Wayside Stories

A Saturday in the Life of John, Community Services Worker at Wayside...

I’m up at 6:30am to walk our border collie, Murphy. Have breakfast on the run and leave for Wayside at 7:45am. Listening to 101.7 on the 40 minute drive to the city.

On arrival at Wayside – on a cold Saturday morning - there are 15 people waiting for the doors to open. The Amma group are in the throws of preparing breakfast. One of my first tasks is to check that there have been no break-ins overnight, then change the fit bins, fill the toilet paper dispensers, and tidy up the courtyard. Need to start the first of 3 loads of washing and check the shower and chapel.

9:00am - Phones are turned on and we’re open for business, the Amma group have said their prayers. Breakfast is ready to go (cereal, toast, fruit, porridge, tea and coffee) and now 40 hungry visitors waiting outside start to line up to be served. I have 2 volunteers working with me today, Trish has been volunteering every Saturday for over 10 years and Paula is a new volunteer on her first shift.

9:30am - There are over 80 visitors now having breakfast and five people at the counter needing help with showers and making phone calls. Another person just wants to talk.

10:00am - Breakfast’s gone very well today with 80 visitors fed and happy. Paula gets clothes for two visitors, while Trish is on the shower run. Many people this morning need warm showers. Our coffee shop is in full swing. Chantal has been a volunteer for over 25 years, she is an amazing lady. The conversation in the coffee shop becomes a bit boisterous. I ask people to keep their voices down and they decide to move outside.

12 midday - Where has the morning gone??????Paula has finished her first day. She loved it and cannot wait to come back next week. Clare, our new volunteer of just two weeks, arrives for her shift. We have just hit our 11th shower and much of the morning we’ve been on the phone getting our visitors accommodation for tonight. It’s tipped to be a cold, wet night. We’ve given out lots of blankets and warm clothes already this morning.

2:00pm – A young man outside has asked for help and wants to go into detox. I phone a detox unit that does an immediate phone assessment and get him booked in for 6pm tonight. It’s a great win, we all feel fantastic for him.Mission beat (transport) comes and picks up 3 people and takes them to overnight accommodation. Most places are filling up for tonight already so all we can do is give out blankets and sleeping bags.

4:00pm - A group of visitors are chatting out the front, swapping their stories and just hanging out with their friends. Our day is coming to an end. 20 people have had showers today, some have been given train tickets home and lots of people have been given fresh, clean clothes as well as soap, new toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks and undies.

4:45pm - Start lock-up and check the buildings. Check the chapel is locked up and ready for church service tomorrow morning.

5:00pm - Trish (who has been here all day), Clare and I leave for the day. Driving home I think of the fantastic day we have had, the great people we have met and the wonderful conversations we’ve had. I think to myself what a privilege to be doing what I do. How lucky am I? Wow!!!!

John - Community Services Worker