AU – Tamworth Homeless Connect

With almost 1 in 5 children in New England living in poverty, the government services in the region are always looking for organisations to support them in providing assistance to those in need.

Thursday the 6th August 2015 saw the Tamworth community set up for the local Homeless/Community Connect day. The event was a one stop shop, offering a range of free services under one roof, for those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or doing it tough. The event was held the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Convention Centre (TRECC) from 10am to 2pm.

The annual event is coordinated by the Richmond PRA and generously supported by a large number of organisations providing information on housing, medical and dental issues, education, and employment, legal, financial, recreation opportunities, identification issues, electoral enrolment, life skills, support for families and for the first time in Tamworth, the Rapid Relief Team.

RRT supported the event by providing breakfast and lunch to all those that came along. No less than 400 egg and bacon rolls were cooked up by the enthusiastic first shift, and the lunch team cooked up a tasty meal of beef and gravy rolls for even more people. Lunch was also offered to those involved in organising the event, and there was even a live band provided to keep everyone entertained. There are over 500 homeless in the Tamworth region and the local Rapid Relief Team’s goal for the day was to keep the underprivileged well fed.

Those that attended were grateful for all the services provided such as free haircuts and were very impressed with the quality of the food that was provided. Following the event the RRT were presented with a Certificated of Appreciation from the local Centrelink Agency. The event organisers have already requested a re-visit by the RRT for next year’s event.