This Christmas, your gift can help keep Wayside’s doors open for the next person who has run out of places to knock.
Most of us have a door we know will always be open to us this Christmas.
A family member or maybe a friend's spare room.
But not everyone has that.
Every day, people come to Wayside Chapel after exhausting every other option. They're looking for more than a meal or a place to sit. They're looking for practical support, trusted relationships and someone who won't give up on them.
That's what your support makes possible.
Your gift today can help keep the door open for the next person who needs it most.
REBECCA'S STORY
Rebecca was determined to create a better future for her children, but with no secure housing and little support available, keeping her family together became increasingly difficult.
She contacted every service she could find. She knocked on every door she could.
But because she wasn't yet an Australian citizen, many forms of support remained out of reach.
Rebecca remembers:
"I first visited Wayside because I was starving and they had food. But when I got here, I looked at what they offered and said 'Oh look, you can get all this other help from here too!'
The very next day, Rebecca met one of our Care Coordinators, Sharon, and for the first time in a long time, she felt that Sharon was someone that she could trust.
"We've got a bond, Sharon and I. It's unbreakable. She's like a mum and the big sister I never had at the same time”.
Today, Rebecca has stable housing and a job. Most importantly, she's one step closer to achieving her dream of being reunited with her children.
For Rebecca, everything started because one door stayed open when all the others had shut.
Make your tax-deductible donation today to help more people like Rebecca.
The impact of your generosity
Your gift today can help:
Provide immediate support to visitors including hot showers, warm meals and essentials.Connect visitors to recovery programs to support people struggling with addiction.
Provide care to someone fleeing domestic violence with specialised care and pathways.
As a frontline organisation, Wayside Chapel plays an essential part in providing unconditional love, care and support for people experiencing homelessness, social isolation and crisis. That's why our support goes beyond essentials like food, clean clothing and shower facilities. Rebecca needed more than a hot meal and a shelter. She needed someone to walk alongside her, helping her navigate barriers and work towards her goals. There are hundreds of people just like Rebecca who still need support, hope and someone willing to walk alongside them.
Your gift this Christmas can help fund the care coordination and tailored support services people need to heal and rebuild.
Impact at a glance:
During the Christmas period last year, we received 18,864 visits to our Kings Cross and Bondi Community Services Centres1.
Your generosity helped provide:
9,647 essential items of clothing and bedding
If you have any questions or would like to make a donation over the phone, please call (02) 9581 9101.
Alternatively, you can email christmas@waysidechapel.org.au.
