Together with Coles, the Collingwood Football Club and the Salvation Army Project 614 Team hosted a special event to celebrate the re-opening of the Magpie Nest Café.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp was on hand to officially re-open the doors again to indoor service for the first time in over a year. Collingwood superstars Chloe Molloy and Shimona Nelson helped to hand out over 500 care packs provided by Coles. The Magpie Nest Program targets the most vulnerable people in our community, those sleeping rough, living in unsafe rooming houses or couch surfing.
The Magpie Nest Café provides over 4,000 free meals each week and access to a range of support services.
Major Brendan Nottle from the Salvation Army Project 614 team said, “The cafe plays a vital role in the city providing a safe place where people can find practical help and access to support services. Many of the people we see are isolated and vulnerable and often in crisis. We must do everything we can to provide a pathway out of homelessness.”
“Coles proudly supports Collingwood’s Magpie Nest Program and the café as part of our commitment to help Australians lead healthier and happier lives,” said Coles General Manager Corporate Affairs Sally Fielke. “The program is making a genuine difference in the lives of people who are homeless and in urgent need of support”.
Collingwood President Mark Korda attended the event. “We are proud to partner with Coles, the Salvation Army Project 614 team and the City of Melbourne to help those in need,” he said. “Magpie Nest has been operating for over ten years and provides vital support to the most vulnerable people in our society. People who deserve our respect. The cafe provides a safe haven for people doing it tough, a place where people are valued and welcomed.”
“The cafe provides a safe haven for people doing it tough, a place where people are valued and welcomed.”
Magpie Nest currently operates 50 houses around Melbourne providing safe affordable accommodation and wrap around case management services. The program also includes a specific service for women who become homeless, many of whom are the victims of domestic violence.
