Since 1964, The Wayside Chapel has provided unconditional love, care and support for people on and around the streets of Kings Cross.
Each year, thousands of people visit Wayside for assistance in gaining equitable access to essential health, welfare and related services. In the past year Wayside has provided 7500 meals, 1458 emergency accommodation referrals, clothing for 2688 people, 890 transport referrals (with Mission Beat), 2924 counselling sessions, and over 2300 referrals to services and agencies. A further 50,000 visits were made by people just stopping by for a chat, a coffee or a quiet place to think. A pressing need of many of Wayside?s visitors is purely company and acceptance; just being in a place where they are welcome to be. Many Wayside visitors have endured lives of great hardship and struggle with alcohol and other drug addiction, mental health issues and homelessness.
For younger visitors Wayside has a youth specific safe space , Wayside Youth which offers a supportive environment for 12-25 year olds with a specific focus on those at risk in the Kings Cross area.
Wayside also offers the federally funded Day to Day Living Program which supports people with long term mental health issues to participate in social, recreational and educational activities.
Wayside also runs a series of clinics in partnership with other agencies and services. These include the Homeless Persons Legal Clinic every Monday with lawyers from Deacons, a free vet clinic every second Tuesday for our many Wayside pets, and weekly primary health care clinics.
In all that it does Wayside aims to break down the barriers of judgement and create a community with no 'us and them'. Some people are fortunate to have supportive families, friends and neighbours, good physical and mental health and inner strength even in the face of great adversity. For those that don't, there's The Wayside Chapel.
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29 Hughes St, Potts Point, NSW, 2011
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