A three-year sponsorship of Haven Home Safe’s award-winning program Sidney Myer Haven has transformed people’s lives and created social and economic value for the local community.

Agnico Eagle’s support for the program helped deliver tailored wraparound supports for people living on-site. Programs include external weekly activities to support residents overcome anxiety and barriers to participation such as attending a swimming pool or gym for exercise; parenting support; mental health counselling; finance coaching and training and employment skills.

Some of the residents who have come through the program have credited it with transforming their lives: “Before SMH I was struggling in every way. Now I’m back at work,” said one resident.

Since the program began in 2015, 82 adults and 43 children have been supported, with 70 per cent of residents employed or studying when they completed the program and two residents even purchasing their own home.

“We inherently knew the value our Sidney Myer Haven program was generating and that it was transforming lives, but we wanted to be able to showcase the social value and economic benefits of this work, so we engaged our partners at Think Impact to develop a Social Return on Investment Report,” said CEO Trudi Ray.

The report showed a 20 per cent increase in value generated since the first evaluation in 2018, finding that for every dollar invested, between $12 and $13 of social and economic value is generated. Most of this value is experienced by residents and their children, in the form of avoided trauma and improved personal safety, better mental health management and better emotional heath. Value is also generated for the Victorian State Government, Federal Government and other service providers through avoided costs and reduced demand for services.

Angico Eagle’s Director of Environment and Government Relations, Ms Felicia Binks, said “We are proud to support this local Bendigo program that has added such immense value to the lives of people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Our goal is to build local capacity in the partner organisations and the lives of the people they support, leaving a positive legacy for the community.”

“By independently investing in programs with support from organisations like Agnico Eagle, we can deliver real impact and outcomes. This has been a great example of how programs boosted by impact investing can provide long-term outcomes beyond the donation, and truly deliver better futures for all Victorians,” said Ms Ray.

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Read the Sidney Myer Haven Social Return on Investment Report here