Newcastle Salvos extend Reach to support homeless community
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
BY LAUREN MARTIN
Majors Leanne and Peter Bennett, and Captain Lydia Spencer from Newcastle Salvos in the NSW Hunter Region, love partnering with other services and organisations to benefit their local community.
Now, their collaborative spirit has been celebrated by the City of Newcastle Council, which has announced the co-location of Reach Homeless Services within the Newcastle Salvos site.
Reach Homeless Services had been operating from public locations such as the city mall and local parks for 12 years, providing food to people experiencing homelessness and/or in need of food support.
“Open-air food distribution is highly visible and can deter people from accessing aid due to social stigma,” said Councillor Jenny Barrie from Newcastle City Council.
“Sadly, food insecurity affects one in three households across NSW. This is a positive collaboration that will deliver real benefits for people in need in Newcastle.”
Reach Homeless Services Executive Director Gary Parsisson said that having a permanent home at Newcastle Salvos now provides the service with dedicated access to a kitchen, storage, tables and chairs, creating a space for those in need and a location for volunteers to pack emergency food and hygiene kits and breakfast packs.
“Having a permanent, secure location ensures we can operate in any type of weather, allowing people who might be suffering from a sense of isolation to make some much-needed connections.
“Our friends now have the chance to sit down and enjoy a hot coffee on a cold morning, share a Friday night meal under a roof and access support in a space that feels safe, consistent and dignified.”
For Leanne, the partnership makes a lot of sense. “Our community involvement includes a range of activities that care for people, such as our Emergency Relief service, community meals, homeless packs, shower facilities and much more.
“Collaborating with Reach complements the other services we host in Cleary St, including StreetSide Medics and Orange Sky.”
Newcastle Salvos also houses Salvation Army services Employment Plus, Moneycare and Doorways and partners with Oz Harvest, Foodbank, Coles SecondBite and the RSPCA Hunter Supporters Group.
The Salvation Army’s vision statement emphasises that to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus, we will live, love and fight alongside others. Newcastle Salvos is embracing collaboration, and their community is benefiting as a result.
