DCM’s 50th Birthday Photo Exhibition

Together we can end homelessness in Wellington – will you help us celebrate our 50th birthday?

This year, DCM is celebrating 50 years of working in the city of Wellington to “focus on the needs of, and to help empower, those marginalised in the city.” (DCM Constitution, 1969). For the last 15 years, DCM has adopted the by-line “together we can end homelessness in Wellington” which reflects:

- our current focus on the needs of this key marginalised group – people experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of homelessness, supporting them on a journey towards sustainable housing and wellbeing. DCM has supported literally hundreds of people to successfully exit homelessness and sustain housing.

- “together” – the many individuals and groups within our city who are very much part of our work. Here are just a few examples:
- the dentists who volunteer their time at the DCM Dental Service
- the local food (for example, Pandoro, Kaibosh) and coffee (for example, Mojo’s) businesses and chefs (for example Rex Morgan, Wellington Chefs Association, Good Bitches Baking and Press Hall food-court) who make it possible for us to offer kai and hospitality to those we work with
- the creative professionals (designers, writers and photographers)
- many Wellington faith communities, who donate money, food for our foodbank and their time and skills as volunteers
- other health professionals (audiologist, eye doctor and physiotherapist)
- the people of Wellington who are involved in so, so many ways (they volunteer, donate and buy books at the iconic annual DCM Bookfair, become regular donors, offer their time and skills, bring in food donations, etc).

All of these individuals and groups have found practical ways to be part of our work.

We experience Wellington as a place where people genuinely want to be part of the solution to homelessness.

Our 50th birthday celebrations are focussed on this “together” and lifting up the people and communities who are part of the response to homelessness in our city. A high point will be our 50th birthday photo exhibition in September 2019.

This will feature 50 different images each reflecting the contribution of one kaitautoko (supporter) group, business or individual. A number of different Wellington photographers will contribute these images, and the celebration will again be a coming together of the people of Wellington to acknowledge and reconfirm our collective commitment to ending homelessness in our city.

Make a note in your diaries – plan to head down to Photospace to see the beautiful images and learn more about the amazing people in your community who are part of this vision. And have a think about how you might like to be involved too. Because together, we can end homelessness in our city.

Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive.