"She became more considerate of others and much more at peace," said Malcolm.
"She is one of our nicest, kindest clients now. Sometimes there'll be a cupboard full of food when she comes in for assistance, and she will only take two tins, leaving the rest for others. We've even heard her trying to calm some of our agitated clients while they waited for us to open one morning."
Finally,Malcolm and his team helped Alice move out of her half-way house into a home provided by the Department of Housing last year.
For the first time in 18 years Alice has a secure roof over her head.
She now has a safe place to sleep and a place to cook her food sheltered from the weather.
"I visited her recently at her new home, just for a chat and to see if she was OK. She was doing very well," said Malcolm.
"And I never expected her to give me a warm farewell, saying "God bless" as I left. They may be two small words, but it has taken many positive changes over many years for her to say that.”
"I am so grateful to the churches who have continued to support us so faithfully for more than 22 years. Alice is only alive today because they have enabled us to do the work we do."
