![\"Reach](\"https:\/\/newcastle.nsw.gov.au\/getmedia\/a95dff85-78db-4b3e-b0da-c8e055d683ec\/Reach-Hamilton-web.jpg\")
Chair of the Reach Homeless Services board Alex Rees, Cr Jenny Barrie and Salvation Army Corps Officer Major Leanne Bennett at the Cleary Street Community Centre.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter 12 years operating in various public locations in Hamilton, Reach now has dedicated access to a kitchen, storage, tables and chairs, providing a space for those in need, as well as a location for volunteers to pack emergency food and hygiene kits, and breakfast packs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To facilitate this community service, City of Newcastle provided the Salvation Army with specialist planning advice to assist with the development application for the new arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having coordinated the initial meetings between Reach and the Salvation Army, Councillor Jenny Barrie said she was pleased to see the service up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a Council, we\u2019ve committed to reviewing free food supply services in Hamilton to better meet the needs of the community,\u201d Cr Barrie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAddressing food insecurity in a permanent, indoor location provides advantages over public spaces, including kitchen facilities and refrigeration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOpen-air food distribution is highly visible and can deter people from accessing aid due to social stigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSadly, food insecurity affects one in three households across NSW. This is a positive collaboration that will deliver real benefits for people in need in Newcastle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reach Homeless Services Executive Director Gary Parsisson said the cost-of-living crisis has led to an increase in people doing it tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe help a wide range of people who could be experiencing homelessness, drugs and alcohol struggles, mental health issues, domestic violence, financial hardship or loneliness,\u201d Mr Parsisson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReach has been providing food insecurity services in Hamilton for more than a decade in temporary locations such as James Street Plaza and Hamilton Station Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaving a permanent, secure location ensures we can operate in any type of weather, allowing people who might be suffering from a sense of isolation to make some much-needed connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur friends now have the chance to sit down and enjoy a hot coffee on a cold morning, share a Friday night meal under a roof, and access support in a space that feels safe, consistent and dignified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very grateful to be able to collaborate with City of Newcastle and the Salvation Army to provide this service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Salvation Army Corps Officer Major Leanne Bennett said the arrangement with Reach is a wonderful addition to the services offered by the Salvos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe aim to serve the wider community of Newcastle, meeting needs as they arise without judgment or discrimination,\u201d Ms Bennett said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur community involvement includes a range of activities that care for people such as our Emergency Relief service, community meals, homeless packs, shower facilities and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCollaborating with Reach complements the other services we host in Cleary St including Street Side Medics and Orange Sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are Salvation Army services such Employment Plus, Moneycare and Doorways programs, as well as other contributors such as Oz Harvest, Foodbank, Coles SecondBite and RSPCA Hunter Supporters Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to partner with Reach as we fight the severe cost-of-living and food insecurity crisis impacting the region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City of Newcastle is committed to working closely with all local support services, businesses, residents and NSW Police to support a safer and more welcoming environment in Hamilton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
People experiencing homelessness can receive a range of vital services in a new safe space in Hamilton thanks to a collaboration between City of Newcastle and two charitable organisations. The Salvation Army\u2019s Community Centre in Cleary Street is now also a permanent home for Reach Homeless Services, with volunteers setting up every morning and on … Continue reading “Partnership provides improved access to food and necessities”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39405"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39406,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39405\/revisions\/39406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}