Understanding the effort needed to reduce poverty

This week BSL hosted the ‘Partnering for a Poverty Free Victoria’ expo at Parliament House to spotlight the work being done by BSL to reduce poverty and inequality in Victoria.

BSL Chief Strategy and Impact Officer Zeah Behrend said the relationship between BSL and Parliament was important for addressing the needs of Victorians experiencing disadvantage.

‘We have a large research and policy team who work hand in hand with our incredible services team to really understand what is working for people on the ground,’ she said.

‘And then we use that information, bringing together the research, the policy and the services to advocate to governments for systems reform to support those in most need.

‘We have a really large footprint in Victoria, and we know that inequality is growing.

‘The most recent Productivity Commission report had poverty rates at the highest that they've been, making our work more important than ever.’

Ms Behrend said the expo was an opportunity to engage with Members of Parliament and demonstrate the breadth of services provided by BSL.

BSL runs over 40 programs and supports more than 80,000 Australians experiencing disadvantage every year.

‘We really want to engage with Members of Parliament, particularly around their local communities and talk about how we can work together to really drive towards reducing poverty in Victoria,’ Ms Behrend said.

‘MPs really know and understand their communities and BSL really know and understand the communities that we're working in, so with our shared expertise and knowledge we can really look for solutions that address poverty for Victorians.’

BSL Youth Advisor Chloe Sumner gained employment with BSL through its Inclusive Pathways to Employment program and now helps people living with disability to find meaningful employment.

‘I bring my lived experience as a young person living with disability and look at employment services and how they can be more inclusive,’ she said.

‘I'm really passionate about lived experience being a pillar in creating change.

‘You can't create change without including the person that you're trying to create change for.’