Portland’s new ‘Community Connect Space’ a welcoming haven
- deansimpson7
- 24 hours ago
- 7 min read
At Portland Corps’ Community Connect Space, life pulses with energy at every turn. Phones ring, laughter mingles with conversation, and the hum of activity creates a symphony of connection. Since opening its doors in early 2025, the Salvos space has blossomed into exactly what it promised to be: a warm refuge on chilly days, a comforting antidote to loneliness, and a welcoming haven where everyone – from longtime locals to first-time visitors – feels at home. It’s a place where friendship isn’t just encouraged, it’s lived, and where community isn’t just a word – it’s a way of being as Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH discovered.
The humble Aussie toastie has become a hit symbol of connection at Portland Corps.
Just ask Captains Peter and Heather Stamp, Corps Officers of the Victorian regional corps.
Alongside coffee, hot chocolate, and chicken soup – all thanks to an automated coffee machine – the popular Aussie toasty delights and drinks at The Salvation Army’s Community Connect Space have been a big drawcard for people from all walks of life walking through its doors since it officially opened on May 1 last year.
“People come in for a coffee or a hot chocolate – and we get to share life with them,” Peter remarked.
“It (the coffee machine) dispenses chicken soup as well, which is what we really wanted, and so, people come in, grab a hot drink in the morning, sit down and have a break. We get to be there, to have a chat with them, and share life with them.”
The idea for the Community Connect Space didn’t appear overnight; it emerged slowly, shaped by observing people in the township with nowhere appropriate to land or a safe place to be.
“We have people who are rough-sleeping and don’t have anywhere to go during the day,” Peter explained. “A lot of people were just hanging out the front of Woolworths or places like the library, which were not appropriate for a lot of people to go to.”
Alternatives, he said, were limited… “and then you’ve got the pokies. People are accepted at the pokies; their money is accepted as well. That’s not the best environment for people, so there just wasn’t a safe space for people to be.”
And Portland’s cold climate doesn’t help – it’s wet nine months of the year.
“It’s wet, windy, cold, and there’s just nowhere to go,” Peter reflected. “If you have people staying in tents, in their cars and in the open, there’s no shelter for them. So, we had been wanting to do something for quite a long time as far as creating a community centre.”
That vision had been on the table since Peter and his wife, Heather, arrived as corps officers eight years ago.
“We’ve been on a lot of different journeys over the years,” he reflected. “Looking through relocations for our property, building projects, and out of all those ideas, we had the idea of a drop-in community centre at the forefront of all those plans. So, it had been in our thinking.”
Before the COVID pandemic in 2019, some trials opened up, including refiguring part of the corps hall and front section as a “bit of a drop-in space.”
When the doors opened, they had two people visit; the second week brought four, the third eight, and by the fourth week, 16 people. It literally doubled every week just by word of mouth and having the doors open.
The experiment revealed a clear need in the community for a space to enjoy and connect with others – but then COVID hit, and the plans went “out the window” for a while.
But the idea never disappeared.
When restrictions eased, the corps returned to the vision with renewed determination.
The team applied for a grant through the Foundation of Rural and Regional Renewal, which focused on social inclusion, community formation, and community connection by proposing a Community Connect Space and building works, including dividing their hall and opening the foyer.
“We had the idea we were going to create this space as everything we dreamed of,” he said. “A place where people could be more connected with each other, connected to services, and a place where people can come and just sit and be in shelter, have a heater, a hot drink etc.”
Then came great news – the grant was approved.
“It was really, really exciting to be able to get that grant,” Peter recalled. “It allowed us to do the property works, and we started that last year, and then early last year we were able to open up our space.”
The physical changes were simple but transformative.
A dividing wall with large double doors allows flexible use of the space. The hall and foyer serve as a venue for community meals on Monday nights and other events, while the front section provides a welcoming environment during the day.
And the corps officer often spends time in the space himself.
“I just take my laptop in, sit on the couch, and just do work on the couch,” Peter explained. “As people come in, I’ll just have a chat to them while I’m working on the couch.
“It has made a huge difference for people who just want to come in and have a chat to somebody without having to make appointments or feel like it’s an official type of thing.”
The Community Connect Space has also changed how emergency relief is delivered. When the corps’ Salvos Doorways program concluded due to a restructure, the team had to rethink support.
Opening the connect space became central to delivering emergency relief.
Using the space for appointments allowed the team to assist people more easily, and through regular conversations and engagement, they found that many needs lessened as they gained a clearer understanding of what people truly required.
The space has also reshaped the identity of the corps.
“We always had a dream around just being The Salvation Army,” Peter remarked. “Not being corps, not being social, not being housing or homelessness or Doorways – that was our dream right from the very beginning. With the opening of the drop-in space, we don’t refer to ourselves as anything in particular, because we all work together to achieve the same thing.”
Partnerships and volunteers – plenty of them! – underpin almost everything happening in the space.
From toasties on Fridays and Mealshare on Monday nights to food runs, multiple organisations, groups, churches and volunteers help make it all possible.
And at Christmas, around 250 hampers are packed with the support of Portland Aluminium and the Port of Portland.
“We’re able to achieve so much because of those partnerships,” he said. “It flows into everything we do, including the Community Connect Space … having partnered with other organisations and volunteers makes things happen. We’re doing this all together.”
Kellie Smith, Community Engagement Worker, sees its impact up close at the corps.
“It’s open to anyone in the community, especially people who might be feeling isolated or doing it tough,” she said. “Portland is a close, caring town – people look out for each other. But some still face challenges like housing issues, poor mental health or loneliness. The best part is seeing people support each other and finding strength through connection.”
Kellie recalled a woman with severe social anxiety who rarely left home. Being able to come into the connect space and sit down and just have a normal conversation and then be able to show herself for who she is and be accepted has been hugely impactful.
“It has made a massive difference in her life,” Kellie remarked. “It’s her safe space. I see her come in, and she’ll give me a hug, and she’ll say, thank you. Just being able to watch her come out of her shell is really amazing - that happens with a lot of people.”
Also, at the heart of the space is ‘Conversations of Hope’ that accompanies Friday toasties.
It’s an exciting new way – and approach – of doing ‘church.’
Peter explained they had to stop Sunday services, like most other people, during COVID, but ended up making the decision to explore different ways of doing church, rather than just having church on a Sunday.
He added that during COVID, they had to stop Sunday services like many others, but instead of simply pausing, they explored new ways of doing church. “We focused on one-on-ones, connecting with couples, and building relationships,” he said.
Earlier this year, they launched Conversations of Hope, an informal way to explore life, faith and questions, utilising Pass the Salt cards.
Rather than delivering sermons, the approach values everyone’s personal experiences with life and God.
Peter emphasised that everyone had their own beliefs and understandings, and the goal was to share stories and insights collectively, learning from one another.
“We finish off praying for the people in the group, and it’s just been really, really great,” he commented.
“We have got people that come up on a Friday morning and say, ‘Are we doing the group today?’ Some of them have loose connections to church before. Others have never been interested. Some people that say they don’t believe in God and will come along and explore all this because people own their stories – and you can’t argue with people’s stories.”
* Peter and Heather Stamp are taking up new appointments at Casey-Cardinia Salvos (Vic.) later this month after eight years at Portland. Peter said they would really miss what had become their home in Portland.
