Rotarians support shelter initiatives

THE Bendigo Winter Night Shelter’s work helping the homeless has been buoyed by a five-thousand-dollar donation from the Rotary Club of Bendigo.

The club’s immediate past-president, Dr Daniela Ionescu said the funds were raised at the annual Easter Art Show. “This contribution not only ensures future provision of essential equipment like bedding and blankets but also supports a strategic shift in response to a volunteer shortage this year,” Dr Ionescu said.

Scheduled to start at the beginning of winter, this year’s shelter had to be cancelled because of a volunteer shortage.

The shelter board has instead set up a winter bedding program in which backpack beds and rugged sleeping bags are being distributed to agencies working with the homeless. It is also planning a general revamp with the aim of running the shelter again in 2025.

Shelter treasurer Geoff Young said the backpack beds and sleeping bags were being used by people who would otherwise have sought refuge at the shelter, which is based at the Koolamurt Scout Camp in Spring Gully.

Any additional money received now would be used to buy extra bedding to be shared among local aid agencies, he said.

Dr Ionescu said cash and in-kind contributions by local businesses, community groups and individuals were crucial to the shelter’s continued existence.

She said the Easter Art Show symbolised public generosity and was an indicator of the belief that community strength depended on collective action and compassion for those in need. “As BWNS continues to evolve, its resilience remains a beacon of hope fuelled by the unwavering commitment of Bendigo’s community and steadfast allies like the Rotary Club of Bendigo,” Dr Ionescu said.

She said the shelter – set up by local churches in 2019 – had successfully established a network of partnerships with agencies like the Salvation Army, MADCOW, Impact Recovery, Haven Home Safe and its HeyVan outreach, and MinisTree.