Reclaiming Culture, Confidence and Connection

When Steve (Name changed for privacy) first connected with Choice Community Health, he wasn’t just seeking support, he was searching for something deeper. Years of feeling disconnected from his community, his culture, and even himself had left him guarded. His world had grown small: a few familiar streets, a handful of cautious conversations. But somewhere inside, a quiet hope remained: the hope that things could be different.

Steve is a proud Aboriginal man and an NDIS participant. For a long time, support services felt clinical and impersonal. They were helpful in practical ways, but they never truly saw him. Then, something shifted.

When Steve met his support worker at Choice, he noticed the difference straight away. She didn’t rush. She didn’t talk over him. She remembered the details, his brother’s name, his coffee order, what mattered to him. She asked, “What do you care about?” rather than just ticking boxes. That’s where trust began.

One day, almost in passing, he said:

“I’ve been thinking. I want to get back to my roots. To mob. To culture.”

That quiet statement was the start of something big.

With gentle support from Choice, Steve began attending a local men’s yarning circle, a culturally safe space led by First Nations facilitators. The group became a place for stories, grief, laughter, and language to flow. At first, Steve sat in silence, listening and observing. But over time, he began to speak, and to be heard.

He spoke about growing up on Country, about feeling stuck between two worlds, and about the ache of losing touch with culture and the longing to return. He shared dreams of painting again, of speaking language, and of mentoring the next generation.

Through our NDIS services, Steve was supported to join cultural programs, connect with Elders in a local community garden, and even reunite with a cousin he hadn’t seen in decades. He began bringing his artwork to the men’s group, not for praise, but to share part of himself. The group welcomed it, and him, with open arms.

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Community, for Steve, wasn’t loud. It was a text that said, “We missed you last week.” It was laughter shared over tea. It was a safe space where he didn’t have to explain who he was, because he was already known.

What Steve found was more than activities. He found his dignity again. His voice. His purpose. He began quietly mentoring younger men in the group, simply by showing up with steady presence and open hands. His healing had made space for others to begin theirs.

The difference wasn’t just what Choice offered. It was how we offered it. We didn’t prescribe Steve’s goals. We uncovered them, through respectful, culturally sensitive conversations. His identity wasn’t an obstacle to work around. It was the heart of the work.

This is what real inclusion means. Not just access. Not just services.

It’s belonging.

And it’s what every person deserves.