About Us

Our Mission

Inspired by Jesus Christ, our mission is to support the Church as it provides accommodation to
people in need and journeys with each person, offering physical, social, emotional and spiritual care as an expression of God’s love.

Our Vision

More than a place to stay.

We recognize that homelessness is not just a lack of shelter. The Church is uniquely positioned and called to care for ‘the least of these’ (Matt 25:40)

Our Values

Integrity

  • In honouring God we honour people
  • We are transparent and accountable
  • We treat all people with respect and dignity

Community

  • Each person matters
  • We prioritise connection and inclusion
  • We journey with people towards stability

Unity

  • We work together as the Church
  • We collaborate with others

Our Story

Stable One was born out of the personal journey of our founder, Jenny, and the prayers of the Church.

Jenny writes …

In 2016 I was studying a Bachelor of Ministries and volunteering at a foodbank in Lilydale. I had the privilege of meeting and assisting people who were struggling to make ends meet and had my eyes well and truly opened to the issue of homelessness in my community. I had no idea just how many people, who were my neighbours, were sleeping in cars, in the open, on friend’s couches, or in sheds and porches. I had lived in the Lilydale and Mount Evelyn area for eight years and was completely oblivious.

During a weekly community meal, I sat across from a gentle, middle-aged, well-dressed lady who seemed a lot like me. As we talked, she was embarrassed to tell me she was sleeping in her car. I was shocked. She didn’t fit my preconceived ideas of someone who was homeless. We had a spare room in our family home and I invited her to come and stay. It worked out well and after a few months, with support from a kind landlady, she moved into a small unit.

Be the Church – work together (1 Cor 12: 27)

Fast forward to winter that year. I met another lady in her early 60s who was very unwell and had lived in her car for more than a year. I helped her with food and some clothes before we parted company. That night I struggled to sleep in my warm bed as I imagined her trying to sleep in a car whose doors no longer locked. I woke the next morning to see a carpet of frost across my garden before attending my college theology class where we talked about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We read:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

— Matthew 16:24, New International Version

God spoke to me through the Bible and I knew I had to try to do something to help this lady, and others like her.

We offered her a weekend in our home and arranged a prayer meeting for the Monday night. My husband and I spent the next two days listening to story after story about the journey of homelessness. Our new friend gained some respite from the cold and ate some good food, while we learned some valuable lessons.

Love Like Jesus (Matthew 25:35-40)

As we met for prayer, we asked God what we could DO to make a difference. Our group  grew as people from others churches joined us. We believed God was showing us three things: Be the Church – work together (1 Cor 12: 27), Love Like Jesus (Matthew 25:35-40), He cares about the ‘one’. If you only help one person, it’s still worth doing. (Luke 15).

I began to do some research and discovered there were 26 emergency relief services in our area alone, offering food parcels, meals, clothing, assistance with bills, etc. I talked to welfare agencies, to the local council, and I scoured the internet. I discovered that locally there was a shortage of crisis, medium and long-term housing and the public housing waiting list is between 10-20 years long for those who are eligible. Accommodation was the gap that we believed God wanted us to focus on.

We continued to pray regularly and saw answers in the form of people who had different experiences and knowledge of projects in other places around the world. Three different projects in three different countries were brought to our attention, all doing similar things – offering crisis shelter to people experiencing homelessness using church buildings. I talked to people in the US and the UK who shared information and resources with me. I shared the vision with local pastors who were enthusiastic about trialling such a scheme, and plans were begun for a Winter Night Shelter pilot project in the winter of 2017.

He cares about the ‘one’.
If you only help one person, it’s still worth trying (Luke 15)

Stable One was registered as a charity at the end of 2016 with the express purpose of helping the Church to do the things we believe God showed us. We worked hard on research, policy development and logistics and were ready to open our first Winter Shelter on 1 June 2017 with 165 trained volunteers.

Our guests were offered 'more than a place to stay' through the building of community, connection, care, belonging and the love of Jesus.

Stable One was born out of prayer, and that is how we will continue to operate. We want to follow God, one step at a time.

Since we began, I have met many more people experiencing homelessness. Their stories, their courage, their resilience and their hearts inspire me. Seeing the Church respond to their needs and show God’s love for them in such practical ways fills me with joy.

— Jenny

Why Stable One?

This name came from those who met together for prayer in August 2016, though they didn’t know it at the time. There was a real sense that evening that the task was too huge for us to solve, but that it was okay if we only helped just one person. God confirmed that message to us in the next few days and weeks through different people and through scripture.

Particularly we read the story of the lost sheep. Read it here.

The word ‘stable’ represents not only the place where the Messiah was born, but also a state of being.

For those experiencing homelessness, stability is crucial to their well-being. Not just in terms of a place to live, but in terms of strong foundations on which to build. As Christians, we believe that the firmest foundation on which to build a life is Jesus Christ. He is the Stable One.

We want to offer people more than just a roof over their heads and a bed for the night. We are the church. We are a community, a family. We have the opportunity to build relationships with people who are often lonely and isolated, and to love them like Jesus.

Our Board

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David Wells
Board Director
(Chair)

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David Wells

Although I am a lawyer by training, I have had some precious reinvention opportunities. I was privileged to spend 13 years as a manager/leader of a well-known Melbourne legal practice. These days, I help professional practices generally with business model transformation. When people who are aligned on mission, vision and values use their unique spiritual gifting in collaboration with each other and in service of others, positive social change is a real possibility. This is why the opportunity to serve on the board of Stable One attracted me. Apart from a couple of years living in Sth Gippsland as a newly-wed, I have been an active member at One Community Church in Blackburn for more than 40 years. I enjoy studying modern European languages and cycling, especially uphill.
Ann

Ann Fraser
Board Director
(Vice Chair)

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Ann Fraser

I am a social worker with over 30 years experience which has ranged from local service delivery, training and crisis response including Government responses to the Black Saturday Bushfires, Cyclone Yasi and  the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. My professional and personal life is centred on my belief that every human being has fundamental value and my faith directs me to consider that each person I can show care to is a service to God. I was attracted to Stable One as I am deeply concerned about the plight of those without stable housing because I have seen how homelessness strips people of the ability to maintain social connection and take positive longer term action in their lives.  It is exciting to see the Church working together in the local community. When I'm not at work you can find me in the kitchen or the garden or enjoying a long walk.
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Rev Philip King
Board Director (Treasurer)

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Rev Philip King

I have been married to my wife Carole for over 40 years. We have five children, eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. I am first and foremost, a family man. When I immigrated to Australia in 1989, I left behind a successful career in teaching, spending the next 20 years as a manager in the headquarters of Australia Post. With a lifelong commitment to Church and a love of learning, I retired to study theology and was ordained as a deacon in 2012. After six years ministry in the parishes of Lilydale and Healesville, I am currently a part-time minister at the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ringwood. I have a first degree in Management Science and a Master of Business Administration. With a strong sense of social justice and a keen interest in churches working together, I joined the Board of Stable One in 2018 and am currently the Treasurer.
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Lyndell Fraser
Board Director (Secretary)

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Lyndell Fraser

I joined the Board as Secretary in 2019, bringing 25 years of administration experience. Professionally, I am a Director of Detail 9 Architects, an architectural practice with a focus in community infrastructure. I have been a member of the Forest Hill College Council for 5 years, (President in 2019) and was previously President of the Mt Pleasant Rd Primary School Council. My values come from family and my lifelong involvement with Churches of Christ - a strong work ethic, generosity, caring for others and volunteering all key elements, demonstrated particularly by my parents. I was excited by the tangible way a winter shelter can allow one person to make a difference and have volunteered with my husband in the pilot and subsequent projects. I have two children, two dogs and a chicken. I love spending time with family and friends, am a sporting fanatic and an active member of Ringwood Church of Christ.
Barry

Barry Borneman
Board Director

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Barry Borneman

I currently run a Team Building consultancy whilst working part time with Wycliffe Bible Translators in organisational development and mentoring. My academic background is eclectic with degrees in Education, Theology and Development. My experience is primarily in cross cultural settings - 15 years in Northern Australia with SIL supporting literacy and Bible translation initiatives in indigenous languages, a further 8 years in a training role through the Pacific before completing a 12 years stint as CEO of Wycliffe in 2019. My primary motivation comes from being a follower of Jesus which started as an unchurched 17-year-old almost 50 years ago. It is in following Jesus that I have been brought alongside the more marginalised whose choices are often limited. My desire to engage locally, as well as the potential I saw in the organisation attracted me to Stable One. My personal goal in my coming retirement is to walk the rail trails of Victoria, and to write a book.
David Wilson

Dr David Wilson
Consultant

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Dr David Wilson

My career began 49 years ago in the inner suburbs of Melbourne working with people struggling with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health issues. My undergraduate work was in Theology, followed by a Masters of Arts in Social Science and a Doctorate in Counselling. I taught Sociology, Philosophy, Urban Studies, Psychology and Counselling at a Tertiary level for over 25 yrs. I was President of Residents 3000, the political voice of people living in the CBD and in that role was part of the commission that developed the City of Melbourne’s Drugs Action Plan. As a Melbourne City Councilor (2004 – 2008), I held the position of The Chair of Community & Culture, which covered Libraries; Children, Youth, Aged, Family, Disabilities and Ethnic Services; Emergency Management; Housing; Indigenous Affairs; Safety & Health; and Social Policy, which included drug abuse, homeless issues and policing matters. I was Director of Bible Society’s Sophia Think Tank for five years, promoting engagement with wisdom for personal and social transformation through public theology and advocacy. In that role I researched topics such as the problem of youth suicide, and the crisis in Australian democracy. Until the end of 2017 I was the CEO of Urban Seed in the City of Melbourne (a Christian Community Development Agency that uses hospitality, recreation, and the arts to help people experiencing disadvantage to move toward communities of healing, hope and justice). I have now retired from paid employment in the Community Sector and am passionate about giving back to that sector the kind of support services I benefitted from over that time, through education, advocacy, networking and support. I am a Consultant with Stable One in the Yarra Ranges and give my time to other local organisations working with the disadvantaged. I am also involved in the leadership of two Churches in my neighbourhood. I am married to Debbie. We have four adult children and seventeen grandchildren.
Kerryn

Kerryn Pell
Board Director

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Kerryn Pell

I am a social worker currently managing Whitehorse Churches Care - a charity inspired by the work of Stable One, and set up to facilitate practical unity amongst the churches of Whitehorse enabling them to respond together to need within their community. Previously a mechanical engineer, I started volunteering with Prison Network (a Christian organisation supporting women in custody and as they transition into the community) in 2009 which had a profound impact on me - introducing me to some of Victoria’s most marginalised women. This experience fueled a passion for journeying alongside people on the edge of society. After a significant career change, I worked in a variety of prisons as well as residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities. Regularly confronted by the impact of homelessness, and believing that the Church has a lot to offer in this space, involvement with Stable One has been a natural blend of my skills and passion. Outside of work, you can find me adventuring outside – usually hiking, kayaking or cycling – or being entertained by my much loved nephews.
Ian BUnston

Ian Bunston
Board Director

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Ian Bunston

After 40 years in state and private education, I now work part time as a Community Connector - a joint partnership position between Korus Connect and Vicinity, Box Hill Central Shopping Centre. I have a passion for seeing better connected communities where individuals, families and organisations thrive. My heart is to see people inspired, supported and whole. Working also with Deakin University mentoring pre- service teachers and also presenting in sporting clubs about ‘Men’s Health and Wellbeing’ with SALT, I feel God is using my life developed skills and interests.The opportunity to support those who are homeless through the Stable One Board has direct synergies with my current work. I consider it a privilege to be part of such a committed team addressing such a needy and challenging issue in our community.
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Jenny Willetts
Managing Director

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Jenny Willetts

I love Jesus and people. Those two loves have led to the role I have today – leading Stable One. I am a born ‘driver’ with, I suspect, an unusual aptitude for administration. I am enthusiastic, a visionary and like to get stuff done. My early career was as a PA in local government and I have since studied theology and worked in Papua New Guinea and Australia with Wycliffe Bible Translators. I have literally followed God around the world and am often surprised at the roles he’s given me. I find it a privilege and joy to see the Church on mission together, finding ways to offer practical help to some of our most vulnerable ‘neighbours’ and am constantly challenged and changed by the people I meet in the course of my work. I relax by reading, gardening, cooking and spending time with family and friends.