The Foundation provided a $100,000 grant in the 2025 financial year, with a total of commitment of $300,000 over three years to allow them to open on Saturday’s. St Mary’s House of Welcome could only operate Monday to Friday due to financial constraints; because of our grant they are able to open their doors on Saturday, assisting many people in need.
St Mary’s House of Welcome Saturday Service Update Report May 2026.
On behalf of everyone at St Mary’s House of Welcome, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the continued generous support of the Peter and Lyndy White Foundation of our Saturday Service. Thanks to your incredible contributions, we have been able to address a critical service gap by providing a safe and welcoming environment for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage on the weekend – a time when very few services remain open.
We are pleased to share the Saturday Service has now been operating for over 18 months and continues to experience steady and encouraging growth. The outcomes achieved to date clearly demonstrate the importance and value of extending support to the rough sleeping and homeless community beyond weekdays.
When St Mary’s House of Welcome first opened its doors for the Saturday Service on 26 October 2024, we welcomed 28 rough sleepers through our doors for meals, showers, warmth, respite, and support. Even on that first day, it was evident there was a significant unmet need within the community.
Since then, awareness of the service has steadily increased through word of mouth, community networks, and collaboration with partner agencies. Today, we are welcoming approximately 75 community members each Saturday 8am – 12pm, offering:
- Morning tea and brunch – more than 800 meals served on Saturdays for the first quarter of 2026, alone.
- Shower facilities – average of 10 showers provided each Saturday
- Laundry services, emergency relief (food hampers, sleeping bags, etc)
- Information, referrals and psychosocial supports
- A safe and welcoming environment to make connections
We anticipate attendance will continue to grow as the months progress.
One of the most encouraging outcomes of the Saturday Service has been the number of new individuals engaging with our organisation for the first time. Many attendees had not previously accessed support through St Mary’s House of Welcome and are now finding practical assistance and connection through the program.
Importantly, we are also seeing a flow-on effect into our weekday services, with increased new presentations occurring Monday to Friday. This demonstrates the Saturday Service is often acting as an important first point of contact to St Mary’s House of Welcome, helping people build trust and confidence to engage with our longer-term supports.
Haylee, the SMHOW support worker who is the Team Leader of the Saturday service, says, “The extended access has made a meaningful difference to the people we serve. As team leader, it has been incredibly rewarding to see the growing number of new presentations on Saturdays. With limited services available on weekends, many individuals who might not otherwise travel to Fitzroy are now able to access support. Encouragingly, a number of these people continue to engage with us during the week, allowing for more consistent and ongoing care.”
Of course, the House of Welcome provides far more than practical assistance. For many of our rough sleeping service users, the opportunity to access a warm meal, clean clothing, a shower, and a welcoming space represents dignity, safety, and belonging during what can be an incredibly isolating period in their lives.
Our service users have consistently expressed great appreciation for the service, particularly given the lack of available weekend supports across Melbourne.
As one service user shared:
“There’s not many places for people to go on the weekend, so it’s been great having somewhere to go on Saturdays… and it’s been getting busier, so the need is obviously there.”
Another told us:
“If you weren’t open on a Saturday, I wouldn’t know what to do. It means I can come here, have a shower, wash my clothes, and have a hot meal. Otherwise, I’d have to wait the whole weekend on the streets.”
These reflections highlight the significant role the Saturday Service now plays in helping people feel seen, valued, respected, and connected to community.
Your generosity has also enabled a vibrant volunteer community to flourish around the Saturday Service. We have experienced strong and ongoing interest from people wishing to volunteer, particularly individuals who were previously unable to contribute to the work of St Mary’s House of Welcome during weekdays due to work commitments.
Our volunteers consistently express how rewarding it is to be part of the St Mary’s House of Welcome community. They speak of the deep sense of purpose they feel in giving back, the relationships they build with our service users and fellow volunteers, and the perspective they gain through these shared experiences.
As one volunteer, Lucy, reflected, recently:
“When I leave my Saturday shift, I feel so uplifted. No matter what is happening on a personal level. Somehow, it’s so unimportant. I’m getting to see the same faces and their smiles while serving them. My body is a little tired from doing dishes, cleaning or serving but my mind is so much clearer…”
Another volunteer, Eamonn, shared:
“The connection/encounter might be the most rewarding part, especially as you start to get to know the regulars.”
The support of the Peter and Lyndy White Foundation has not only helped those experiencing homelessness and disadvantage, but has also strengthened a wider network of compassion, care, and social connection throughout the broader community.
As the Saturday Service continues to grow, we remain deeply committed to ensuring that vulnerable members of our community have access to support, dignity, and human connection every day of the week.
We are tremendously grateful to the Peter and Lyndy White Foundation for making this possible. Your generosity has created meaningful and lasting impact in the lives of some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable people, and we thank you for your continued partnership and belief in our work.
