Volunteering at St Francis House
We can help more people sleeping rough with your help.
St Francis House (Redfern) provides overnight accommodation for people who are otherwise homeless and sleeping rough. Our house sleeps up to seven guests, along with two volunteers who stay for the overnight shift.
Currently, we manage four rosters—Tuesday through to Friday each week—with two shifts available: dinner and overnight stays.
A little insight into the shifts and role of our volunteers
Dinner shift: Two volunteers arrive around 6pm and begin preparing for the evening. Contact is made with Link2Home for the list of booked-in guests, bed linen is distributed, and dinner plans are made. St Francis House opens at 6:30pm, when guests are greeted and made to feel genuinely welcomed and accepted.
Gentle conversations are shared over hot drinks, while sleeping arrangements are finalised and dinner is prepared. A table is set, and everyone sits down together—guests and volunteers alike—to enjoy a home-cooked meal and shared conversation. Volunteers are encouraged to take things slowly. There’s no hurry; it’s about connection and creating a sense of welcome.
Overnight shift: Two overnight volunteers arrive around 8:45pm. It’s not unusual for many guests to still be at the dinner table, enjoying the sense of safety, acceptance, belonging, and generous hospitality. After a handover with the dinner volunteers—who then leave—the focus remains on maintaining a calm and friendly environment as guests wind down and prepare for sleep. Lights are usually turned out around 10pm.
Bedded down in the volunteer room, the overnight volunteers keep an ear out throughout the night, just in case they’re needed to support a guest. Their morning begins around 6:30am with breakfast preparations, followed by waking the guests, stripping beds, and sharing a meal before the day begins. Guests are usually farewelled around 7:30am, although they’re welcome to stay a little longer if the volunteers have that flexibility.
Help us open our doors another night a week
We currently run four rosters, offering shelter on four consecutive nights—Tuesday through to Friday—each week. Our hope is to open a Monday night shelter as soon as we have enough volunteer support to make it possible.
If you're interested in volunteering at St Francis House, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at info@cana.org.au.
Here’s a range of responses from some of our volunteers when asked why they get involved in this unique Cana initiative:
“I volunteer at St Francis House with my dearest friend and companion. I believe when we are together serving others, we are the best version of ourselves and the very best example of what our relationship is about. Putting others first is the reminder to me of what life is for. This is why I continue to support Cana.”
“Because it keeps me grounded and reminds me of what is important in life and how quickly life can change. It’s also humbling what a difference you can make to a person by providing a meal, eating with them, and listening to them. Just treating our guests with respect and providing a roof over their head for one night can sometimes be the difference in them finding the resolve to keep moving forward.”
“Every shift gives me the chance to meet new people with so many stories. It feels good to help others.”
“St Francis House is a place of small miracles. It is where care and compassion meet, and the focus on humanity and relationships occurs. I support the work of Cana because I believe it offers opportunities for people who may not otherwise receive them.”
