The RegenNarration Podcast
The RegenNarration podcast features the stories of a generation that is changing the story, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. It’s ad-free, freely available and entirely listener-supported. You'll hear from high profile and grass-roots leaders from around Australia and the world, on how they're changing the stories we live by, and the systems we create in their mold. Along with often very personal tales of how they themselves are changing, in the places they call home. With award-winning host, Anthony James.
The RegenNarration Podcast
242 Extra. Transforming Lives One Home at a Time
A brief but profoundly beautiful bonus episode of previously unreleased material with Maria Novac. Maria was a single mum with a family who had unexpectedly found herself in need of social housing, and landed in a neglected hot box. A chance encounter resulted in her becoming one of the social housing recipients whose life was transformed by Stephen King and the Australian Insulation Foundation.
If you’ve come here first, tune into the main episode 242 with Stephen King: ‘The Insulation Revolution: The ‘simple’ social enterprise model that inspired a state’.
To hear the rest of the Clean State series, and more stories of regeneration from around WA, Australia and the world, follow The RegenNarration wherever podcasts are found, or on the website.
Title slide: Stephen King and Maria Novak as they appeared in an article on this story (pic: Steve Grant, supplied).
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Music:
By Jeremiah Johnson.
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Yeah it's taken a load off my back, so I would do anything to help him out here to be able to help everyone else out, so yeah.
AJ:Tell us a bit about, I guess, that sense of gratitude. What's behind that for you?
Maria:Oh, absolutely I'm beyond grateful because you know we moved in here, I have three children and just things have changed. I can put more towards my children now because I'm not spending so much on bills and it's, it's comfortable, it was absolutely hot during the summer and freezing during the winter and yeah, and it makes you kind of feel horrible, you know, being in the situation I'm already in, and then that on top of our living environment. So yeah, and it was amazing connecting with Steve and just literally coming in installing and and there it was.
Maria:Yeah, it just happened in a day and it made a difference. One day, a few hours, made a huge difference and, yeah, I'm beyond grateful. Yeah, something that seems so small is actually massively significant, not just my part. But this is a small part and a bigger part of things.
AJ:But it helps you imagine other people potentially in a similar situation to you that may not even know the opportunity exists.
Maria:Absolutely Like I didn't. I had no idea I was on Gumtree to actually find someone to to pay to install bats.
AJ:that's how bad it was, you were just going to do it.
Maria:I was just going to do it and um, I came across this um initiative and I thought this was fantastic. I'm going to get on board and it's just been great. So you know, I've saved some money and um and we're in perth like.
AJ:Consider the people who are further north or inland, where it's hotter still, absolutely, where we know a lot of these needs exist too. So, that's part of what powers your wish to just put a bit more air under the wings for other people, Absolutely yeah.
Maria:Since it's happened, you've already said that you then didn't need to get air con yeah, I was planning to get air con last before last summer kicked in and um, I just found we didn't. I don't have to, it's it's cool enough um, during the summer and warm enough during the winter, so you know that's saving. You know one and a half two grand, I think, for um buying a air con and install so that money is going towards other things that you know my family a half two grand, I think, for um buying a air con and install so that money is going towards other things that you know my family needs.
AJ:So I'm really interested in how Steve and I talked a bit about the flow-on effects and just how it can make you feel in your home. How would you describe the difference on that level?
Maria:oh, absolutely I don't feel like I'm in a hot pot, you know because it can get pretty, um, pretty hot here and everyone gets agitated and, um, it's more cool, calm and collected. Now you know, yeah, with three kids, yeah, um, it does. It makes a huge difference. You wouldn't think so, but it does. Something so small can make a huge difference, and it has, and I've seen it. Um, you know, I don't cope too well with heat, and neither do children, because it did get very hot in here. It's made a huge difference. We're happier, we're more relaxed, we're more relaxed in our own home, and that's how you want to feel in your own home is just be able to kick back and relax and not have to think about it's so hot, you're sitting on the floor sweating and, yeah, it's just a burden.
AJ:These are your memories. Yeah, it's just a burden.
Maria:These are your memories of how it was yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a burden. It was burdensome to have to feel that way and you feel bad as a parent that you know you want to make your kids feel great and looked after well and you know you don't want to put them in a situation you know.
AJ:So yeah, and so for people now who might, is Stephen even still on Gumtree? I don't know. People now who might, is Stephen even still on Gumtree? I don't know.
Maria:I don't know, I haven't checked. I haven't checked.
AJ:People who might look now and hear this and hear that he's flat chat. It just emphasises the point. Hey see if we can make government and others step up to make this available to literally everybody that needs it, at least in these 50,000 houses.
Maria:It's absolutely worth it. Yeah, it has to be done and that's why he's got my full support and backing. So things like this, I'm ready to put my hand up for him and just help out where I can, just to um put the message forward.
AJ:So and just so listeners know you weren't hanging out to be on a podcast .
Maria:No. I'm hating this. I'm a bit of a recluse.
AJ:S s ll the better., MC: you know yeah you owe me one Stevo. AJ: thanks for sharing. It's terrific to get an insight directly, s and thanks for having us in your house. MC: absolutely, yeah, thank you.
