Churches open doors for homeless as Winter Shelter provides refuge

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

On a cold and rainy midweek afternoon, the hall at St Stephens Uniting Church in Toowoomba's CBD is a hive of activity.
The pews have been stacked to the side, and beds with blankets sit next to a long table lined with cutlery.
Every week, volunteers welcome people sleeping rough and give them a meal and a safe, warm place to spend the night.
"Then, everything's packed up and the trailers are moved onto the next church, ready for them to provide the accommodation the next night, every night of winter," explained parishioner and venue coordinator Shaaron Currie.
It's part of Winter Shelter, a program run by Toowoomba churches to use their facilities to offer a warm place for the garden city's homeless during the coldest months of the year.
Nine churches in the city are part of the program.
"It's putting my faith into action," Ms Currie said. "It's rewarding, and I see what it does to our volunteers."
Her volunteers are like a small army, each doing whatever they can.
Other volunteers spend all night in the hall.
"There's always something you can do," Ms Currie said.
This year, the program has enough resources for 10 "guest" beds.
A trailer is parked outside with a washing machine, dryer, and a shower.
Winter Shelter doesn't receive any funding, but fundraising has allowed the service to employ a welfare coordinator for the three months of winter.
As the welfare coordinator, mental health nurse Katrina Cox spends her time linking guests to medical help and support services.
She also liaises with the state housing sector in hopes of finding more permanent accommodation for those in need.
"A lot of the guests always say people walk past them, or cross the road when they see them, and don't want to talk to them," Ms Cox said.
"It makes them feel like they're invisible. Nobody should feel like that.
"I always say, 'When our Father walked the Earth, it wasn't the businessmen that he looked after, it was the people that were doing it tough.'"
Every night, guests and volunteers have dinner together.
Ms Cox said it was heartening to see "church ladies" sharing a meal with people sleeping rough.
"Instead of sitting there with their heads down trying to be invisible, I watch them actually engaging in conversation," she said.
"They don't take for granted things we take for granted — like having a warm bed and a blanket that's not getting soaked by the rain."
Five years into the program, it's now common for former guests to return as volunteers.
Steven Hughes found himself living in his vehicle in 2023 and turned to Winter Shelter when his van was involved in an accident, which meant it had to be at the panel beater for a month.
He still remembers the first night he spent in a church hall.
"People were fussing over me, and just really wanting to look out for you," he said.
Two years on, Mr Hughes is back in the church hall, this time as a volunteer.
"You meet some great people that you'll probably be friends with for the rest of your life," he said.
"I just wanted to give back because they gave me so much."
He now has a home of his own and is grateful for the help he received, but said the help was not one-sided.
"Before that, his attitude towards homeless people was, 'Why don't you get off your bum and go and get a job?'"
He's got a message for anyone who still might have that same attitude.
"Get off their bums themselves, come and volunteer and have an open mind, and then … you'll see what [homelessness] is all about," he said.
As dinner is about to be served, another former guest arrives, guitar and amplifier in hand.
"Winter Shelter did everything for me. I came every day for three months," Anthony Davidson said.
It's the reason he's drawn back to the church hall to help where he can.
Tonight, that means dinner is accompanied by power chords.
"Rock and roll helps the soul, absolutely!" he laughs.
He looks around at his surroundings and is quick to add, "Amen".