Haven Avondale is a thriving community hub providing much-needed meeting spaces and facilities for community groups and organisations.
According to Pirie Brown, Director of the Haven Foundation, the charity aims to enrich the lives of the Avondale community and support people to engage, connect and grow. ‘As a community hub, we maintain an open-door policy, making our spaces affordable and accessible to a diverse range of groups and individuals,’ he advises.
Pirie says that an incredible 58,000 people came through the door last year, whether to grab a coffee from the café, visit a JP, access the social supermarket, attend a community event or much more.
The community hub is also home to Kai Avondale, who uses the space to repackage donated waste food for those locals who need a meal. And with the recent closure of Avondale Community Centre, Haven will soon be hosting the Feed the Streets community dinner, which sees around 100 homeless, lodgers, pensioners, and increasingly, working families enjoy a hot, hearty meal every fortnight.
As a charity, Haven Foundation primarily relies on the support of funders. A contribution of $20,000 from the latest Your West Support Fund is helping to keep the doors open.
Pirie says that the finding has contributed to a revamp of the basement area, which was started last year with new lighting and a fresh lick of paint. ‘A large chunk of the money has been used to upgrade the kitchen sink, hot water cylinder and cupboards,’ reports Pirie. Kai Avondale, among others, uses the basement area, so it’s essential that the space is well-maintained and up to standard.
The Your West Support Fund has also contributed to the salary costs of the Community Development Manager. ‘This role is critical to our ability to respond effectively to the changing needs of organisations, individuals and our community,’ reports Pirie.
Finally, the volunteer cleaner’s work can also now be recognised with some shopping vouchers. Pirie says the cleaner means the organisation continues to offer clean, tidy, and well-cared-for facilities to the public.
‘The Your West Support Fund has been a lifeline,’ declares Pirie. He adds that it has helped ensure the Haven Foundation has more capacity to serve the community.
Interested in finding out more? Check out the website or pop into the hub at 1855 Great North Road. The Haven Foundation is also a drop-off location for donations to Kai Avondale. Items in short supply include long-life milk, jam, rice, body wash, coffee, tea and Milo. All donations are gratefully received at the Haven office.
