Having a safe place to rest your head at night and having fresh clean sheets is something many people might take for granted.
On the Fraser Coast, our housing support team works closely with many people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Their support includes helping people to find temporary accommodation or when possible, a place in our crisis accommodation locations.
Our team are committed to ensuring clients not only have a roof over their heads but are safe and comfortable. Many clients do not have their own sheets, towels and other necessities. Liz Shannon, a member of our housing support team explains that when clients move into temporary accommodation the team will help them access these important items.
“We source many items in the local community including linens and kitchen supplies,” Liz explained.
“Generally, we source linens second hand from commercial laundries and other similar locations. While we always ensure the second hand items are clean and in good condition, we are always excited to be able to provide clients with brand new items.”
Recently, thanks to a partnership with Street Smart the team were able to provide a group of clients with new sleep safe kits as part of their transition into accommodation.
“Each kit provided a client with a new single bed sheet set and a bath towel for them to keep,” said Liz. We believe this is creating real value for our clients and helping to uphold their dignity during challenging times.
“Many clients also have no or few personal care items of their own. Through community partners including Zonta we are also able to provide personal care packs to clients, which is very meaningful for them.”
“We are grateful to all of our community partners for their regular donations of different essential items which help us set clients up in short-term or crisis accommodation. The support doesn’t end there though. Our team’s focus then shifts to helping people address the barriers they are experiencing to finding more permanent accommodation.”
You can find out more about our housing support services here.