Conditions were miserable and people were concerned someone would die when the overnight temperatures plummeted. Tragedy had struck previously, when a woman camped out on the banks of Bomaderry Creek died a lonely death from exposure.

At the first meeting of a homelessness task force convened by then mayor Joanna Gash, there was a sense insurmountable obstacles stood in the way of setting up an emergency shelter.

Compliance, insurance, the need for volunteers all came up as stumbling blocks for what to us at the Register seemed a pretty simple goal – a place for the homeless to be sheltered from wild weather.

Police at the meeting cautioned against such a facility, saying it would attract undesirables.

At the time, we accepted homelessness was a complex issue, unlikely to solved by any task force. However, we also thought providing emergency shelter should not be written off as too hard.

It took some time but when heads got together and said, “This is what we have” rather than “This is what we don’t have”, the shelter became a reality in June this year. 

For the first time in living memory, the different churches all worked together with a single purpose to get the shelter up and running. Collaboration won the day.

It has been busy ever since and has been supported by a great group of volunteers.

You can’t put a price on the great work being done to provide comfort and shelter to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

However, the shelter will close for the summer at the end of September but the needs of the homeless will persist. So news a family has donated a large sum of money towards setting up a purpose built permanent shelter is wonderful indeed.  

Of course, that amount on its own, while hugely generous, will not get the facility built. But it is a massive step in the right direction.

We’re confident the community will rally to raise the additional funds that will be needed.

We don’t know who they are but we thank the family who has set in motion a project that will benefit many.