Work within reach.

Two of them say yes to just about every shift that comes up. The other two are pacing themselves. The work is devanning: unloading shipping containers, sometimes a couple of thousand boxes at a time, and getting the freight where it needs to go.

All four came to Oak Tree the same way. In May, Liz Stegerhoek Pugh, an Employment Pathway Facilitator with The Salvation Army, invited Oak Tree Operations Coordinator Deane Rose to come and speak to a group of men she supports.

"He gave people hope," Liz says, "and helped them see that employment was within reach."

The people Liz supports often face barriers that make finding work harder than it should be. Gaps in work history. Health. Transport. Confidence. What they bring, she says, is motivation and determination. What they need is an employer willing to look at strengths first.

Casual devanning work suits that well, because nobody is locked into hours they cannot sustain.

"For some, taking every available shift is part of their journey," Liz says. "For others, starting slowly helps them balance other commitments and build a sustainable pathway into mahi."

Two months in, she has seen confidence grow. The men talk about earning their own income, meeting new people, feeling productive. On Oak Tree's side, Deane says every job so far has been done to a good standard.

This is what Oak Tree is for: real work for people who, for whatever reason, have found it hard to get back into the workforce.

Asked whether she expects to refer more people, Liz does not hesitate. "One hundred percent, yes."

She puts it down to "seeing potential before problems". The four men, meanwhile, keep taking the jobs. Each at his own pace.

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