It’s spring time and I want to tell you about my determination to grow hope. It’s a determination that drives everything we do at The Exodus Foundation. Crucially it focuses our attention on improving the health of our needy guests. I’m talking about rough sleepers like Terry who was frail and suffered many of the illnesses common to the homeless – including diabetes and heart disease. Terry’s home was a suburban bus shelter and he came to us for hot...
It’s seven o’clock on a chilly morning as I write this blog. The homeless are already queuing outside my Exodus Foundation, seeking refuge after another night on the streets. As winter sets in their plight will become even more desperate, but thanks to your support they don’t need to be cold and alone. Together we’re making their future better. We’ve got hot meals, healthcare and support services. In fact my amazing staff and volunteers often perform miracles – you can see...
Staying healthy when you live on the streets isn’t easy – especially when the seasons change and the nights get cold. That’s why The Exodus Foundation operates a clinic especially for our homeless and needy guests. The clinic has rooms for general practice medicine, a dental surgery and spaces for our psychologists and trained counsellors to help guide our guests out of the dark places they are in. It’s both a practical and wholistic approach to improving their health, and it has produced...
Easter is a special time of year. To me it’s all about hope for a better future. I share that hope with all the homeless and needy guests who come to my Exodus Foundation. It is also a holy time of year and I think the work that my team and I do among the homeless makes it especially meaningful. I often wonder where Jesus would be at Easter, in a splendid church or helping the poor? We’re giving help and hope...
The timeless message of Easter is about hope. It’s about new life springing out of darkness and despair. Here at my Exodus Foundation we believe in doing hope, not just talking about it. Every day we see lives changed by caring acts of service performed by our wonderful staff and volunteers. Sometimes it’s giving a free meal to a hungry homeless person in our Loaves & Fishes Free Restaurant, but often it’s much more than that. Often it’s life...
The Exodus Foundation’s brand new food van began serving meals to Sydney’s homeless last month. It enables even more hot dinners to be given to the large number of hungry rough sleepers. “Our new food van is great news for the increasing number of homeless people and enables us to meet the growing demand”, said Rev. Bill Crews. “It’s like a big, early Christmas present for the rough sleepers of Sydney!” ...
Christmas is a special time for families. It’s a time when we hold our loved ones close. I’m sure you know what I mean – that sense of belonging and the feeling of being loved. That’s why I want to thank you especially. Your support at Christmas means my Exodus Foundation becomes a loving family for thousands of desperately needy Sydneysiders. Without you, they’d have nothing. This Christmas we’ll serve up to 3,000 hot lunches with all the trimmings to the...
The homeless are very susceptible to illness. Sadly, many who are hospitalised are hit with a double-blow when discharged with nowhere to go. Hospitals routinely discharge the homeless without good arrangements for accommodation or care. One recent case highlights their plight. A homeless man was hospitalised with broken ribs after a fall. “He had poor mobility, hepatitis C and liver disease”, explained Rev. Crews. “After treatment for the ribs he was discharged. The only accommodation offered was a written list of boarding...
Staying warm when you live on the streets is a challenge, especially when it rains and things get wet. That’s why we give warm clothes and blankets to the homeless and disadvantaged. During winter demand for warm clothes and blankets is understandably high, so we urgently need donations. We need track pants in large or extra-large size and single or double-sized blankets, but please remember: We can only accept new items – not used or second hand. Please call (02) 8752 4600...
Access to healthcare is a big issue for our guests at The Exodus Foundation, as it was for George. Like so many homeless people he did not have a doctor and would only get treatment when he found himself in a hospital emergency ward. George had been homeless for many years. He’d often eat in our Loaves & Fishes Free Restaurant, but as time went by his health deteriorated. One day we found him dazed and incontinent. We were all really...
