By Casey Neill
Cornerstone isn’t just about providing a meal to people in need.
New CEO Stephen Barrington said education, prevention and socialisation were also at the Dandenong contact centre’s core.
“Coming in here and speaking to people in the local community, it’s made me realise the place Cornerstone has in the community here,” he said.
“It’s really humbling.
“It is a place for people to come and belong and not just grab a meal, but get to meet people and experience community.
“People really love and own this place here. Because of that, they protect the space.
“Some people have been here for over 20 years.
“Some guests have important roles they take up here.
“People aren’t just here as takers, they give back to the community as well.”
Mr Barrington will partner with Michael Eggleton, who’ll take on the administration side of things, to run the centre following former co-ordinator Don Cameron’s death in March.
He didn’t personally know Don but certainly knew about his work.
“This year has been a very hard year for the place,” he said.
“Every day I’m having conversations about him with people here.
“He was so well-known and loved.”
Former kitchen manager Gloria Anderson left Cornerstone in October after 10 years.
“Losing both within a year was a big thing,” Mr Barrington said.
“They were really the heart and soul of the place.”
But he said tough times had given Cornerstone a chance to re-evaluate where it was going and build on their good work.
He’s looking at future partnerships and volunteer opportunities.
“I love providing space for people to bond and connect in,” he said.
“For me, as a Christian, it’s really the core of my faith.
“This is the sort of place where Jesus would be.
“He’s about justice and proving a sense of hope and meaning for people.”
Mr Barrington lives in Ferntree Gully and has run a similar organisation, Foothills Community Care, for 15 years.
He’s also served as chaplain for Upwey High School and Malmsbury Juvenile Justice Centre.
“In Ferntree Gully we’ve got about a dozen boarding houses,” he said.
“Here we’ve got 100 registered, plus 300 extras.
“There’s more boarding houses here than there are in St Kilda.
“I think in St Kilda they’re slowly getting pushed out because of the pricing.
“This is where more and more are being pushed out to.”
He started out in the sector 30 years ago, with the juvenile justice system.
“I just only just out of my teens. If it wasn’t for a couple of key things in my life, that’s the way I was going,” he said.
Mr Barrington acknowledged the work wasn’t easy and said “the honesty of people” kept him going.
“There’s no pretence,” he said.
“What you see is pretty much what you get.
“Most of them are really appreciative of simple things in life.”
