It is impossible to put a true value metric on the work The Rev. Bill Crews Foundation has undertaken every day for the past 30 years in helping Sydney people experiencing homelessness, addiction and disadvantage.
But here’s a start.
Community support, welfare support, free healthcare and 10,000 free meals a week to people in need, come rain, hail or shine across 14 locations across Sydney. This includes three Loaves & Fishes Free Restaurants in Ashfield, Campbelltown and Liverpool plus an additional 11 mobile food vans which operate across the inner city suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills and Redfern and westwards to outer suburbs including Minto, Warwick Farm and Lethbridge Park.
For the past 15 years, a dedicated roster of rotating Year 11 Newington students has volunteered with The Rev. Bill Crews Foundation to play their part to help. From 8.00am to 10.00am every weekday morning, two to three of our Year 11 students staff the Loaves and Fishes Restaurant in Ashfield based on a House roster system. Two more students plus a staff member volunteer to staff the Dessert Van which is a permanent fixture in Woolloomooloo come Friday nights.
Current Year 11 student and volunteer Michael K has helped at Loaves and Fishes, Ashfield and The Dessert Van.
‘When I heard about the opportunity to help out, I decided to volunteer as it seemed like a good opportunity to help those who are in need,’ says Michael.
‘While we at Newington are lucky to be where we are, there are always those who aren’t as lucky, so volunteering allowed me to give a bit of my time and hopefully help those who aren’t as fortunate as me and The Rev Bill Crew Foundation genuinely has a big impact on the people they help.’
Recent data from Homelessness NSW shows more 24,000 people across the Sydney metropolitan area accessed homelessness services in the year 2022-2023.
Jessica Wickenden, Deputy, Pastoral (K-12) says serving others is a significant part of the culture at Newington College and its wellbeing program.
‘Volunteering to help others experiencing the crisis of homelessness is a very tangible way for students to give of their time to people in real need with no agenda for what they might ‘gain’ in return.
‘Through helping others, our students receive back tenfold in terms of what they learn about themselves, and what they come to understand and appreciate about others.’
