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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc
Service to homeless resumes
A voluntary service providing meals to the homeless in Woy Woy has resumed with space provided in the St Vincent de Paul building and funding from the Casino Community Benefit Fund.
The store has provided a large and bright room on the upper floor of its Brickwharf Rd premises.
The service has independent access via a concrete ramp at the rear of the store.
The room was fitted out to enable on-site cooking and the move was made on September 5.
The local Catholic Parish of St John the Baptist set up Mary MacKillop Cottage in 1994 with an aim to provide meals to the homeless in Woy Woy.
The Mary MacKillop team of volunteers had previously been located at nearby premises in a small room with meals being cooked in the homes of volunteers and brought to the centre.
Access for volunteers and visitors was via a narrow lane then up steep concrete steps.
The service grew with the offering of showers and laundry facilities.
"It was a place to go when feeling down or when needing assistance without a whole lot of questions being asked," according to service member Lee Evans.
However, the service could not continue at that venue and the cottage was closed in 2000.
A steering committee was formed in 2000 to support a cooperative venture between the Woy Woy Catholic Parish, Centacare and the Society of St Vincent de Paul to re-establish the service with a view to assisting all homeless persons on the Peninsula.
Funding was obtained through the State Department of Gaming and Racing via the Casino Community Benefit Fund.
Emphasis was to be placed on resuming the former role of Mary MacKillop Cottage, providing a cooked midday meal, showering and laundry facilities and the provision of a comfortable social environment.
In addition, advocacy for and referral of visitors to counsellors or agencies would be available on request.
Lee Evans, October 11