St Mary's House of Welcome is a Day Centre for homeless people. Being homeless is not merely a matter of housing, but being deprived of the normal supports of home and the skills and knowledge gained there.

The important thing is that we are talking about people - people with normal needs for affection and regard, for a sense of belonging, for work to do and the opportunity to do it in a way that brings a sense of worth and enjoyment.

At St Mary's the people work together to meet these needs in an atmosphere of acceptance, support and - very often - fun.

Commencing its present service in 1970 as a soup kitchen, over the years St Mary's has progressed to the large Centre it is today, providing nutritious three course meals in a dining room setting, amenities, activities and other services.

Services and Programmes offered by the centre include:

• Psychiatric disability support
• Recreation · Community development
• Pastoral Care
• Social work
• Nursing services Volunteers

Since the Centre opened it has been highly dependent on volunteers and they continue to be vital to the spirit and service of St. Mary's House of Welcome.

Volunteers are involved in a range of activities offered by the service. Volunteers are supported by a paid volunter co-ordinator and volunteer committee.