T R U S T W A I K A T O
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A long-term
aim for the Hamilton
Christian Nightshelter Trust has
recently come to fruition – to provide
a fit-for-purpose men’s night shelter
in the heart of Hamilton. The Trust
has run separate men’s and women’s
shelters in Hamilton since 1999 and
2004 respectively, but until recently the
men’s one was housed in long-term
temporary premises.
Trust chairperson Charles Flanagan says,
“We will always be thankful to the owners
of our old building, who leased it to us
rent free, but we needed to find something
larger and more suitable. The new shelter
provides beds for up to 30 men, over
double the number the old place could
house. It’s somewhere that any of us could
call home, if we needed to, and although
we only opened our doors in April 2012,
we’ve already seen a huge shift in guests’
attitudes. There’s a sense of pride and
belonging, and obvious appreciation for the
more comfortable accommodation.”
In addition to extra beds, the new shelter at
474 Anglesea Street has kitchen, lounge
and shower facilities, and a seven-bed
transitional unit, where people can stay until
they find a place of their own.
Demand for the services is huge, with over
2,000 men using the shelter in the past five
years. Charles says, “We are incredibly
grateful for the generous contributions of
our donors and funders, large and small.
Without their support we could never have
provided a facility like this, which benefits
not just the city, but the broader Waikato
region as well.”
The Trust now faces the challenge of
paying the balance of the purchase price. It
currently has a one-year low-interest vendor
loan, which expires at the end of November
2012, at which point new funding sources
will be needed.
Trust Waikato is proud to have played its
part in supporting this essential community
service. We granted two donations to the
Hamilton Christian Nightshelter Trust in
2011: $150,000 towards the new premises,
and a $15,000 operational grant.
There’s a sense of pride
and belonging, and
obvious appreciation
Hamilton Christian
Nightshelter
Trust
D o n a t i o n S t o r i e s
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