The Opendoor initiative participants came together at Glen Park Community Centre in Bayswater North to celebrate the culmination of a six-month project that has left a tangible mark across the Yarra Ranges.
The project was a partnership between Opendoor, Yarra Ranges Council community gardens, and Glen Park Community Centre, where participants designed and built handcrafted all-ability tables, garden beds, and outdoor furniture for six local community gardens.
The initiative aimed to enhance accessibility, promote creativity, and develop practical skills among participants – all while enriching public spaces for the broader community.
Glen Park Community Centre’s chief executive officer, Heidi Butler-Moore said the project’s impact reached far beyond the gardens themselves.
“We’ve been able to provide long-term, vulnerable, disengaged job seekers the opportunity to not only learn carpentry skills, but also to give back to the community while they’re doing that, and that’s such a powerful way to empower somebody to make a different decision for their future employment,” she said.
“It saves lives. It changes lives. And if you’re giving somebody the appetite to consider going into paid employment, that in itself is powerful. The end result is that six community gardens – that’s six communities – now have access to accessible furniture. It’s an amazing outcome. Who would have thought that you’d get a 360 out of one project?”
Ms Butler-Moore said the most rewarding part of the project was seeing the gardens receive the furniture and observing the growth of the facilitator, Steven Kline.
“The work Steven has done, and the growth I have seen in him, has been, for me personally, the biggest reward out of the whole lot of it,” she said.
“He has stepped up and been such an amazing leader. Obviously, what the community gets out of this project is huge, but for me, seeing the growth in our facilitator has been incredible. I mean, seeing that happen has been extraordinary.”
Ms Butler-Moore said the project highlighted the broader impact and the role of partnerships.
“What this project does is highlight a strength in partnerships,” she said.
“Our partnership with Opendoor has certainly allowed us to grow as an organisation and benefit our community to no end. The regional manager, Ashley, has been instrumental in making sure this happens. Without women like Ashley in this industry, we would probably not have the wealth in our community that we do.”
“Every project reaches a whole new audience, helping young people, women returning to work, Indigenous job seekers, and long-term unemployed people gain skills and contribute to the community. It’s certainly something that will continue to happen with every cycle.”
The project delivered tangible benefits across six Yarra Ranges sites.
Contributions included three low-to-ground garden beds and a bench for Japara House in Kilsyth, two wheelchair-accessible garden beds for Healesville Community Garden, three raised wheelchair-accessible beds and an accessible table setting for Tecoma Community Garden, four high-back benches and 24 garden signs for Edible Warburton, two raised wheelchair-accessible beds and two accessible table settings for Mount Evelyn, and two raised accessible beds and two accessible tables for ECOSS.
All scrap wood was transformed into garden ornaments and gifted to each community garden.
The project tutor and qualified carpenter, Steven Kline shared his perspective on designing and building the furniture.
“It was actually a Pinterest project, that’s where the idea came from and I just made a few adjustments to make it accessible for disability,” he said.
“A lot of the community centres around here don’t have much for those participants, the aim was to create a space that’s more inclusive for everybody. We ran a pilot program for Mooroolbark Community Gardens, which went really well, and then made some further adjustments to iron out the creases. In the end, we’ve provided furniture for six community centres, and hopefully they get a lot of value from it.”
“Some of our participants have complex disabilities, and it was wonderful to see them interact, develop friendships, and show patience and care for one another. That part really blossomed, and I was really proud to just watch it happen. It was something I didn’t expect, and it’s probably my proudest moment from the whole initiative.”
Mr Kline also reflected on the personal growth he experienced while overseeing the project.
“I’m not really a teacher, I didn’t really like school, which is why I became a tradesman but you learn you’ve got to open yourself up and bring out different parts of yourself,” he said.
“My compassion and understanding of others have grown, and I’m proud of that achievement because it’s something I’ve probably never unlocked before. To drive past the community centre and know that you’ve made an impact on the people who are really going to use it, it’s something I can show my kids, and they can be proud of.”
“The reach of this project spreads far beyond just the community shed, and that’s beautiful. Seeing different learners come together, forming friendships and growing in confidence, that’s the real success of this project for me.”
Looking ahead, Opendoor plans to continue the initiative.
“The next project will provide accessible furniture to five neighbourhood houses servicing all of Maroondah. Every project reaches a whole new audience, and I hope that every cycle continues to empower, upskill, and support our community,” Ms Butler-Moore said.
