Sagarmatha was officially opened in November 2006 as a result of the 2004 Mt. Everest Appeal and is achieving some great outcomes. The work of the Centre relies solely on donations from private individuals, community organisations and the corporate sector.
In March 2004, after 10 days’ trekking and climbing, the Catherine House Director Madge McGuire reached Base Camp Mt. Everest - 5363 metres - the summit is 8890 metres. Madge went with a group from Centacare Adelaide who were doing the trek to raise funds for their own cause; she had asked if she could join them.
Madge had set herself this goal as a means of raising money to build Sagarmatha - the Catherine House Vocational Education and Development Centre and the Everest Appeal raised $300,000 in financial and in-kind donations.
It was hard work all the way - trekking and climbing every day for 15 days. Madge had never trekked or climbed anywhere before, had never played sport, had never been athletic in any way until Everest. It was a real challenge to do something of this magnitude – as a first!
The Everest Appeal was launched in August 2003 and officially concluded in October 2004, after having raised $300,000 in financial and in-kind donations.
The Appeal was not only about raising funds, it was also very much about raising public awareness regarding the issues that bring women to homelessness. The media interest, and the over 110 public speaking engagements that Madge has had from 2004 to early 2008, has meant she has had the opportunity to clarify and debunk some of the myths and stereotypes regarding homelessness that have existed in the community.
Unexpectedly, it has also had quite a surprisingly positive impact on the women who come to Catherine House. They have just loved the whole story of the Everest Adventure – "making the impossible possible". At the same time, they have been moved by the obvious care that the community has for their wellbeing because of the donations that we have received to build Sagarmatha.
Madge has a meal with and attends the ‘house’ meeting held with the clients in the emergency accommodation program each week. She shows her vision of the climb every 4/6 weeks, when there is a new group of clients in the house. Everest is a metaphor for so much in life; as a result clients often begin to name ‘what is my Everest’. They then become motivated to create and set new goals and aspirations for their own lives. This moment has resulted in some empowering and life changing decisions for women.
The 2004 Everest Challenge has become much more than could ever have been imagined.