A volunteer-run Melbourne charity that has been supporting homeless people for 37 years is calling for donations to help it buy homes to take people off the streets.
Avalon Centre recently completed the purchase of its 15th property under the Avalon Homes for the Homeless initiative and is looking for funding to buy the next home and continue providing other services.
Centre President and Co-Ordinator Deborah Holmes last week picked up the keys for a two-bedroom unit where a 26-year-old former refugee will live with her new baby.
Deborah said the woman endured physical and emotional violence at the hands of a former husband after arriving in Australia from Afghanistan five years ago before fleeing the relationship and ‘couch surfing’ at the homes of friends.
Avalon stepped in to offer her accommodation after learning she was due to have a baby and needed to live independently but could not afford private rental accommodation on her modest wage.
Deborah said the unit in Dandenong was purchased with a $300,000 donation from an anonymous supporter of the charity, which receives no government funding and relies on volunteers to provide its services.
“We're overwhelmed by the donation. The donor is so generous and compassionate. It's great that someone can be in the home in time for Christmas,” Deborah said.
“But we need more donations so we can keep supporting the most vulnerable members of society, not only by providing accommodation for homeless people but also giving them clothing, bedding and toiletries and operating a drop-in centre.
“We are there, not to give a hand-out, but to give a hand-up by reaching to a hand that is already extended.
“We want to help people who are ready to change their lives, and our philosophy is that ‘worst is first’ which means the people in the most dire circumstances go to the top of the list.”
Deborah said a donation of $20,000 would enable Avalon Centre to service a loan to buy another a two bedroom unit for one year, with every home assigned a supporter to help the residents.
“It might mean banding together with four friends and forgoing two cups of coffee each day for a year to save the money to make tax-deductible donations to the Avalon Centre,” she said.
“If you do this you can be assured the money is going directly to those in need and not on overheads such as wages as Avalon is 100% run by volunteers.
“We help more than 1,000 vulnerable people each week in one way or another and the more we receive, the more we can support people on the streets to get their lives back on track.”
Avalon's other services include:
- buses to deliver sleeping bags, blankets and clothing to the homeless
- community facilities at the Avalon Drop-In Centre at Malvern East
- opportunities for people with disabilities
“In some weeks we could help over 1,000 people,” Deborah said.
“The more people can give, the more we can help people on the streets and support them to get their lives back on track.”
About us:
About the Avalon Centre
Opened in 1987, Avalon is a unique centre with a focus on meeting unmet needs. It is run entirely by volunteers and survives solely on donations and grants. Our aim is to help people who have slipped through the cracks, including the homeless, people with mental illness and/or disabilities, the elderly and anyone requiring support.
Contact details:
For more information
Avalon Centre President and Co-Ordinator Deborah Holmes: info@avaloncentre.org.au / 0402 036 406
