Our first lady at Desert Road

Thursday April 25th 2024.

Hi Everyone, 

Yesterday marked one month since our first lady joined us here at Desert Road. 

With her permission, i have sat with her today to write this with her and tell you about her journey and what it is like joining us at DR. 

For privacy reasons, we will not be using her real name.

Jody is a 41-year-old indigenous Brirpi woman who was born and raised on the mid-north coast of NSW. She is number 3 out of 5 kids. Jody and her 4 siblings grew up on the mid-north coast with both mum and dad.  Dad did demolition contracting, and her mum spent most of the time raising the kids. 

She left school in year 9 because she struggled to do schoolwork and got involved with the wrong crowd. Due to many wrong choices, Jody was placed in a PCYC program through Juvenile Justice for 3 days a week at 14. Jody was first incarcerated at 19 years old. 

Looking back at this time in her life, Jody realises and then explains to me that the main reason for this was the lack of support from her family and friends while she tried to deal with issues that caused her to make the choices she was making. Between the age of 19 and 41, Jody says was incarcerated more than 6 times, with her longest time out of prison being 4 years. 

Sadly, her dad passed away in 2020. 

Jody has an adult daughter with whom she has a good bond; she lives with Jody's mum, who she is also close to. 

This is what Jody tells me about her last time Inside:

I was attending Kairos inside with a chaplain named Karine. I really enjoyed doing this and loved the people who came to visit us. I had told Karine that I didn't want to keep coming back to prison and that I needed to change my ways, but I found that hard when I kept going back to my old community as I had nowhere else to go. Karine told me how DR was starting and explained what it was about. I spent a week thinking about it and decided this was what I needed to do to help me become a better person and get me on the right path.

I asked Jody what she enjoys about DR and also what she finds hard:

 I enjoy that I am getting a lot of help with everything I need to do, like going to appointments, keeping up with parole, seeing counsellors, doing programs, and staying healthy. I love interacting with Mel and the volunteers and going to church on Sundays. I also enjoy volunteering during the week and after church.  I know this is all very important to help me through my journey and keep me on the right path. 

I find it hard sometimes knowing my family is away from me, but I always call them and speak to them over the phone. I sometimes grieve for them and others, but I know I have a lot to work ahead of me to get right, and I need to do it away from my old community. I thank God every day for the support and the lovely people I have around me here. 

I then asked her where does she see herself this time next year?

Definitely not in gaol!  I Would like to be working and have stability to stay clean and be motivated to keep moving forward in my journey.  I aim to stay in this area once I leave DR with the possibility of finding a place to live with my daughter and her partner.

I look forward to showing them this area when they come to visit me in the near future. 

Jody says to say a big thank you to all the volunteers at DR and those who continue to pray for her and help in other ways. 

Blessings to all, 

Mel x 

www.desertroad.org.au    

New Beginnings

 

April 11th 2024.

Welcome to Deseert Road's first post.... lets start at the begining!

 

Welcome to our first blog for Desert Road. I’m Mel Wells, and Today, I will talk about the inspiring story of how Desert Road came into existence. This organisation results from a vision I was given during my time in prison in 2018/19.

I noticed a recurring pattern among the women inmates during my time there. Many of them would leave the prison but soon find themselves back inside. This realisation disturbed me, and I started to question why this was happening. After speaking with some women, I discovered that a lack of support after their release was one of the main reasons. It deeply saddened me to see these women returning to their old ways, often influenced by people who were not the best role models or breaking the law to escape some sort of DV. This made me think about what I could do to help support them in need to break this cycle. The day I left prison, I felt God put this strong hold over me, telling me that my time with the Prison was not over, and as much as that scared me because I was not going back for anything, I also realised that He had a plan for me, and that is where I first saw that I was needed to help others, but just wasn’t sure how or where to start.

Looking ahead to 2022, my mother passed away unexpectedly, and I was devastated. After taking some time off due to anxiety, I returned to church and heard a man share about a Sydney-based organisation that supports men transitioning out of prison or on bail. At that moment, I felt a strong nudge from God telling me I needed to do something similar, but for women.

In late 2022, I gathered a group of dear friends to create a committee and make our vision a reality. Despite the challenges, our team was unwavering in our goal to positively influence the lives of these women. We conducted thorough research and embarked on travels to various locations around Australia to devise a plan for launching this organisation. After months of hard work and dedication, Desert Road finally started in April 2024. The organisation's primary goal is to provide support and medium term-accommodation to women upon their release from prison. We focus on helping these women find employment, education, housing, and most importantly, a loving and supportive community. Desert Road provides support in helping these women be the best version of themselves, this also includes helping them to become self-sufficient. We are blessed to have more than 12 volunteers where women can connect with successful and positive role models who can guide and support them on their journey.

One of the things that makes Desert Road unique is that we are the only non-profit organisation in NSW that supplies housing and volunteers to support the women who have been released from prison. We value the input and feedback of the women we support, making them feel included and giving them a sense of ownership and responsibility.

This vision and determination has created a safe space where women can rebuild their lives and make positive changes. Desert Road has become more than just an organisation; it is a community and a family. And it all started with a simple idea and a strong belief in making a difference. We are very thankful to have the support from the Lismore Soup kitchen who we are a part of along with one in Christ fellowship. We look forward to having other organisations and churches support us as well.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have received an abundance of love and support from those around me in the past 5 years,and I'm confident that the women of Desert Road will also experience this same level of love and support, which has played a crucial role in helping me reach where I am today. 

So thankyou to those who have and continue to believe in me. 

Let's all work together to create a more supportive and inclusive society for all.

Even if it is only one person at a time… 

Many blessings,

Mel x

If you would like to know more about Desert Road or donate, please see our website for more information.