Sue Stewart has been volunteering for The Footpath Library since it first began and is still as committed as ever. She shares how she first became involved and the important social impact having a chat about books over a cuppa can have. How did you first start volunteering for The Footpath Library? I volunteered with…
Tim Quinn and his company Kindleman have been generously providing pro-bono web development support to The Footpath Library since 2010. Tim spent a bit of time explaining why Kindleman feels a strong connection to the work of The Footpath Library and how music played on an old Nokia phone can be truly beautiful. Why did…
Henry Lawson is widely recognised as Australia’s poet of the people. He led a life fraught with difficulties. He spent time in jail and experienced long periods of homelessness. Despite this, Lawson is reported to have found time for those less fortunate than himself. One of his famous poems which illustrates his incredible observation skills…
It is a very common picture to see someone who is living on streets to accompanied by a four legged friend or sometimes even several animals. For some people when they see a person sleeping rough with a pet they can’t help but think “why do they have a pet when they are struggling to…
Just nine years ago Barry was working as a commercial airline pilot and now he is sleeping rough in a railway tunnel. Life is tough for Barry his highlight of the week is visiting The Footpath Library every Tuesday. He needs more than just food for his belly – he craves food for his mind.
Brisbane based author Nick Earls joined The Footpath Library as an Ambassador back in 2013. A versatile writer, Nick established his credentials as a children’s writer with the successful trilogy The Word Hunters. He has written for magazines and newspapers, and his adult fiction has been turned into plays and film (well, one so far—but…
Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter and greetings from Sri Lanka where I have been based for the last few months. While I have been away I have managed to enjoy some great books and in this video I share some of my recent favourites with you.
On March 6 we officially launched our Perth branch. We have been overwhelmed by the support of the Perth people and our new Branch Manager, Zora Harvie, pulled an enthusiast team of volunteers together in record time. “We’ve had supporters asking us for several years when we’re coming to Perth! We knew there was a…
We were absolutely thrilled to unveil the brand new library van for our Sydney CBD last night. Many thanks to Bill Buckle VW, Mark Mahony, StreetSmart, Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts and The Anglican Parish of St. Alban’s for enabling us to make this purchase. “We are so excited and grateful to the wonderful donors…
For many Australians education is something taken for granted but for people who experience disadvantage and social isolation attending university can seem like something from a fantasy novel. The good news is that through initiatives such as the Australian Catholic University’s Clemente Australia program that fantasy is becoming a reality. The Australian Catholic University (ACU)…
March 6 saw the official opening of The Footpath Library’s Perth branch. Whilst that means we have been busy recruiting volunteers to make our library services a reality, we have also been recruiting two new ambassadors for Western Australia. What an absolute pleasure it is to welcome David Whish-Wilson and Ken Spillman to our team…
There’s a fine line between having it all and having nothing. Founder Sarah Garnett and her partner, cinematographer Shane McLachlan, have produced a documentary about a man called Hank, who they met when he came to The Footpath Library’s original mobile site in Woolloomoolloo eight years ago. The aim of this personal tale is to…
International Book Giving Day is a volunteer initiative aimed at increasing children’s access to and enthusiasm for books. It is a sad fact of life that most children in developing countries do not own books and even in the wealthy countries such as the US, the UK and Australia, more than one third of children…
The Footpath Library simply couldn’t exist without the many volunteers who generously donate their time. It is thanks to their tireless dedication that we can offer our services to the homeless community. In this edition, we introduce you to our Melbourne Branch Manager Shayne Francis who explains why she has been volunteering at The Footpath…
Children are emerging as the new face of homelessness in Australia. Children in homeless families are now the largest single group who seek support from the homeless service system. In 2009-10, the homeless service system supported more than 84,000 children plus an additional 23,000 young people aged 18 or under who approached a service without…