About us
Southern Peninsula Community Support is a trusted and vital part of our local community, providing a safety net for people and families who may otherwise fall through the gaps.
What we do
Our largest program is Emergency Relief, providing practical assistance alongside information, assessment, advocacy and referrals to specialist services. Support can include food and material aid, help with essential living costs and connection to other services.
Over time, we have also developed specialist programs to respond to increasingly complex needs within our community, including casework services and outreach programs supporting people who are rough sleeping and experiencing other forms of homelessness.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple goal: to make sure people across the Southern Mornington Peninsula can access help when they need it.
Our story
Southern Peninsula Community Support began as a Citizens Advice Bureau in 1980, providing information and assistance to the local community. Since then, the organisation has continued to grow in response to community need, often stepping in where other services are unavailable or difficult to access.
Our location on the Southern Mornington Peninsula creates some unique challenges. While the area is considered metropolitan Melbourne, many specialist and face-to-face services are based in Frankston or further away. Services funded to support the Mornington Peninsula may have a presence in Hastings or Mornington, but are often not readily accessible to people living further south around Rosebud and surrounding communities.
Southern Peninsula Community Support has worked for more than four decades to help bridge these gaps and ensure local people can access practical help, support and connection close to home.
How we are funded
Southern Peninsula Community Support works in partnership with community organisations, charitable groups and government agencies. The Mornington Peninsula Shire provides important base funding towards the operation of our organisation and also provides our premises. Some federal government funding is also received to support a small portion of the delivery of Emergency Relief.
However, a significant proportion of the work we do, including all of our specialist programs, relies on the generosity of our community. Individuals, families, local businesses, service clubs, community organisations, philanthropic trusts and foundations all play an incredibly important role in keeping our services operating.
Some people give a small donation. Others fundraise within their community, provide goods or services, make regular contributions or support an entire program. Every contribution matters. It is this collective generosity that allows us to respond when someone walks through our doors needing help.
We are deeply grateful to every person, business and organisation that chooses to support Southern Peninsula Community Support. You are an important part of what we do and the impact we can make in our community.
Our workforce
Southern Peninsula Community Support is governed by a volunteer Board of Management and supported by a small team of predominantly part-time paid staff.
Importantly, more than 80 dedicated volunteers contribute across almost every area of our organisation. Our volunteers work behind the scenes in administration and our food pantry, welcome people at reception, and work directly with clients through our Emergency Relief and homelessness services.
Their generosity, compassion, knowledge and commitment are central to the work we do every day. We are incredibly grateful for our volunteer team, they truly are the lifeblood of Southern Peninsula Community Support.
Our centre and our programs
A look at the people and programs behind Southern Peninsula Community Support.
Annual reports
Our annual reports set out what we delivered each year, who we supported and how we were funded.
Newsletters
Our newsletters share stories from the programs, updates from the centre and news about our supporters.
Policies
You can help make a difference
Every contribution helps us continue providing essential support to people experiencing hardship and crisis across the Southern Peninsula.