Sanctuary in the City.

For over 100 years, Baptist Care SA has sustained a strong commitment to forging transition pathways from the streets of Adelaide into safer and more sustainable accommodation and improved life opportunities through the provision of transformational support and tailored support services.

In spite of our ongoing efforts, and that of other collaborating homelessness support services, a recent report from the Adelaide Zero Project indicated that 163 people were ‘sleeping rough’ around the Adelaide CBD during September.

In our view, this number is unacceptably high and clearly more needs to be done to lift people out of adversity and increase their opportunities in life. Sadly, this number only represents a ‘point in time’ measure as we know that many people are transient and suffering the adverse impacts of the three Social Plagues of the 21st Century: Hopelessness; Helplessness and Disconnection.

In response, Baptist Care SA is developing a bold plan to enhance the range of support services available from our WestCare Centre in Wright Street, Adelaide. Four concurrent projects are being actively pursued to increase our capacity to transform lives. These include development of a…

Homeless Respite Centre – we are planning to establish a pilot, commencing in December and running for six months, to engage with people who would otherwise be discharged onto the street from the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).

Housing Strategy – seeking to increase access to affordable and appropriate accommodation for disadvantaged people.

Enhanced Service Model – aiming to add additional services and to better align them to yield individualised transition pathways for people who are vulnerable and surviving on the margins of our society.

Undertaking Master Planning for our Inner City Site to upgrade the ageing facilities of our ‘Sanctuary in the City’ to make them fit for the purpose of respectfully engaging and working with thousands of disadvantaged people who walk up the lane each year, including approximately 40% Aboriginal people, seeking practical assistance and ‘sanctuary’ from the trauma and despair of their circumstances and hope for the future.

How can you be a part of these initiatives?

Right at the moment… we would warmly welcome any financial support and in-kind contributions that you and your friends and colleagues may be able to provide to assist with the refurbishment of the Homeless Respite Centre, which needs to be fitted out ready to accept its first referral from the RAH in December. Please click here to view the project details.

Please pray with us that the Homeless Respite Centre will be ready to save and transform the lives of vulnerable people as one of the growing range of specialist services that can be accessed at Sanctuary in the City.