What does the word “homeless” mean to you? Tonight in Australia one in 200 people will find themselves sleeping without a roof over their head.

Leseera Kai is a woman who has faced immense tragedy in her life. As a 20 year veteran working in community welfare, she has seen it all. Fires, floods, domestic violence, homelessness. And in the last 18 months she has lost both her son and daughter and cares for her grandchildren. Through it all she still finds time to help the homeless, those at risk from their home environment, the hungry, the struggling – all within her own small community in the northern regions of New South Wales.

Her own life has been colourful – the good, the bad, and everything in between. Join us as she tells her life story, and how she stays motivated to give back to her local community.

CREDITS
Guest: Leseera Kai
Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest
Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper
Audio Transfer:North Coast Events

RESOURCES
Donate to the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Resource Centre https://mdnc.org.au/

What does the word &ldquo;homeless&rdquo; mean to you? Tonight in Australia one in 200 people will find themselves sleeping without a roof over their head.
Leseera Kai is a woman who has faced immense tragedy in her life. As a&nbsp;20 year&nbsp;veteran working in community welfare,&nbsp;she&nbsp;has seen it all. Fires, floods, domestic violence,&nbsp;homelessness. And in the last 18 months she has lost both her son and daughter and cares for her grandchildren. Through it all she still finds time to help the homeless, those at risk from their home environment, the hungry, the struggling &ndash; all within her own small community in the northern regions of New South Wales.
Her own life has been colourful &ndash; the good, the bad, and everything in between. Join us as she tells her life story, and how she stays motivated to give back to her local community.
CREDITS Guest: Leseera Kai Host: Madeleine West <a href="https://www.instagram.com/madmadswest/">@madmadswest</a> Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elisejcooper/">@elisejcooper</a> Audio Transfer: <a href="https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/">North Coast Events</a>
RESOURCES
<ul>
<li>Donate to the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Resource Centre <a href="https://mdnc.org.au/">https://mdnc.org.au/</a></li>
</ul>

What makes a hero? Join actress and story-teller Madeleine West as she speaks to extraordinarily ordinary Australians who are making the world a better place.

Invisible Heroes shines a light on the people who are breaking down barriers, reimagining modern life, reclaiming identity, and helping the most vulnerable – all by thinking outside the box.

What makes a hero? Join actress and story-teller Madeleine West as she speaks to extraordinarily ordinary Australians who are making the world a better place.

Invisible Heroes

Guiding A Community Through Tragedy: Leseera Kai

If you spend your professional life planning the best ways to protect the community, how heartbreaking would it be when you can't protect the ones you love most.
Andrew Fletcher is a unit commander for the NSW SES. During last year’s bushfires, while he worked on the NSW mid north coast coordinating relief efforts in the region, his own son lost his home to bushfire on the south coast. Andrew has served in the armed forces, fought fires, floods, been on the scene at horrific road accidents on our rural highways, and through it all he has remained focussed and caring - in his own words.

In his spare time he's fought for recognition for WWI nurses from his hometown of Bathurst, and has dipped his toe into natural heritage with the team at Jenolan Caves. With a life so colourfully lived, his story is one not to be missed.

CREDITS
Guest: Andrew Fletcher
Host: Madeleine West
ExecutiveProducer: Elise Cooper
Editors: Hannah Bowman and Elise Cooper
AudioEngineer: David Cooper

LINKS
Lifeline 13 11 14 or https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Soldier On, help for returned servicemen and women https://soldieron.org.au/connect-hub/
Young Diggers https://youngdiggers.com.au/
Volunteer with your SES

NSW https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/
QLD https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/volunteer/Pages/default.aspx
VIC https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer
SA https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/home/volunteer/
ACT https://esa.act.gov.au/
WA https://dfes.vol.org.au/
NT https://pfes.nt.gov.au/join-us/become-emergency-service-volunteer

If you spend your professional life planning the best ways to protect the community, how heartbreaking would it be when you can't protect the ones you love most. Andrew Fletcher is a unit commander for the NSW SES. During last year&rsquo;s bushfires, while he worked on the NSW mid north coast coordinating relief efforts in the region, his own son lost his home to bushfire on the south coast. Andrew has served in the armed forces, fought fires, floods, been on the scene at horrific road accidents on our rural highways, and through it all he has remained focussed and caring - in his own words.
In his spare time he's fought for recognition for WWI nurses from his hometown of Bathurst, and has dipped his toe into natural heritage with the team at Jenolan Caves. With a life so colourfully lived, his story is one not to be missed.
CREDITS Guest: Andrew Fletcher Host: Madeleine West Executive Producer: Elise Cooper Editors: Hannah Bowman and Elise Cooper Audio Engineer: David Cooper
LINKS
<ul>
<li> Lifeline 13 11 14 or <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">https://www.lifeline.org.au/</a></li>
<li>Soldier On, help for returned servicemen and women <a href="https://soldieron.org.au/connect-hub/">https://soldieron.org.au/connect-hub/</a></li>
<li>Young Diggers <a href="https://youngdiggers.com.au/">https://youngdiggers.com.au/</a></li>
<li>Volunteer with your SES
<ul>
<li>NSW <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/">https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/</a></li>
<li>QLD <a href="https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/volunteer/Pages/default.aspx">https://www.ses.qld.gov.au/volunteer/Pages/default.aspx</a></li>
<li>VIC <a href="https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer">https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/volunteer</a></li>
<li>SA <a href="https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/home/volunteer/">https://www.ses.sa.gov.au/home/volunteer/</a></li>
<li>ACT <a href="https://esa.act.gov.au/">https://esa.act.gov.au/</a></li>
<li>WA <a href="https://dfes.vol.org.au/">https://dfes.vol.org.au/</a></li>
<li>NT <a href="https://pfes.nt.gov.au/join-us/become-emergency-service-volunteer">https://pfes.nt.gov.au/join-us/become-emergency-service-volunteer</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Floods, Fires And First Responders: Andrew Fletcher

When it comes to sex work, people have a lot of assumptions. And more often than not they are of a pretty negative or judgemental nature. But, when you take a closer look at the industry you can see that escorts are care givers in the same way that nurses or occupational therapists are. But they’re working within a field that has long been associated with shame and seen as something to keep behind closed doors.

CREDITS

Host: Madeleine West
Guests: Ellie & Tash
ExecutiveProducer: Elise Cooper
Editors: Hannah Bowman & Elise Cooper

When it comes to sex work, people have a lot of assumptions. And more often than not they are of a pretty negative or judgemental nature. But, when you take a closer look at the industry you can see that escorts are care givers in the same way that nurses or occupational therapists are. But they&rsquo;re working within a field that has long been associated with shame and seen as something to keep behind closed doors.
CREDITS
Host: Madeleine West Guests: Ellie &amp; Tash Executive Producer: Elise Cooper Editors: Hannah Bowman &amp; Elise Cooper

Sex Work In Modern Australia: Tash & Ellie

Although many of us may not notice, modern life relies heavily on forest products. Did you recently receive a package in the post? Was it in a cardboard box?  Is there a printed label on the cans of veggies in your pantry? 

Yet, when most people hear the word ‘logging’ they’d probably immediately think of deforestation and environment destruction.

Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney are two men whose job it is to make sure that the trees in this country that are cut down for everyday products, are done so sustainably. Ross is the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association and Dean is from Forestry NSW. For this episode of Invisible Heroes Madeleine sat down with Ross and Dean, in the middle of a forest, to find out if there is even such a thing as sustainable forestry. 

CREDITS  

Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest  

Guests: Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney

Executive Producer: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper 

Assistant Producer: Hannah Bowman @itshannahbowman 

Technical Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events northcoastevents.com.au 

LINKS  
Forestry Corporation - https://bit.ly/2HrshPF 
Australian Forest Products Association - https://bit.ly/3dMSJiE 

Although many of us may not notice, modern life relies heavily on forest products. Did you recently&nbsp;receive a package in the post? Was it in a cardboard box?&nbsp;&nbsp;Is there a printed label on the cans of veggies in your pantry?&nbsp;
Yet, when most people hear the word&nbsp;&lsquo;logging&rsquo; they&rsquo;d probably&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;think of deforestation and environment destruction.
Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney are two men whose job it is to make sure that the trees in this country that are cut down for everyday products, are done so sustainably. Ross is the CEO of the Australian Forest Products Association and Dean is from Forestry NSW. For this episode of Invisible Heroes Madeleine sat down with Ross and Dean, in the middle of a forest, to find out if there is even such a thing as sustainable forestry.&nbsp;
CREDITS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Host: Madeleine West&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/madmadswest/">@madmadswest&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;
Guests: Ross Hampton and Dean Kearney
Executive&nbsp;Producer: Elise Cooper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/elisejcooper/">@elisejcooper</a>&nbsp;
Assistant&nbsp;Producer: Hannah Bowman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/itshannahbowman/">@itshannahbowman</a>&nbsp;
Technical&nbsp;Assistance: Odin from North Coast Events&nbsp;<a href="https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/">northcoastevents.com.au</a>&nbsp;
LINKS&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Forestry Corporation - <a href="https://bit.ly/2HrshPF">https://bit.ly/2HrshPF</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li>Australian Forest Products Association - <a href="https://bit.ly/3dMSJiE">https://bit.ly/3dMSJiE</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Guiding A Community Through Tragedy: Leseera Kai

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