News & Events

Jointly written by Violet and Lucille

On Friday 11th March 2011 Leichhardt Council held a community event and Stepping Out was the donor organization for the evening. The event  was the last of four weekly film nights held at different venues in the municipality that featured a different service at each one.

Our event was held at Elkington Park overlooking the harbour on a cloudy Autumn evening. Stepping Out staff were on hand to distribute information about our program.

Over 150 people attended the event which began with 3 short children’s films and then the main feature movie was Inception. However before the show began the staff of Leichhardt Council introduced our Director, Brigette Sancho, who gave a short talk about the service, then it was over to Violet, who completed the Stepping Out Program and is currently an active member in the Stepping Out community. Violet gave a moving account of her transformation while participating in the Stepping out Program. Here is an excerpt from her speech,

“When I was a child like all children I was a rainbow.
I had the things that I most valued in life integrity and to be adored.
Some where along the way I lost sight of those things that where of most importance to me.
One by one I lost my colours until there where none left only grey.
I had become a storm cloud and I had the thunder thighs to prove it.

However all was not lost out of nowhere a ray of light pierced through the storm clouds of my life. This ray of light was Stepping Out Housing Program.

Through the specialist support provided by stepping out. I was able to resolve the pain of my past and step out of the shadows into the light. As a result of being in contact with the empowering staff I realised one day that I can create any thing I want for my life. So I went about doing just that.

At the time I had been experiencing the grief of losing a loved one.

I was sitting with my hands on either side of the bath one day that was where they clasped together forming a symbol of a heart.

To lift my spirits I would do this in the mirror each morning, over time I noticed my heart begin to heal. After learning more about the relationship between mind, body and spirit at workshops run by Stepping Out I developed the idea further.

Like a bolt of lightning it hit me one day that contained within all of us is enough love and compassion to solve the world’s problems what is needed is a format to access it.

Show Me Your Heart was born, I began sharing my story with people I meet during my travels.

Joining hands with them to create the symbol, in the process of doing this a new level of communication arose and strong meaningful relationship formed with people that where strangers before.

I would liken my experience to having all the heart break of my past be like weights attached to my feet. Every time I had another conversation with someone and was willing to really show someone my heart it was like cutting the cord to another one of those weights at my feet. Over time I noticed myself getting lighter and lighter until one day show me your heart literally set my spirit free.

I had all my colours back and the rainbow could be seen again.

There is an ancient Indian myth called the web of Idra. It speaks of life like a web at each junction on the web is a rare and precious jewel. Each jewel represents a soul. If one jewel is in distress all the other jewels feel it too. So tonight I ask you to give from your heart to stepping out as they are the light that shines upon those distressed jewels illuminating them so they can reveal their rainbows with in.”

There was not a dry eye in the park and following this; the public rose from their blankets and chairs and gave generously to support the Stepping Out Program. $1000 was raised from the event.

The success was also attained by the support of Sonia Magliocchi from You Studios, who provided the public with gift vouchers for a photo session and money raised from the sale of the vouchers were contributed to Stepping Out. Thank you to You Studios

The event was a raving  success and one that Stepping Out hopes to partake in next year.  On behalf of the entire Stepping Out Management Committee, staff and clients we thank Leichhardt Council for their continued support of our program. Thank you Leichhardt Council!