About Wayside Chapel

For more than sixty years, Wayside Chapel has been a place of hope, compassion and connection in Sydney. From our centres in Kings Cross and Bondi Beach, we open our doors to people experiencing homelessness, social isolation, mental health challenges, domestic and family violence or addiction.

Our vision is simple but powerful: love over hate. We believe in creating community with no “us and them,” breaking down barriers of judgement and offering a safe space where every person is seen, valued and welcomed.

In 2024 alone, over 81,000 visits were made across our centres. Behind each of those visits is a story of someone finding warmth, care or a pathway forward. Our teams provide everything from a hot shower, a clean set of clothes and a warm meal to specialist support through our Women’s Space, Mob Space for First Nations visitors, legal clinics, health advocacy and pathways into training and work.

As our Pastor and CEO, Rev. Jon Owen, puts it: “For people to heal, to find stability, to reach their potential, there must first be a place they can belong. Wayside is that door. We say, ‘You are welcome here.’ And from that moment of connection, possibility blooms.”

The Difference You Make

Here’s what your support means on any given day at Wayside:

265+ visits from community members
244 low-cost meals served
31 hot showers provided
148 items of clothing and blankets handed out
Dozens of instances of crisis support and care coordination

These numbers are only part of the story. Our Women’s Space supported 130 women in 2024, many living with trauma and violence, and offered over 1,800 visits and 1,400 instances of practical assistance. Mob Space provided more than 600 episodes of care and crisis support, reconnecting people with culture, community and strength. Through our Pathways Program, more than 1,100 people took steps into training, employment or education with hands-on support.

Why Your Donation Matters

Meeting immediate needs

Your gift means someone can have a shower, eat a meal and walk away with clean clothes. It may sound small, but these moments restore dignity.

Creating long-term change

Donations help us provide trauma-informed care, advocacy, training and employment pathways. It’s about walking alongside people as they move from crisis to stability.

Building community

Loneliness is one of the hardest parts of disadvantage. Wayside creates places where people can connect, find friendship and begin to rebuild hope.

Sustainable support

Workplace giving provides a steady, reliable stream of funding that helps us plan ahead and respond quickly when people are in need. Even the smallest weekly donation adds up to something powerful.

Thank You

To everyone who chooses to give through their workplace: thank you. Your generosity keeps the doors open, the meals cooking and the showers running. It ensures that when someone arrives at Wayside, they’re not met with judgement but with love, dignity and community.

Together, we can keep creating a place where all are welcome, all are seen and all are loved.

Christmas Lunch for a Homeless Person

$ 25.00

Or Donate Amount of Your Choice