WITH the Uniting Safe Shelter (USS) set to open for winter on May 13, the members of the Bathurst community are being invited to support the service in a variety of ways.
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The shelter will be a safe place for homeless men to spend the night, providing them with a hot meal and place to sleep when the weather is at its coolest.
After a successful trial in 2018, USS has been able to extend its operating time and offer an improved service to their overnight guests.
To help deliver that, USS has reached out to the community for help in a variety of ways, seeking donations of time, goods or money.
Among the items currently needed are single bed sheets, bath towels and tracksuit pants, which the guests can use during their stay.
Items can be dropped off at the Bathurst Uniting Church from Monday to Thursday next week, between 9.30am and 11.30am.
Coordinator Julie Greig said people are also needed to assist with installing partitions between the beds, painting and some work in the yard behind the church hall.
Ms Greig said USS also needed volunteers to take on roles throughout the duration of the service this year.
"There's lots of different jobs to be done like picking up and dropping off laundry, helping with cleaning, helping with shopping trips - the logistics of running the centre," she said.
People can also take part in cooking days to help prepare meals for the men to re-heat when they arrive in the evening.
Cooking days will be advertised through the USS Facebook page when dates are confirmed, but people can also make inquires via email to unitingsafeshelter@gmail.com.
Ms Greig said that USS was a big community project, being supported by other churches, groups and individuals in Bathurst, and she was pleased that it could enhance its service this year.
"The trial last year showed that there is absolutely a need and now the goal in Bathurst is addressing the need," she said.
