In this episode of The Glitter Effect, host Kate talks with Sam Clifford, a local venue coordinator for Winter Shelter in Melbourne’s outer east (Maroondah). The community-driven initiative provides warmth, a three-course meal, and vital human connection to homeless men during the freezing winter months.

Sam explains the shelter’s unique “travelling” model: each night, a trailer packed with bedding moves to a different local church, utilizing empty buildings to create a safe, structured, and substance-free sanctuary. Driven by her own background with soup vans, Sam highlights how the program restores dignity and independence to its guests, proving how flexible community volunteering can powerfully combat the homelessness crisis.

“You find by the end of the program a lot of them are helping carry stretchers or setting the table… they’re feeling appreciated enough and confident enough to do that to say thank you.” — Sam Clifford

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maroondahwintershelter/