Last night we celebrated our new Hireup home in Sydney’s Greenwich, with a good old-fashioned housewarming party.
Our friend and Hireup user, Kate Thomas, opened the festivities with an Acknowledgement of Country and by sharing her story. With an emphasis on finding her support worker squad and a well-timed Beyoncé reference we thought it was fitting to share again on International Women’s Day.
By Kate Thomas
It is special to be here today.
I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather today, the land of the Cammeraygal People, and pay my respects to the Elders both past, present and emerging.
I would also like to acknowledge that I was born and raised on Wiradjuri country in Gilgandra.
In 2016, I was completing my nightly ritual of soaking up the day’s events on the news when 7:30 Report aired a segment discussing a new platform for people with disability. Sounding more like a fun, new way of matching people with similar interests, I was intrigued, and sent an email exclaiming that Hireup must come to regional NSW.
Little did I know that three years later I would be swapping country nights for city lights and become Hireup’s latest client.
In October last year, I piled into the car and drove to Sydney to relocate for my work and to meet a new group of people who would be joining me as side-kicks for my brand new life, they are also known as my dream team.
Half of which are in this room as Hireup HQ staff. HI TEAM!
I have been fortunate to travel the world from my living room with my support workers who come from near and far as we discuss their hometowns, located in all quarters of the globe.
Sometimes it is mutual support work as we figure out our way through life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are friendships, all thanks to Hireup.
Having a voice in the disability sector has previously been a rare thing. Being a young woman with a disability who has had the opportunity to meet, greet and select a squad of incredible women from diverse backgrounds is an exciting thing. It is even more significant saying this as tomorrow is International Women’s Day. Who run the world? Girls.
From sliding into potential support workers DM’s on the Hireup website, to first encounters over coffee dates where small talk slowly turned into in-house jokes with each support worker. It has been a hoot.
Thank you to the O’Reilly family for thinking up such a great platform for people like me to find people like these.
It is exciting to be welcomed here today in your new office space and have the opportunity to be the first speaker of the evening, so I would like to take full advantage of the situation and say congratulations. I hope you look around tonight and take time to reflect on the wonderful thing you have created. Whether it be Hireup HQ staff, support workers or clients, their families and friends. You have gifted many people a new reality.
Growing up with a disability, your future is often questioned. What will you do? Where will you live? Who will support you? What will you achieve? Who will you become?
Having Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a muscle weakening condition - my future was definitely questioned. I was always determined to get a job, move out of home and live independently. But I was always quietly unsure if this would ever happen.
Hireup has given me the chance to turn my day dreams and ambitions into a reality.
Here’s to a new office space where ambitions can come true.
