LIMESTONE Coast trans man Mark Collins earns a living helping people in need at ac.care’s Mount Gambier Community Centre, which sits in stark contrast to his first visit to the Ferrers Street site several years ago on the brink of homelessness.
It has been a challenging journey for Mark, made more difficult by managing a chronic illness, but his lived experience has helped him give back to others over two years at the centre.
Mark’s personal successes are being highlighted as part of National Volunteer Week 2025 (May 19-25), with the passion to give back to others now opening new opportunities for his own future while helping to bring people together and strengthen communities.
Now employed as a client service officer at the community centre, it is a far cry from Mark’s last full-time job in 2016 when, after years of working in manual labour roles, he started to experience constant pain and became unwell.
The following year he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes pain, tenderness and fatigue throughout the body.
“It was like my life took a complete 180 turn and I was in bed for the first 12 months of that illness,” Mark recalled.
While managing new barriers in his life, Mark’s challenges were compounded when he was informed that the house he was renting had been sold.
“I had to move, which I couldn’t hold against the landlords because the opportunities that would come from selling that home meant they could build their own home and start a family,” he said.
“That’s something that is wonderful, but it left me in a spot of bother.”
Looking for an alternative home to move into during the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mark found few affordable options in Mount Gambier and experienced competition from dozens of other potential tenants each time he applied for a potentially suitable rental property, prompting him to start exploring the Naracoorte market.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the friends or family options to stay with people, but I really didn’t want to be a burden on anyone – I wanted to try and do it myself.”
On the brink of homelessness, Mark made his first visit to ac.care’s Mount Gambier Community Centre where current Limestone Coast homelessness service regional manager Kelly McGuinness offered support to determine a path forward.
Mark attended weekly appointments with the Limestone Coast Homelessness Service team, welcoming the opportunity to also pick up donated food and other supplies while at the centre to help extend his budget.
“It made a big difference, especially when you’ve been eating a couple of loaves of bread a fortnight with margarine and cheese because that’s all you could really afford,” he said.
“Your dark circumstances set in and you realise you can do all the right things, but life can just throw you curveballs.”
After several weeks of support, Mark was able to secure public housing and avoided becoming homeless with the stability of a safe home and growing connections in the community supporting a positive shift in his life that has continued to this day.
Inspired by lived experience of the impact the Mount Gambier Community Centre can make, Mark turned his hand to volunteering and joined ac.care in September 2023 where he helped prepare meals and supported the centre’s daily operations.
“It was wonderful to give back knowing what it is like to be on both sides of the bench,” he said.
“Every person has value and worth and it’s wonderful to see clients achieving their goals, securing housing and their smiling faces.
“I like to remind myself that we all have the potential to achieve our goals and be successful and sometimes it takes an encouraging word and support to see others reach success.”
After around a year of volunteering, Mark applied for the centre client support officer role after encouragement from Mount Gambier Community Centre coordinator Shauna Wood.
“It had been so long since I had worked and my medical team was a bit worried about it, but then Shauna told me to give it a shot,” he said.
“I have just built it up from there and now I am studying a financial literacy skill set at Eva Burrows College.
“Managing money can be a stressful thing and we live in a system where it’s vital and we need it, but we certainly don’t need to have it as a master.
“It is really about a strength-based approach so far from what I’ve learned, and I suppose that is what I also try to bring into my emergency relief work.
“I always like to point out where people are doing really well, because I know it is difficult to sit there and ask for support.
“Any one of us can go down that way.
“I think that is why I like being here (at ac.care), I don’t see myself any different to the clients, staff or volunteers.”
Would you like to help local people in need and increase the impact of ac.care in country communities as a volunteer or staff member?
Find out more here, email care@accare.org.au or call 1300 ACCARE (1300 222 273).
