Pictured: Northwest Community Group
Plugging the gaps for cyclone affected communities
Thousands of people were impacted and displaced by Cyclone Alfred and the associated severe weather across southern QLD and northern NSW. Many remain disconnected, traumatised, and grappling with how to find their way forward. Severe weather events bring into focus the vulnerability of having nowhere to call home, and tragically, those experiencing homelessness are systematically invisible in emergency and response planning.
Recent street counts and the latest census data has shown that cyclone-impacted areas like Brisbane, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast have some of the highest numbers of people sleeping rough in the country. In Brisbane alone, 1,377 people are without a home. In addition, a new wave of people who have uninhabitable or significantly damaged homes will be seeking support, turning to their local organisation already known and trusted as places of refuge and help.
“Many rough sleepers lost tents, supplies, and dry clothing. We’re one of the only grassroots charities still providing hot meals, crisis triage, and emotional support directly in the streets. This grant is urgently needed to scale up our response, replace destroyed gear, and continue supporting those left behind by formal systems.” – Nourish Street in Brisbane (on Turrbal Country)
Thanks to the generosity of our donor community and philanthropic foundations, along with corporate partners, we’ve been able to plug the funding gaps for Cyclone affected communities. We’ve distributed $10,000 in small community grants, across 4 grassroots organisations, plus 1,266 SleepSafe linen and towel kits, and 608 additional bedding items.
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Responding to local needs, in local ways
While the newscycle is often quick to move on, disaster response lasts months and years, and community organisations on the ground are often at the forefront of caring for those who slip through the gaps of mainstream support services. It’s these teams of volunteers and staff who are day in and day out listening and responding to people without support networks, without other options, and desperately in need of aid that will stabilise their crisis situation.
That’s why our model has been to seek out and support small grassroot organisations. They are struggling with the demand but know what works for their community and how to best collaborate with each other. These grants are empowering community partners to help more people, in better ways, faster…from meeting basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, medical aid, to supporting longer term housing outcomes.
“There are a group of about 7 front line providers and we are collaborating and cross referring to better support cyclone affected communities. This will help us with our immediate need for more 2-3 man tents, tarps, ropes, sleeping mats, pillows, towels and wound care first aid materials.” – KindnessWorks, QLD (on Butchulla Country)
| Organisation | Region | Grant Amount |
| Goodna Street Life | Brisbane | $2,500.00 |
| Kindness Works | Hervey Bay | $2,500.00 |
| Nourish Street | Moreton Bay | $2,500.00 |
| North West Community Group | Brisbane North | $2,500.00 |
| Total in Grants | $10,000.00 |
“We operate on a shoestring budget and rely heavily on community goodwill, recycled materials, and volunteer labour. This small grant would provide a direct, fast-acting impact. Our clients are living without stable shelter, often in flood-prone bushland or under bridges. After Cyclone Alfred, many were forcibly moved or lost the few belongings they had. Wet conditions have led to increases in illness, injury, and exposure. Some report being evicted from council-owned parks while trying to stay dry. There is no crisis accommodation available. People are exhausted, vulnerable, and often ignored by mainstream services.“– Northwest Community Group, in Brisbane (Meanjin)
Photo: Northwest Community Group
“Appreciate all you guys do…thank you StreetSmart. All the mainstream funding allocated goes to government funded organisations and we are left doing more work with community donations and small funding opportunities. This grant will be so important to families that still are waiting for disaster relief payments and for homes to be fixed. They are limbo and we need to support them with tents and cookers so they are not sleeping rough while they wait.“– Goodna Street Life in Brisbane (Yuggera Country)
Photo: Nourish Street
“The SleepSafe kits have come in extremely handy as we have opened up as an evacuation centre for our homeless community. With only one washer and dryer in use, the towels especially have helped us get through this event which is still active. We have had 100 people approx each day access our services, showers, and shelter. We have also been able to share some sleep/towel sets with the other homeless evacuation centre on the opposite side of town. So, your organisation have very much been an integral part of our disaster response.“– Set Free Care (on Yugambeh Country)
Photo: Micah Projects with SleepSafe kits
Help those going Unseen in recent NSW flooding disaster
This type of responsive support in a crisis, with flexible brokerage and material aid would not be possible without the contributions of our generous community. And right now, with the catastrophic flooding along the NSW Mid North Coast and thousands displaced from homes, this kind of collective action is needed now more than ever. These are desperate life-threatening situations compounding people’s vulnerability and trauma. People made homeless by the floods will also struggle to find any kind of accommodation and to stay connected to friends, family and community. They will need immediate and long term support.
