CityReach
Winter Initiative · Winter 2026

A coordinated winter shelter response for the Gold Coast.

Winter 2026 · 12–13 weeks · 3–6 facilitator sites · one hub. Working alongside existing services, not competing with them.

Our first coordinated project — the beginning of what City Reach will do.

The need

The baseline — and the current pressure.

A long-term baseline of need, deepened by an acute cost-of-living squeeze right now across Queensland.

22,044

people estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Queensland.

ABS Census, 2021 (released 2022)

1,829

people experiencing homelessness on the Gold Coast.

ABS Census, 2021 (released 2022)

91%

of food-insecure Queensland households cite cost of living as the main driver.

Foodbank Queensland Hunger Report 2024

50%

of Queensland renting households are experiencing food insecurity.

Foodbank Queensland Hunger Report 2024

1 in 5

Queensland households skipped meals or cut portions due to food insecurity in the last 12 months.

Foodbank Queensland Hunger Report 2024

Why winter matters

People experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable to hypothermia, including in conditions under 10°C.

AIHW — Extreme Cold and Hypothermia, updated 2024

Our response

A coordinated winter shelter network — delivered alongside.

City Reach serves as the hub coordinator — holding project-level policy, intake, training and cross-site standards so that participating churches can contribute safely, without carrying project-level responsibility alone.

First season · Winter 2026
Season target
June – September 2026
12–13 weeks of winter operation (target)
Shelter model
Rotating facilitator sites
3–6 participating Gold Coast churches hosting overnight shelter (target; final site count to be confirmed)
Hub coordinator
City Reach Foundation Ltd
Framework inspiration
Stable One (Victoria) — locally adapted and governed
What the Winter Initiative provides

Five things, every night, at every site.

Safe overnight shelter

Across rotating facilitator sites, under a shared governance framework.

Hot meals

A warm evening meal and breakfast at every night's shelter.

Trained volunteers

Lead volunteer screening, induction and ongoing training across all sites.

Shared governance

Framework, operating policies and safeguarding standards held at the hub level.

Coordinated intake & referral

Every guest offered an intake conversation and a next-step referral into housing, mental health, DV recovery or longer-term support through trusted partners — no exceptions.

City Reach is designed to work alongside existing charities, churches and community groups — coordinated with the wider local response rather than replacing it.

Winter 2026 targets

Season one — what we're aiming for.

Targets from the current project brief. Specific numbers will be confirmed as facilitator site partnerships and volunteer capacity finalise.

Safe overnight shelter

Across rotating facilitator sites for the winter 2026 season.

Hot meals served nightly

Evening meal and breakfast at every participating site.

Volunteers trained & rostered

Screened, inducted and rostered across the hub and participating sites.

Intake conversations & referrals

Every guest offered an intake and a next-step referral — no exceptions.

Partner organisations

Coordinated with across the season to share capacity and referral pathways.

A coordinated winter model

A repeatable framework across participating churches, ready to scale in future seasons.

Stand alongside us

The Winter Initiative runs on volunteers, donations and local churches saying yes.

Give

Your gift funds frontline practical care — safe overnight shelter, hot meals, volunteer training and the coordinated hub holding it together.

Make a gift

Volunteer

Trained, rostered volunteers are the backbone of every shelter night. Join a shift, a team, or a training cohort.

Register your interest

Partner

Churches, councils, agencies and businesses — if you're already doing good work, we'd rather coordinate than compete.

Start a conversation

Projections and targets for season one, winter 2026. Sources: ABS Census 2021; Foodbank Queensland Hunger Report 2024; AIHW Extreme Cold and Hypothermia, updated 2024.