Jesus Cares Refuge
I wish to tell the House about a fine, local Christian ministry that I have known about and supported for many years called the Jesus Cares Refuge. Several supporters of the Wesley Mission founded this refuge in 1987, during my time as superintendent. Jesus Cares reaches out to the homeless, the poor, those recently released from prison, the drug and alcohol addicted, sex workers and the other marginalised people living on the dangerous streets of inner Sydney, particularly in the Kings Cross and Darlinghurst areas.
It helps people through the provision of food from a travelling van, with the distribution of blankets and other outreach services from its main ministry centre in West Ryde. The ultimate purpose of Jesus Cares—after meeting the bodily needs of desperate people with warm blankets, nourishing food and shelter—is through friendship evangelism and the sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ: the provision that will feed and shelter the spirit for life.
Jesus Cares is not affiliated with any particular church denomination, organisation or any Government agency. It is a volunteer inter-denominational Christian charitable organisation that relies on its volunteers to provide the food, shelter and clothing, as well as the workforce, for the running of the ministry seven days per week. The many Jesus Cares volunteers and supporters come from a wide range of church backgrounds across the whole body of Christ: Catholic, Evangelical, Liberal and Pentecostal, because all kinds of people have recognised the excellent work that it does in their communities.
The assistance of other agencies is sought when there is a dire need that Jesus Cares cannot meet by itself. For instance, when they come across people who need emergency accommodation, drug rehabilitation, professional counselling or urgent medical care. Jesus Cares volunteers reach out to anyone in need not only offering food and clothing but also kindness and acceptance without any judgement or condemnation. A gentle word and a listening ear can mean more than words can say on the harsh streets of Sydney. Many of the people that the Jesus Cares volunteers deal with on a daily basis are our Australian society’s rejects. They are broken people, often with a history of abuse, without inner resources, who are very lost and very lonely. Through one-on-one ministry, the volunteers are able to build up trusting relationships with those they meet and serve faithfully.
The Jesus Cares van ministry has a team of volunteers that goes to Blacktown, Seven Hills and Parramatta every Thursday and Friday nights, and never knows what it will find on the streets there. Sometimes it is quiet but other times very busy with people congregating and getting into trouble. Another van ministry team goes to Kings Cross, and some members may see them at the bottom of the Domain and other rough inner city areas where they come across drug users and binge drinkers carousing on the streets until sun up. The ministry team has been surprised to find recently that many people over the age of 40 are on the streets are using drugs and binge drinking as well.
Jesus Cares also runs a Sunday fellowship meeting at a playground in Woolloomooloo where anybody can be part of the fellowship that hears the Gospel, participate in praise and worship, and receive prayer and healing at what they call the “The Church With No Walls”. With a recent six-fold increase in homeless families looking for help from aid agencies, the Jesus Cares teams are now seeing entire families suddenly on the street and afraid of what life has in store for them.
Jesus Cares exists to serve all Christian churches and to work alongside other charities and organisations assisting the homeless in the heart of Sydney. They have been operating for more than 17 years with continuous ministry to the homeless, street dwellers, the drug and alcohol addicted and sex workers. During this time they have seen dramatic changes in people’s lives. There have many stories of lives that have been turned around, of addictions overcome, of families restored, and of successful rehabilitation, accommodation and full-time employment found. Former street dwellers are now married with young families living full and productive lives.
During the past 17 years I have been close to a number of the key volunteers in this work that is totally lay led, and totally without support of denominational or other government agency funding. They simply know there is a need and they get on and do the work. Some of the success stories of the people with whom they have dealt regularly relate their own experiences in order to help other young people avoid the same traps.
The Jesus Cares headquarters is in Meadowbank, and is also used for training the volunteers and providing accommodation for Christian workers. I am proud to be a long-time supporter of this wonderful faith-based local organisation, which has been helping people for nearly 20 years. I commend the work of Jesus Cares.