Local staff and volunteers supporting those who find themselves at risk of homelessness gathered in Kyneton last week for a barbecue lunch.
The event, organised by Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health and catered for by The Kindness Collective Kyneton and the Kyneton branch of the Rapid Relief Team, was held to mark Homelessness Week.
The latest Census figures show that at least 30,000 Victorians experience homelessness on any given night.
Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health, who are the housing support service and access point for homelessness services in the Macedon Ranges, worked with more than 200 adults and young people in the last year who were seeking housing assistance.
Kate Weston, team leader of the housing support team, said that as well as raising awareness about the causes and the impacts of homelessness, they wanted to do something to say thank you to the many people and organisations locally who support people experiencing homelessness.
“Our staff work closely with local op shops, service groups and community organisations who all contribute to supporting those who need help,” Kate said.
“Recently we received a big basket of care packs from the Macedon Country Women’s Association containing toys, games and essential toiletries for families.”
The Kindness Collective based in Kyneton, as well as being an op shop, has a food bank, soup kitchen and a drop-in space providing a safe and friendly environment for locals to stop by if they need a chat. They also have free counselling available once a week.
Hugh Vardon, who manages the not-for-profit organisation, said that they had seen a considerable increase in people seeking their assistance, most commonly families and individuals who cannot afford to feed themselves.
“We want to do our best to end hunger in the Macedon Ranges. We do it one person at a time and we will not stop until we achieve that for the community,” Hugh said.
Last month the soup kitchen produced 40 three-course meals per day four days a week and in July they had 796 individuals and families on their database who accessed the food bank 1411 times over the month.
James Thomas, the Rapid Relief Team’s local team leader, said that as well as providing food at events and as part of emergency disaster relief efforts, the team’s volunteers also aimed to assist with homelessness, poverty and hardship.
“We have blankets, care kits and food boxes for those experiencing difficult times, which locally we supply to organisations like Sunbury and Cobaw and The Kindness Collective,” James said.
“RRT delivers hope and relief to people across the globe. Whether it be fire, flood or humanitarian need, RRT expands their support services to meet the crisis at hand.”
If you live in the Macedon Ranges and are at risk of homelessness, you can contact Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health on 5421 1666 or visit them at 1 Caroline Chisholm Drive Kyneton. The Kindness Collective can be found at 60 Mollison Street Kyneton.
