Awards

Ozanam House Shortlisted for 2024 Melbourne Award

For inclusive and supportive services for LGBTQIA+ individuals experiencing homelessness. 

We’re excited to share that VincentCare’s Ozanam House has been shortlisted for a 2024 Melbourne Award! Presented by the City of Melbourne, these awards honour individuals and organisations that contribute to creating an inclusive, innovative, and forward-thinking city.

This year, Ozanam House was nominated in the LGBTIQA+ category, recognising our commitment to supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. This nomination underscores our dedication to providing culturally safe, inclusive, and supportive services tailored to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Our journey toward Rainbow Tick accreditation has been a pivotal part of this work, aligning with the vision and mission of St Vincent de Paul Victoria. This accreditation reflects our dedication to addressing the disproportionate challenges of exclusion, discrimination, and increased vulnerability to homelessness faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals.

And a huge congratulations to the winners of the category this year, QueerTown, and all the other incredible people who were a part of this celebration of Melbourne’s inclusivity, creativity and forward-thinking!

2020 GLOBE Community Awards

Improving Health and Wellbeing for LGBTIQ Peoples

VincentCare has won the Improving Health and Wellbeing for LGBTIQ Peoples award at the 2020 GLOBE Community Awards. This award recognises the outstanding work being done at VincentCare’s Ozanam House and the Homelessness Resource Centre to provide safe and supportive services for our LGBTIQ+ clients. 

The GLOBE Community Awards celebrate achievement in Victoria’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex communities, highlighting the work of a diverse range of organisations and individuals that benefit and unite the Victorian LGBTIQ community.

2019 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards

Minister for Equality’s Award for supporting LGBTIQ health

We’re pleased to announce that VincentCare won the Minister for Equality’s Award for supporting LGBTIQ health at the 2019 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. This award was received in recognition of the work completed for our Rainbow Tick Accreditation. 

LGBTIQ people are overrepresented in the homelessness population as a result of on-going discrimination, stigma and trauma. We made the decision to pursue Rainbow Tick Accreditation because we wanted LGBTIQ people to know that VincentCare was a safe place where they could access inclusive and supportive services.  In April 2019, VincentCare became the first Catholic organisation in Victoria to achieve Rainbow Tick Accreditation. Rainbow Tick had a transformative effect in ways we had not anticipated, resulting in improved outcomes for our clients and giving staff and volunteers a great sense of pride in our organisation.

2019 Victorian Homelessness Achievement Awards

Excellence in Ending Homelessness in Diverse Groups Award

VincentCare has won the Award for Excellence in Ending Homelessness in Diverse Groups at the 2019 Victorian Homelessness Achievement Awards, held on Monday 14 October 2019 in Melbourne. A range of communities are over-represented in homelessness, and this award seeks to recognise those achieving excellence in ending homelessness for these client groups.

VincentCare launched a comprehensive review of its sites, systems, programs and practices to identify how best to support LGBTIQ clients and maximise their housing outcomes. Acting on that review has resulted in Rainbow Tick Accreditation, leadership in the sector, an increase in referrals of LGBTIQ clients from other organisations and positive feedback from clients.