The work of the 139 Club Inc shows that homelessness involves much more than ‘rooflessness’: people become homeless for a variety of reasons, which are complex, varied and at times hard to reconcile. Homelessness is usually the result of a culmination of long-standing issues related to poverty, family violence or breakdown, early school leaving, unemployment, social exclusion, mental illness, or drug and alcohol abuse.

Our Welfare Services Team engages in excess of 2,200 episodes of homelessness support to clients annually. Services provided include: Housing assistance; Financial and budgeting assistance; Transport assistance; Food parcels, vouchers and meal tickets; Swags; Clothing, linen and toiletries; Information, advocacy and referral; Emotional support Parenting and Relationship support; and Outreach.

Homelessness in the current Australian context is increasingly the result of a lack of suitable housing, due to escalating rental and housing prices. On any given night in Australia more than 100,000 people are homeless. Tragically, almost a third of these are families. As a response to this, the Family Support Program works across the inner suburbs of Brisbane, providing timely intervention and support to families at-risk-of or experiencing family breakdown, and who are in contact with or at-risk of becoming in contact with the Department of Child Safety.

Annually, the 139 Club Inc’s Family Support Program provides in excess of 570 episodes of support to parents and their children. A significant number of supports are provided to Sole Parents and Clients with Children in State Care. Interventions include assistance with: housing, parenting, family safety, child wellbeing, and reunification.

The 139 Club Inc recognises that to achieve our vision of a truly inclusive community, strong, active and sustainable partnerships across government, business and community are required. Achieving lasting positive change in our community requires amalgamation, cooperation and participation.

The 139 Club Inc enjoys many collaborative working relationships and we are tremendously grateful for the collegiate support we enjoy with our group of specialist visiting services:

• Spiritus Nursing Service – (every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday);
• Dr Susan Clarke – GP (every Friday);
• Dr Hetal Patel – Chiropractor (every Tuesday);
• Homeless Health Outreach Team - HHOT & ADHHOT (every Tuesday and Thursday);
• Centrelink (every Monday and Thursday);
• Medicare (every second Thursday);
• Caxton Legal Service (First Tuesday of the month);
• State Penalties Enforcement Register (Last Friday of the month);
• Aboriginal & Islander Community Health Service (Bi-annual immunizations)
• Hair Dresser - Kate Clark, Finch By Sparrow (second Monday of the Month)
• Body Talk Practitioner - Wanda Dobe (Thursdays 10-2)