http://www.handsheartshope.com.au/

Hands Hearts Hope, Glen Waverley (2026)

13/06/2026

Monday Night Street Outreach 🚶‍♀️❤️

I’ve been a little busy this week and haven’t had a chance to share our Monday night street outreach until now.
Just a couple of photos from the evening. To be honest, we were far too busy supporting people to take many photos.

A huge thank you to Suzan and Ron for joining me as we headed into the city with meals, drinks, supplies, and a listening ear for those doing it tough. As always, it was a privilege to spend time with some of our homeless community members, checking in, sharing a chat, and providing a little comfort on a cold Melbourne night.

Every outreach reminds us that homelessness doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Many of the people we meet are facing challenges most of us can hardly imagine, yet they continue to show incredible strength and resilience.

And finally, a very special message from Cory:

“Please pass on my thanks to Waan and friends. I absolutely love my new outfit. Thank you for thinking of people like me and for your kindness and generosity. It means more than you know.”

From Hands Hearts Hope…Thank you, Waan and your amazing friends from the Thai community for helping us bring warmth, dignity, and hope to people doing it tough on the streets of Melbourne. ❤️

13/06/2026

❄️ WARM Winter Shelter – Night Two ❄️

On Friday we moved to our second venue for the WARM Winter Shelter, hosted by the wonderful Thornbury Church of Christ.

A very special thank you to Sue Maric and the church community for so generously opening your doors and allowing us to use your amazing church. Your hospitality, kindness, and willingness to be part of this program are helping provide warmth, safety, and dignity to people experiencing homelessness this winter.

One of the unique things about the WARM program is seeing different church communities come together to support some of our most vulnerable community members. Every venue, every volunteer, every meal, and every act of kindness helps make this possible.

Fridays menu was Sweet and Sour chicken with Rice or Mashed potatoes, creamy chicken pasta followed by cake and coffee. Also a selection of fresh fruit, drinks and snacks. Our heartfelt thanks to Heta from ADRA for the amazing donations of meals for our winter shelter ❤️

To Sue, the volunteers, and everyone at Thornbury Church of Christ, thank you for being part of something so important. Your generosity is making a real difference in the lives of people who are doing it tough.

Together, we are supporting WARM to create more than just a shelter. We are creating a community of care, compassion, and hope.

❤️❄️🏠

13/06/2026

When there’s no man around and a job needs doing, sometimes it’s up to the girls to get it done! 😂

I needed a shelf installed in the food cupboard at my flat where we store supplies for our homeless outreach.

Normally, I would have done it myself. I’ve spent most of my life picking up the tools and just getting on with the job.

But today was different.

Along came Tracy, armed with a drill, shelf brackets, screws, a tape measure and a determination to take charge.

“Grab a seat,” she said. “I’ve got this.”

Now, I’d like to say that I sat down and supervised extensively — a very important role. 😂

But hand on heart, this time I didn’t. I actually behaved myself, stayed out of the way and let Tracy get on with it.

A short while later, we had brand new shelving ready to help organise food and supplies for our homeless community members.

Woman power at its finest. 💪❤️

Thank you, Tracy, for turning up, taking charge and getting the job done. The cupboard looks amazing, and our food storage is now a whole lot more organised!

13/06/2026

How do you get two six-packs of pillows for the winter shelter from the first floor to the ground floor?

Apparently, you put Tracy at the bottom of the stairs and throw them off the balcony! 😂

I was upstairs, Tracy was downstairs, and somehow this seemed like a perfectly reasonable plan at the time.

Mission accomplished. Pillows delivered. No injuries reported. ❤️

13/06/2026

A Very Special Thank You ❤️

We are finally starting to catch up on some of our thank you posts after what has been an incredibly busy few days!

On behalf of everyone at Hands Hearts Hope, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Sandrajane Vincent- Correy from Park Orchards Pantry and her wonderful friends for their amazing donation of blankets, esky,s, jackets, warm clothing and other essential items that Tracy and I collected earlier this week.
Please support Sandra and the pantry they do an amazing job supporting families across their community. ❤️

As the temperatures continue to drop across Melbourne, donations like these make an enormous difference to people experiencing homelessness. Every jacket, blanket and warm item provides not only comfort and warmth, but also a reminder that our community cares.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Warrandyte Donvale Rotary Club for their generous donation of swags and tent. These practical items will go directly to people sleeping rough and will help provide some protection from the cold winter nights ahead.

To Sandrajane, her friends, and the Warrandyte Donvale Rotary Club, thank you for standing beside us and helping us support some of Melbourne’s most vulnerable community members. Your kindness, generosity and compassion are making a real difference, and we are incredibly grateful.

Together, we continue to bring warmth, dignity, hope and practical support to those who need it most. ❤️

13/06/2026

📦 Welcome to the glamorous world of running a charity from a one-bedroom unit… 📦

People often ask what it’s like running a charity.

Well, when you don’t have a permanent base, your home becomes the office, the meeting room, the administration centre, and apparently… the warehouse too. 😅

Why don’t we have a base? Simple. Every dollar spent on rent is a dollar that can’t be spent on food, clothing, sleeping bags and support for people experiencing homelessness. We keep our costs low so that more of what we have goes directly back to the people who need it most. It’s also the reason we are completely Volunteer run and no one draws a wage.

Because I need access to outreach supplies at a moment’s notice for emergency requests, street outreach, and supporting people doing it tough, a lot of our supplies can’t sit in storage miles away. They need to be where I can get to them quickly.

So this is currently my lounge room and you don’t want to look behind the bedroom door. 🫣🫣

Sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, hygiene supplies, outreach gear, winter shelter items, donations waiting to be sorted, and now… another delivery has just arrived!

It’s not exactly the peaceful retirement I once imagined, in a tiny home on the Mornington peninsula but every box, every bag, and every pile represents kindness from our community and practical support for someone who needs it.

One day I hope Hands Hearts Hope will have a place of its own — somewhere our donations can be stored, sorted and distributed properly, somewhere volunteers can gather, and somewhere we can continue supporting people experiencing homelessness with dignity and compassion.

Until then, this little one-bedroom unit will continue doing its best impression of a charity warehouse.

Welcome to my life. ❤️

And yes, I can still find the kettle most days… whether I can reach it is a different story. 😂☕️

13/06/2026

❤️ A Warm Welcome for Our Winter Shelter Guests ❤️

One of the things we wanted most for our guests arriving at the WARM Winter Shelter was for them to feel welcomed, valued, and cared for from the moment they walked through the door.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, community members, and partner organisations, each guest received a welcome pack filled with practical items to help them stay warm, comfortable, and supported throughout their stay.

Each guest receives

🛏️ A brand new sleeping bag, kindly donated through the support of Preston Bunnings and Rotary.

🛌 A brand new pillow, generously donated by Laura from Kindly.

👕 New clothing, including essential items such as underwear and socks
🧴 A hygiene pack containing toiletries and personal care items.
Kindly donated by generous community and church members, Waan and her Thai friends and Hands heart.

🎒 Additional practical items to help make their stay more comfortable.

For many people experiencing homelessness, receiving brand new items is something that happens far less often than most of us realise. There is something incredibly special about being able to offer not just warmth and comfort, but dignity. Knowing that these items belong to them and have never been used by anyone else can mean so much.

The smiles, gratitude, and relief on our guests’ faces as they receive their packs reminds us that sometimes it is the simple things that make the biggest difference.

To everyone who donated items, funds, time, and support to help make these welcome packs possible — thank you. Your kindness helps ensure that every guest arrives to a warm welcome and knew that their community cares.

❤️ Together, we are creating more than a shelter. We are creating a place where people feel safe, respected, and valued.

12/06/2026

It is with great sadness that I share this news with the many outreach teams, community members, friends, and supporters who have been helping to search for Chris over the past six months.

Sadly, this is not the outcome any of us were hoping or praying for.
Chris has been found and, tragically, he has passed away.

On behalf of everyone at Hands Hearts Hope, I want to extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Maria, Ash, Anna and the entire family.

Over the past six months, everyone has watched a mother’s unwavering love as Maria searched tirelessly for her son. Day after day, week after week, she never stopped looking, never stopped hoping, and never stopped believing she would find Chris. Our hearts are broken for her and for all those who loved him.

It has been an absolute privilege for Hands Hearts Hope to stand alongside Maria, Anna, Ash, and the family and support them in their search for Chris. While we are devastated that this journey has ended in such heartbreaking circumstances, please know that our support for Maria and family does not end here. We remain here for them in whatever way we can be.

I would also like to thank our team and every person, organisation, outreach team, volunteer, and community member who shared posts, followed up leads, searched, and kept Chris and his family in their thoughts throughout these past six months. Your compassion and kindness have meant so much to Chris’s family.

At this time, I respectfully ask that like us, everyone please give Maria and the family the space and time they need to grieve and come to terms with this devastating loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy during this incredibly difficult time.

Rest peacefully, Chris.

12/06/2026

❄️ WARM Winter Shelter – Opening Night ❄️

On Wednesday night, after months of planning, preparation, training, fundraising, donations, and countless volunteer hours, the day we had all been working towards finally arrived.

As a proud partner of the WARM Winter Shelter program, Hands Hearts Hope was honoured to be part of welcoming the first guests through the doors for the 2026 winter season.

The first night of the shelter was hosted at St Peter’s Anglican Church Bundoora, where our guests were welcomed into a warm, safe environment away from the cold winter weather. It was a special moment to see months of hard work finally become a reality and to watch our first guests settle in for the evening.

Our guests enjoyed an incredible home-cooked meal prepared by the amazing Noni. Dinner was a feast of roast lamb, roast pumpkin, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, gravy, mint sauce, cauliflower cheese, and cauliflower with cheese sauce. To top it all off, guests were treated to a delicious homemade apple crumble for dessert.

Each guest was also welcomed with practical items to help make their stay more comfortable. They received a brand-new sleeping bag kindly donated through the support of Preston Bunnings and Rotary, a brand-new pillow generously donated by Laura from Kindly, and a clothing and hygiene pack containing toiletries, underwear, socks, and other essentials donated by Hands Hearts Hope and our wonderful community supporters.

These are more than just items. They provide warmth, comfort, dignity, and a reminder that people care.

A huge thank you to every volunteer, donor, church, community group, and supporter who has helped make this shelter possible. Together we are providing more than a bed for the night—we are providing hope, connection, kindness, and a place where people are welcomed without judgement.

This shelter is the result of a wonderful partnership between churches, community organisations, volunteers, donors, and supporters who have come together with one shared goal: ensuring that nobody is left to face the cold alone.

❤️🏠❄️

07/06/2026

Sunday Homeless Outreach❤️

Tonight’s street outreach was a special one.

I was joined by Raj and Shiv from Feed Melbourne Mission as we headed out with hot meals, noodles, coffee, drinks and other essentials to support people doing it tough on Melbourne’s streets.

Most special of all, we took with us a trolley full of the brand-new clothing packs generously donated by Waann and her friends from the Thai community. Each pack contains a complete new outfit, and seeing the reactions from those who received them was incredibly heartwarming.

The smiles on people’s faces said it all. Several people were so excited and grateful that they asked us to take their photo with their new packs so we could show Waann and her friends. They wanted us to pass on their heartfelt gratitude for such a thoughtful and generous gift.

For many of us, a new outfit is something we take for granted. For someone experiencing homelessness, receiving brand-new clothing that is theirs to keep can mean so much more than warmth and comfort. It provides dignity, confidence and a reminder that people care.

To Waann and the Thai community, thank you again for helping us bring not only practical support but also hope and kindness to people who need it most.

We will be heading back out again tomorrow night with more meals, coffee and clothing packs to ensure more people can receive these wonderful gifts.

Together, we are making a difference, one conversation, one meal and one act of kindness at a time. ❤️

Hands Hearts Hope

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