St Mary's House of Welcome Melbourne

“Loneliness gnaws away consistently at the heart. It is one of the hardest things to suffer. So, too, is the cold of Winter... Perhaps you have seen the line of men in Nicholson Street, Fitzroy, at noon each day awaiting some food… The Daughters of Charity would like to bring them inside, out of the cold and rain, and set them down to something warm and clean and dignified… Your donation will help.” Excerpt, Daughters of Charity Appeal letter - July 12, 1958

Today marks 65 years of service by St Mary’s House of Welcome to the community. To mark the occasion, a special celebratory lunch is being prepared by staff for service users, complete with a delicious cake made by inhouse chef, Ryan. Later in the day, there was a gathering for staff, volunteers and representatives from government, peak bodies, and partner agencies, including other Catholic social services. The words at the top of this page are taken directly from a special appeal letter, painstakingly typed out, one-by-one - 6,000 times - and mailed to people across suburban Melbourne by the founding Daughters and volunteers in 1958. The Daughters were responding to a desperate need before them. Sending the letter to members of the public asking for support, they prayed they would raise enough money to open a soup kitchen on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, to feed people who were destitute and homeless, living in the slums, and on the streets, of inner-city Melbourne. Thankfully, their efforts were successful. That soup kitchen – opened on May 30, 1960 - served a lunch of soup, sandwiches and tea to 94 people on its first day.

The current purpose-built building at 165-169 Brunswick St, Fitzroy was officially opened 22nd April 2009 having been designed as a welcoming space that is both comfortable and dignified for those who use it. The many new facilities allowed a greater number of services and programs than had previously been offered at St Mary’s House of Welcome. New spaces included a women’s room, training kitchen, arts and crafts room, computer training room, multi-purpose room and health clinic.

As St Mary’s House of Welcome celebrates its 65^th anniversary, its mission, at its very core, remains the same as it was all those years ago - to bring those in need “inside, out of the cold and rain, and set them down to something warm and clean and dignified”.