I recently had the privilege of spending time in the company of a remarkable young woman, Kayleigh Brewster, of Australian Street Aid Project, a registered charity based here in Mackay.
Her genuine care and compassion for the 40 to 60 homeless that visit her and her volunteer staff at Chances Café daily ensures they are provided with two meals per day in a safe and secure environment. Chances Café is the closest thing to a home environment they have, where they can have a sense of belonging, companionship, and acceptance with no judgement.
When I asked Kayleigh her ‘Why’, her response was “It gives me a sense of purpose and I have a genuine passion for making a difference to peoples lives”. “There’s always a story behind every person that comes here and quite often they come from a place of trauma, and you don’t fix trauma by giving up on them”.
Her charity will benefit from funds raised at the Mayors Charity Ball in May and will hopefully allow her to employ a part-time registered nurse to administer basic first aid for those that need it.
Her ultimate goal is to convert the second-hand shop based at 1/7 Victoria Street into a Drop in Lounge, a “Place To Be”, fitted out with comfy sofas, bean bags, TV, computers and charge facility for phones. Basics we take for granted yet will do so much for the mental and physical welfare of our homeless.
Unfortunately, homelessness is on the rise and Kayleigh is seeing more people having to utilise their services. There are not enough shelter beds in our region and people are forced to squat, rough sleep and sleep in vehicles.
This charity receives no government funding, but YOU can help make a big difference. Become a Charity Champion by visiting www.austreetaid.org where you can donate as little as $8 (or more) per week and help improve the lives of our homeless.
They may not have a big fancy space, or a lot of funding, but they have big compassionate hearts. Donate today!
Cr Pauline Townsend
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