St Mary's House of Welcome

🌧️ Melbourne winter. Muddy shoes. 🥾Dirty floors 🧹🪣

As the weather turns colder and wetter, and gardens and pathways turn to slush, it can only mean one thing...muddy floors! The St Mary's House of Welcome limited-edition 'Welcome Mat' is the perfect way to keep the mud at your doorstep

Available in two designs, and made from durable, high-quality materials and measuring 450 x 750mm, these mats are built to handle daily wear and tear while adding the most welcoming of touches to your home.

But this mat does more than protect your floors.

Every Welcome Mat purchased helps St Mary's House of Welcome provide meals, showers, warm clothing and support to people experiencing homelessness and hardship during Melbourne's coldest months.

While many of us are wiping muddy boots at our front doors, too many people in our community are facing winter without a safe place to call home.

Purchase a Welcome Mat today and help extend a warm welcome beyond your doorstep. ❤️

Buy yours today: https://www.smhow.org.au/shop/p/welcome-mat

“I don’t know where I’d go if this place wasn’t here. When it’s cold, this is where I can feel human again.” - David, SMHOW service user

Winter in Melbourne can be brutal when you have nowhere to go.

Every morning at St Mary’s House of Welcome, people arrive cold, exhausted and carrying everything they own, searching for warmth, a meal, safety and kindness.

For many, this is the only place they’ll feel cared for all day.

Right now, more people than ever are turning to us for support, with demand for our services rising by over 20 per cent compared to this time last year.

Every dollar you give will make a tangible difference…

It will mean a warm meal for someone who is hungry.
A hot shower for someone who has nowhere else to go.
A place of welcome for someone who feels invisible.

Please help us ensure no one has to face winter alone.

Donate here: give.smhow.org.au/winter-appeal

This week is National Volunteer Week. Over the coming days, we will be taking some time to celebrate the incredible volunteers who are the heart of St Mary’s House of Welcome. 💛

Every cup of tea shared, every meal served, every conversation offered with kindness and respect helps create a place of safety, dignity and belonging for our community.

Our volunteers show up with compassion, generosity and humanity, often behind the scenes, always making a difference. Whether supporting our meal service, helping at reception, driving our van to pick up food donations, providing administrative support, or simply offering a warm welcome, their contributions matter deeply.

To every volunteer who gives their time to support the service users of St Mary’s House of Welcome - thank you.

You are truly the lifeblood of this community.

We are thrilled to be the chosen recipients of proceeds from the 5th annual Tramfest music fundraiser to be held at the Evelyn Hotel, 351 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, from 5pm on Saturday 23 May.

Bands include birdsnake, dog door, dragonfruit, ctrl + me, swallow, olza & planet pain. All for just $20!!

It promises to be an amazing night!

Tickets available here: https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/1597ce0f-1e5c-4d1f-b1f9-ee767a7dddcb

Fourteen rough sleepers are dying in public parks or countryside areas each year on average in Australia, an analysis of hidden death reports reveals.

‘A sobering indictment’: 14 homeless people die a year in public parks or countryside in Australia, analysis finds ‘In just a few weeks homelessness has killed a baby, a young mother and a student,’ head of advocacy group says, calling for more investment in upcoming budget

Today is Stop Food Waste Day 🌍

At St Mary’s House of Welcome, we’re proud to provide over 50,000 meals each year, largely using food that is rescued or generously donated. What might otherwise go to waste becomes nourishing, home-style meals for people doing it tough in our community.

This approach doesn’t just fill plates, it makes a real difference. For the people we support, it means access to nutritious food, dignity, and a sense of connection. For the environment, it means less food ending up in landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making better use of the resources that went into producing that food.

Stopping food waste is something we can all be part of. Together, small actions can create meaningful change for people and for our planet. 💚

Pictured are some of the wonderful meals our talented kitchen team have rustled up over the past few days.

A big thank you Yarra City Council for coming onsite today to provide St Mary's House of Welcome service users and staff free influenza vaccines! We are incredibly grateful for your partnership in helping keep our community members healthy.

Have you had a positive experience at St Mary's House of Welcome that you’d like to share?

We would love it if you would consider leaving us a Google review about your experience.

By sharing details of your experiences, it helps us to spread community awareness about our vital programs and services, as well as attracting new supporters.

Search engine visibility increases for organisations with more 5-star reviews. So, we kindly ask you please consider showing your support.

Thank you!

https://g.page/r/CSWey7Rtfl2PEAI/review

Yesterday was planting day here at St Mary's House of Welcome! A group of enthusiastic service users established a herb garden in our courtyard as part of our ‘The House Within" project. The project is designed to empower our service users to get involved, learn basic gardening skills and develop a sense of purpose. Moving forward, the group will continue to play an active role in maintaining the herb garden, fostering social inclusion and ongoing skill development.

As a wonderful bonus, our kitchen team will be able to use fresh herbs grown right here, as part of our meals program.

Appointment of Chief Executive Officer at St Mary’s House of Welcome

The St Mary's House of Welcome (SMHOW) Board is very pleased to announce the appointment of John Fogarty as the Chief Executive Officer.

John brings to the role extensive experience as a CEO and Executive Director, having previously worked in complex and dynamic environments including large public and not-for-profit hospital groups and the aged and community care sector. His deep understanding of governance, service delivery, and stakeholder engagement positions him strongly to lead SMHOW into its next chapter.

John, who has been in the interim role of CEO at SMHOW for the past 15 months, has already contributed significantly to the organisation’s culture, strategy and stewardship. His experience and steady leadership come at an important time as SMHOW continues to respond to growing community needs and evolving service demands.

The Board looks forward to working closely with John as he leads SMHOW in delivering its mission, strengthening its impact, and continuing its long-standing commitment to supporting people experiencing hardship and disadvantage.

Congratulations, John!