A PROGRAM designed to assist residents in securing a rental home has turned out to be much more than that.
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The initiative, titled "a place to call home", has been running for 10 weeks with the aim of preparing participants to rent their own home, but also supplying them with various new like skills.
Michelle Kilgower works with the Salvation Army in its homeless service and for the last couple of years she has been working on putting together a course that would help give people from all kinds of backgrounds new skills to ensure they are "rent ready".
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With the help of Western Riverina Community College that dream has come to life, which has allowed five participants to learn everything from how to apply to rent a home, dressing correctly for an interview and cooking healthy, but cost-efficient meals at home to completing a first aid course, budgeting and knowing what their rights are as a tenant.
"You don't think of these simple little things that help so much," Ms Kilgower said.
"So we all put our heads together. They (Western Riverina Community College) came up with the course material and it all came together."
While the participants have flourished thanks to their new skills, the friendships formed among the group have been an unexpected, but welcome surprise.
"Considering some of the situations we've all been in, I was in a crisis centre, we've really achieved so much through this course and it's helping us a lot," participant Anita Lyons said.
"We've got some who have started new jobs, secured housing, or are interviewing for jobs because of this and putting what has been learnt into practice.
"We've all become really great friends as well.
"We support each other and make sure we're turning up each week.
"It's been amazing."
The group will graduate from the program today and it is hoped it will continue on again next year.
"We couldn't have done it without the support of all of our amazing guest speakers and Western Riverina Community College ... it's been a real team effort," Ms Kilgower said.
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