People who want to donate their time or resources can contact one of the below groups directly. Many of these organisations offer training and, in most instances, experience is not a prerequisite to help.
The following directory includes organisations that help people who are experiencing homelessness.
- Website: Canice’s Kitchen
- Email: [email protected]
Services include daily hot lunch, homeless healthcare, mental health support, personal care items, monthly clothing service, seeking employment support, life coaching, showers, toilets, weekly washing service, monthly veterinarian service. Open 9am – 1pm Monday through to Saturday. Closed public holidays.
Visit our website for all volunteer opportunities.
- Website: Counterpoint Community Services
- Phone: 02 9698 9569
- Email: [email protected]
Periodic/ad hoc volunteering opportunities to assist in community events and run weekly community social-based activities.
Donated items that we would find useful include: Stationery other school equipment, toys/presents for children for holidays season, gifts/hygiene products/small household items for underprivileged community members.
- Website: Foodbank
- Email: [email protected]
Foodbank is Australia’s largest food relief organisation, operating on a scale that makes it crucial to the work of the front line charities who are feeding vulnerable Australians. Foodbank provides more than 70% of the food rescued for food relief organisations nation-wide. See our website for further details about volunteer opportunities and ways to donate.
- Website: HammondCare Darlinghurst
- Phone: 02 9329 9805
- Email: [email protected]
HammondCare Darlinghurst is a 42-bed residential aged care home for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It provides permanent accommodation to those who have high level or complex care needs.
Volunteer opportunities exist for those wishing to be involved in social engagement with residents. Further opportunities exist for those with skills in art, music, bus driving etc.
For good donation, we are looking for some newspaper, magazine, CDs, books, plants, flower donation.
Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Shirley Cheng, for more information.
- Website: Hope Street – Baptist Care
- Phone: 02 9358 2388
- Email: [email protected]
Volunteers are required to help in the:
- Op Shop
- women's spaces
- Back Shed Cafe
- skilled pro-bono worker.
Applications and descriptions are available online. Volunteering involves a few steps including interview, induction and ongoing reviews. HopeStreet also accepts non-monetary donations including:
- food items, particularly tinned food such as meat or fish, vegetables and so on
- good clean blankets and warm clothes such as, but not limited to, socks, jackets and jumpers
- non-electrical home goods.
The Op Shops at Woolloomooloo and Glebe provide an inviting selection of new and used good quality clothing and household goods. Contributions will be warmly received.
- Website: Lillian Howell Projects Inc
- Email: [email protected]
Summary about volunteer roles: ‘The vision of Lillian’s is to be a safe and empowering environment for young women to flourish' The Lillian Howell Project (Lillian’s) is a specialist homelessness service providing medium to long term 24 hour, on-site gender specific supported housing for up to 13 young women and girls from the age of 13 to 17 years.
Lillian’s aim is to provide these young women, who are survivors of child sexual abuse, neglect or family violence, with a stable and non-judgemental environment. Opportunities are available for a variety of skilled volunteers in various areas of the refuge such as a handyperson, gardening, cooking, cleaning and tutoring.
Summary about what donations would be useful: monetary donations allow us the flexibility to be able to provide house outings for the girls on occasion, such as movie and dinner nights. Other donations such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes are also welcome.
- Website: Lou’s Place
- Phone: 02 9358 4553
- Email: [email protected]
Lou’s Place is Sydney’s only daytime refuge for women. We’re a drop-in centre that offers a range of frontline support services including crisis intervention, referrals and access to basic needs such as food, toiletries, shower and laundry facilities and emergency clothing, as well as skill-building and therapeutic programs.
Lou’s Place receives no government funding and relies on the generosity of our friends, donors and corporate partners to continue our work in supporting vulnerable women. For information about donated goods or volunteering opportunities, contact [email protected] or [email protected]
- Website: Matthew Talbot Hostel – St Vincent de Paul Society
- Phone: 02 9358 8142
- Email: [email protected]
Supported accommodation for men who are experiencing homelessness.
Matthew Talbot welcomes volunteers assisting with the daily breakfast, lunch and dinner dining room service, seven shifts per day in the kiosk, two shifts per week in the clothing room and with donations on an ongoing basis.
Training is provided and probity checks required. Usually a commitment of once a week for at least 6 months is required.
- Website: OzHarvest
- Email: [email protected]
OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation. We are committed to halving food waste by 2030, inspiring and influencing others to so the same, and transforming lives through education. See our website for further details about how to donate and current volunteer opportunities.
- Website: Pets in the Park
- Email: [email protected]
Pets in the Park is a national charity established in 2012 with the mission of improving the lives of homeless people by caring for their pets. The charity has established monthly pop-up health clinics in Darlinghurst and Parramatta where volunteer veterinarians and veterinary nurses vaccinate, administer flea and worm treatment, and conduct basic consultations for pets owned by homeless people.
Volunteer opportunities include veterinarians, veterinary nurses, social workers and HR volunteers to help establish protocols for volunteer contact, application and induction.
All non-monetary donations of appropriate resources are accepted.
- Website: Rough Edges – St Johns Community Services
- Phone: 02 9360 6844
- Email: [email protected]
Non-profit community café that provides food, art, music and company to homeless and disadvantaged people. Open 2 days and 4 nights per week. Training provided for new volunteers.
See the website for dates about information nights and a description of volunteer training.
Non-monetary donations accepted including clothing and blankets. Contact Rough Edges Community Centre before donating any goods.
- Website: SecondBite
- Email: [email protected]
SecondBite loves to receive bulk food donations that meet our needs and specifications. See our donation guidelines for more information.
- Website: Story Factory
- Phone: 02 9699 6970
- Email: [email protected]
Story Factory is a not-for-profit creative writing centre that delivers workshops to young people aged 7 to 17 from under-resourced communities with a focus on storytelling and expression.
Our workshops are led by our trained educators (storytellers) with the support of our volunteer tutors.
Our programs are designed to build confidence, and creativity – essential skills young people need to shape their future.
We establish a space where young people feel safe and supported, where they have permission to be creative, and where they are excited to write.
We have the following volunteer opportunities available:
- In person workshops: we have in-person workshop opportunities available across Western Sydney. Volunteer hours fall between Monday and Friday, 8.30am to 3.30pm.
- Online workshops: we also run programs online on either Monday or Thursday afternoons from 3pm to 5.30pm during the school term.
- Website: Sydney Street Choir
- Phone: 0410 409 906
- Email: [email protected]
Sydney Street Choir aims to connect with, and inspire those experiencing homelessness through creating music, performance and passionate expression. We’re always keen to have new volunteers get involved. Roles include:
- helping manage administrative, financial, legal and marketing needs
- working with the choir – welfare support, playing instruments, singing with the choir (to help learn songs).
We’re also happy to receive clothing or other essential items.
- Website: Sydney Streetlevel Mission – The Salvation Army
- Phone: 02 9360 1321
- Email: [email protected]
The Salvation Army operates the Sydney Street Level Mission.
Street Level is a community that seeks to create a space where everyone is accepted and included no matter what their story has been in the past or is at present.
Street Level strives to be an inclusive environment where everyone in our community experiences a sense of belonging and a safe place to call home. Register your interest to volunteer online.
- Website: The Shopfront Youth Legal Centre
- Phone: 02 9322 4808
- Email: [email protected]
A free legal service for homeless and disadvantaged young people aged 25 and under.
The Shopfront’s volunteers are mostly law students, or law graduates doing practical legal training placements. The Shopfront also take some volunteers from social work, youth work or welfare-related backgrounds.
Volunteers need to be available on a weekday for at least 1 full day (or in exceptional circumstances, half a day) per week. The Shopfront is unable to accommodate volunteers in the evenings or weekends.
Volunteers must make a commitment to regular attendance over a sustained period. You may also be required to attend an orientation and training session.
Volunteers assist with a variety of tasks including answering telephone calls, taking referrals from potential clients, legal research, drafting and filing court documents, analysing evidence and preparing submissions.
Prospective volunteers should email us with details of their availability and why they are interested in volunteering at The Shopfront, with a brief resume attached.
- Website: Thread Together
- Email: [email protected]
Looking to make a difference to people and the planet? Volunteer with us
The work we do at Thread Together is really quite simple but requires a lot of team work. We rely heavily on the support of our corporate and community volunteers to help deliver our service to people in need.
We are always looking for more superstar volunteers who are motivated to make a difference to the lives of people doing it tough. By volunteering at Thread Together you will be helping people in crisis all over Australia and ensuring that brand new clothing remains in circulation.
“Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud” – Maya Angelou
- Website: Twenty10 incorporating GLCS NSW
- Phone: 02 8594 9555
- Email: [email protected]
Support services for LGBTIQA+ people. Volunteers assist with:
- Programs for your people (under 26): group volunteers and drop-in volunteers work directly alongside young people (although not in a therapeutic or counselling sense) either in our drop-in space or through group activities, supported by paid staff.
- programs for adults (over 18): group facilitators work within our social groups for adults.
- Programs for all ages: volunteer peer supporters work on Qlife, the national telephone and webchat service for LGBTIQA+ people across Australia, along with staff and volunteers at partner sites in other states.
- Projects and events: some volunteers help with occasional one-off events like information stalls, fundraisers, working bees or other projects.
Twenty10 also has a volunteer board responsible for strategic oversight, planning and governance.
- Website: Vinnies Connect
- Email: [email protected]
Vinnies Connect is a program which matches community members, who are in need of guidance and support, with a mentor in order to help achieve their goals. Many people in the community experience loneliness and social isolation. They do not have someone in their life who can listen and help the make the right decisions to support their confidence, quality of life and level of community involvement.
They may have goals such as:
- Connecting more with community
- Developing some creative skills
- Having someone to talk to
- Meeting people in the local community.
As a Vinnies Connect mentor you will be matched with someone of your choice, with whom you can meet regularly (weekly or fortnightly) for a period of 12 months. During this time, progress, but not completion, may be made on a large goal. Equally, many smaller goals may be able to have been achieved.
This role represents an opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of an individual. In doing so, it builds strength and resilience of the community.
To do this role you will need to be positive and patient. You may possess some skills specific to the needs of an individual but, most importantly, you are there to listen, guide and empower someone to take decisions and actions which will enrich their life. You will receive mentoring training. This volunteering opportunity is flexible and can fit into any lifestyle.
- Website: Wayside Chapel
- Phone: 02 9581 9100
- Email: [email protected]
Wayside Chapel provides unconditional love, care, support and essential services for people experiencing homelessness and social isolation in Sydney. Wayside Chapel provides access to hygiene facilities and other basic needs. Visitors to Wayside Chapel can access Care Coordination for more complex needs. Wayside has a low-cost café where all visitors are welcome.
Volunteers generally participate in:
- Aboriginal Cultural Centre
- low-cost cafe
- community services centre
- Wayside Op Shop
- gardening on the rooftop
- fundraising events
- administration.
All potential new volunteers must create a profile in our volunteer system and attend a Volunteer Induction. Once you have a volunteer profile, you’ll be kept up to date on when the inductions will occur.
- Website: Weave Youth & Community Services
- Phone: 02 9318 0539
- Email: [email protected]
Established by and for the community in 1976, Weave is a not for profit, place-based community organisation located on Gadigal and Bidjigal land in Sydney. Our purpose is to empower people to change their lives.
We provide a range of programs and supports for children, young people, women and families that have been developed alongside the community. Weave has a 45 track record and strong connections, experience and trust across the communities we service. Around 70% of people we support are Aboriginal people.
Weave’s suite of holistic services and programs include:
- skills-based recreational programs for vulnerable children to help them build resilience and stay at school
- free tutoring and mentoring for children
- support for young people with coexisting mental health issues and alcohol and drug addictions
- support for women and children to be free from DFV
- a free driving program
- intensive post-release support for Aboriginal people leaving prison
- creative events that connect people and break down social isolation.
People who are interested in volunteering at Weave Youth and Community Services can check the website.
- Website: Welfare Rights Centre
- Phone: 02 9211 5389
- Email: [email protected]
The Welfare Rights Centre is a not-for-profit organisation and community legal centre. We provide free legal advice and representation to thousands of NSW residents every year who are adversely affected by Centrelink decisions. The centre also provides education to improve knowledge and understanding about social security law in the community. The centre uses the knowledge and experience it gains through casework to advocate for reforms to the law and policy that would make the system fairer for everyone.
Volunteers are generally made up of law students and interested members of the community. Duties include administrative work, taking client instructions over the phone on intake shifts, legal research and if appropriate minor casework (under the instruction of a solicitor).
Please refer to the website of the Welfare Rights Centre for more information about volunteer opportunities.
- Website: Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre
- Phone: 02 9319 4088
- Email: [email protected]
WAGEC offers a range of crisis assistance services including both short and medium term accommodation, emergency assistance via our Central Support Office and specialised domestic and family violence support. For volunteer and donations information please contact [email protected] or [email protected].
