Lifeline launches shelter project for Toowoomba homeless this Winter

This winter, Toowoomba’s homeless will have somewhere safe and warm to sleep thanks to a bright idea involving houses of worship.

UNITING FOR TOOWOOMBA’S HOMELESS: At the launch of the Winter Shelter Toowoomba Pilot Program (from left) CEO of TSBE Ali Davenport, Chief Executive Officer at Lifeline Darling Downs & South West Queensland Derek Tuffield OAM, Lifeline’s Rodney Watton and Deb Robinson from the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce. Picture: Kate McCormack

THE thought of spending a winter evening sleeping rough in Toowoomba would terrify the vast majority of Darling Downs people, but for about 500 local residents this will be their reality this year.

Now, thanks to the combined efforts of Lifeline, the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise, Toowoomba Housing Hub and several churches, the homeless will have somewhere safe and warm to sleep this winter.

“Every night there are dozens of people in Toowoomba without a place to stay,” Lifeline CEO Derek Tuffield said.

“Together we can provide warmth, shelter and food for those who need help. Winter Shelter Toowoomba provides more than just a place to stay. It is about providing hope, dignity and community to those experiencing homelessness.”

Eight Toowoomba churches have teamed up to host the Winter Shelter on alternating nights of the week. Pastors and leaders from five of the eight churches involved are (from left) Heather Hall from Toowoomba Wesleyan Methodist Church, Daniel Wallis from South Toowoomba Baptist Church, Pauline Harley from Toowoomba West Anglican Church, Edgar Mayer from Living Grace Church and Will Curtis from Toowoomba City Church at the launch of the Winter Shelter Toowoomba Pilot Program. Picture: Kate McCormack

The Winter Shelter will operate for 92 nights across May, June and July with eight Toowoomba faith communities taking it in turns to provide beds, free meals, a caring community and support services.

The eight churches hosting the Winter Shelter on alternating nights of the week include Toowoomba Wesleyan Methodist Church, South Toowoomba Baptist Church, Toowoomba West Anglican Church, Living Grace Church, Toowoomba City Church, Belong Church,

St Stephen’s Toowoomba Uniting Church and Rangeville Community Church.

Lifeline COO partnerships and business development Rodney Watton said with the current low rental vacancy rate, the Toowoomba Winter Shelter program was more important than ever.

“Following the additional strain COVID placed on families, we are seeing higher rates of homelessness in our region and a greater need for emergency support,” he said.

“This is an issue all level of governments are going to have to address before we start seeing a serious change in the housing crisis situation, but programs like the Winter Shelter mean we can get Toowoomba’s homeless of the streets for the night, feed them, give them a warm bed and show them that they are a part of this community and we all care about them.

“Unfortunately we were not able to launch the shelter program last year because of the pandemic, but we are hopeful this year’s pilot program will be a success, and we can look at rolling the Winter Shelter out to even more Toowoomba residents next year.”

The Toowoomba Winter shelter is a state first and is the only such program to be operating in Queensland this winter.

For more details and to donate to the Winter Shelter project, follow this link.