Kieran Mahony, a young man in his 20s, is Coordinator of the
Garden Shelter at the South Sydney Uniting
Church in Waterloo. Each Wednesday from 8pm the church
hall is converted into a dormitory for between five and 15 men. In the morning,
volunteers provide a light breakfast. “Our volunteers are great,” Mr Mahony
says. “One of the things I really like about this work is meeting with others
who’ve chosen to be here.”
A lawyer by day, Mr Mahony enjoys the change of pace
volunteering with Cana affords. “I get to
practice a different skill set, and to share experiences and stories with the
guests at the Shelter. We learn a lot from them.”
Currently, there is a need for volunteers. “We’ve recently
had a few people leave Sydney,
so some of us have been working extra shifts [ordinarily, volunteers commit to
just one Wednesday per month].”
What can a new volunteer at the Shelter expect? “At first,
we’d roster a new volunteer alongside someone more experienced. There are two
shifts: the evening shift from 8 to 10.30pm; and the overnight shift from 10pm
to 8am. We have two or three if possible on the evening shift, and two
overnight. Women volunteers are not given overnight shifts.
“A typical night begins with setting up mattresses and the
tea and coffee. The Homeless Persons’ Information service refers the guests for
the night, and maintains contact by phone throughout the night. It’s not
unusual for the men to want to get to sleep quite early, but there’s always
time for a chat. We try to celebrate birthdays, too, when appropriate. There’s
always a cheesecake in the fridge, just in case.”
One of Cana’s long-term volunteers, Joel
Turner, has just completed a four-month bicycle ride from Perth
to Sydney, in
support of the Flying Doctor Service. “Our volunteers are definitely
interesting, outgoing and enterprising people,” Mr Mahony says.
Contact Kieran Mahony on 0402 564 871 or
kmahony@claytonutz.com
Cana Communities:
www.cana.org.au .
Homeless Persons’ Information referrals, emergency
accommodation
Phone (02) 9265 9081 or 1800 234 566 8-10pm 7 days.
Photo: Andrew Collis
– A guest relaxes at the Garden Shelter
Source:
South Sydney Herald August 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au