Lighthouse Café a 'truly life-changing' partnership for Footscray locals
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The Salvation Army has launched a new social service café in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, in partnership with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.
The project, which has been backed by the Victorian Labor Government, will accommodate about 40 people inside, and serve as a place to find a free meal and a pathway to homelessness services, alcohol and other drugs programs and mental health support.
The centre, officially opened on 20 May, has been developed by Project 614 in Bourke Street in collaboration with the Western Bulldogs football team.
Bulldogs stars Tom Liberatore and Cody Weightman have committed to supporting the project. Tom Liberatore will generously donate 200 gourmet dim sims each week to the café, and Cody Weightman has personally designed a multimedia mural for the interior of the space.
Project 614 Corps Officer Major Brendan Nottle said The Salvation Army had been overwhelmed by the level of good will from the Footscray community towards the initiative. He also said The Salvation Army was deeply thankful to the Victorian Government, in particular Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt and Member for Footscray Katie Hall for their support.
“The Lighthouse Café will help improve food security, lack of connection and lack of access to services,” Brendan said.
Ingrid Stitt said the service was going to be “truly life-changing” for some of the most vulnerable community members, while Katie Hall said Labor was “proud” to be backing the Lighthouse Café.
“[The café] is such an important addition to our community, a place where you can go if you need a helping hand,” she said.
The Lighthouse Café follows the success of the Magpie Nest Café in the Melbourne CBD, a collaboration with the Collingwood Football Club launched in 2011.
The Salvation Army’s Lighthouse Café is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.
Information and quotes in this story have been taken from a media release from the Premier of Victoria and a news article from Western Bulldogs Media.
