Crisis support services

volunteers packing boxes with tinned food

At times of crisis or emergency finding the support you need can be tricky.  Council is here to help put community members in touch with the Council services which are available to them, as well as other community and charitable services in Melbourne's west.

COVID continues to impact our community and Brimbank Council’s COVID Connector Program is still available to help individuals and families get the information they need around vaccinations, treatments and what to do if you have COVID-19 or Long COVID.

Brimbank community members who need that practical assistance can call 9249 4744 or email emergencymanagement@brimbank.vic.gov.au.

Below is a list of emergency relief resources available to Brimbank community members.

This list is subject to change. Availability of services is subject to individual circumstances and assessment by individual service providers.

If your organisation would like to be included on this list, or you know of an organisation that should be included, please email info@brimbank.vic.gov.au.

Food

Ask Izzy 

 

Ask Izzy is an online search service that can link you to various services. As well as food, it can assist with information about housing, health, counselling services and more.

Anglicare Emergency Relief - St Albans

The Martyr Anglican Church, Corner Alexina St & East Esplanade St Albans
1800 809 722
Walk -in service for food parcels available on: 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. 9.30am-12.30pm.

Food Parcels, Medication Scripts, Telstra Vouchers

Primarily available to people living in post codes 3021 or 3023 (St Albans and Deer Park) Will support people in need from other suburbs.

Anglicare Emergency Relief – Sunshine

Holy Apostles Church, 100 Anderson Rd Sunshine
0427 812 517
General Anglicare emergency relief enquiries: 1800 809 722
Monday and Thursdays, 10am-1pm

Walk in Service – No appointment required

Food Vouchers, Food Parcels, Medication, Scripts, Telstra Vouchers, Limited Winter Clothing.

Primarily available to people living in post codes 3020 and 3021 (includes, Sunshine, Brooklyn, Albion, Derrimut, Ardeer) Will people in need from other suburbs.

Anglicare Emergency Relief - Sydenham

St Luke’s Anglican Church Corner Kings Rd & Bellbird Ave, Taylors Lakes
0438 589 630
General Anglicare emergency relief enquiries: 1800 809 722
Wednesdays 10am-1pm

Walk in Service – No appointment required.

Coles and Woolworths vouchers, Medication Scripts, Telstra Vouchers.

Primarily available to people living in post codes 3036, 3037 or 3038 (includes Hillside and Taylors Hill). Will support people in need from other suburbs.

Duke Street Community House Food Relief Program at Central West Shopping Centre

Central West Shopping Centre

Shop D4, 67 Ashley St, Braybrook 3019
03 9311 9973
dukest@dsch.org.au
Wednesday 1pm-2:30pm

Walk in service - no appointment necessary. Available to people who live in the postcodes 3020, 3019 and 3012. $5 donation*

*This is a service provided by Duke Street Community House, 27 Duke St, Sunshine. Other contact details as above.

Helping Hands Mission Inc.

85 Hampshire Rd, Sunshine
1300 892 010 
Monday-Friday 10am-3pm by appointment only. Please phone to book.

$5 donation.

Health Care card required.

Community Pantry – access to non-perishable, fresh, and frozen food, plus toiletries.

New clients can attend weekly, with most being moved to fortnightly after a period of visits (depending on client’s circumstances). 

Clients given pre-packed boxes, rather than choosing groceries, to comply with COVIDSafe plan. Clients will receive 1 x box fresh, 1 x box frozen, and 1 x box non-perishable goods. 

Nappies and other hygiene products can be supplied upon request at appointment, subject to availability. 

The Humble Mission

0408 718 559 - Muhamed Elkadi
thehumblemission@hotmail.com
Mon-Fri ,9am - 6pm

Delivery is preferred however collection can be arranged on an individual basis.

Out of hours assistance can be arranged for urgent cases. Out of hours deliveries can also be arranged.

Supports include for those with NDIS packages.

Halal support services available. Arabic speaking services available on request

People living in the municipalities of Brimbank or Maribyrnong.

Emergency and essential services relief for vulnerable persons and families including the provision of meals and food essentials and parcels, toiletries, essential clothing, essential hygiene products and blankets.

The Humble Mission is a small not-for-profit that organisation started in response to seeing critical need among the most disadvantaged in our community for food and daily living essentials. New meals service run in the CBD every Saturday at 1:30pm, Batman Park 5 Norval Place, Melbourne CBD.

Kororoit Creek Neighbourhood House

61A Selwyn St, Sunshine
0408 797 776 or 0413 434 082
coordinator@kcnh.org.au

Wednesday 10am to 12pm

Free to access community food pantry — take what you need or leave what you can.

• Non-perishable items
• Garden produce
• Toiletries


Pantry open Wednesdays 10am to 12pm, or call to make an alternative time during the office
hours on 0488 283 150.

Office hours:

Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm
Friday 9am to 12pm

Loaves and Fishes

Holy Eucharist Parish
1A Oleander Drive St Albans
03 9366 1310
Fridays 10.30am-2pm

For people in Brimbank. Must have Centrelink or Immigration Card

No appointment required

Fresh fruit vegetables, non-perishable food

Northpoint Centre (Food relief centre)

3 Trade Park Dr, Tullamarine
03 9338 1898
Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm
Friday 9am-1pm
Closed public holidays

For Brimbank residents. Must show a Centrelink/ Immigration Card or other form of ID.

Providing hampers only – no food selection.

St Albans Community Café

3 West Esplanade, St. Albans. Croatian Seventh-day Adventist Church
0460 966 585
Facebook

Every second Saturday (from 28 August 2021) 1.30-3.30pm. 

Household staples, fresh groceries and hot soup for lunch.

Salvation Army

42 Devonshire Rd Sunshine
03 9364 9335 - Leave a message and will contact you.
Wednesday to Friday 10am-3pm

Drop-in food hamper service.

Dry and tinned pet food for people needing support to care for animals.

Some capacity to deliver to clients in the inner west who are unable to self-collect.

Friday 5pm-7pm takeaway cooked meal available.

Sunshine Doorway – The Salvation Army

Call 03 9313 4300 from 9am and press option 2 to make an appointment for food voucher.

Read Sunshine Doorway's Emergency Relief Procedure (PDF 133KB) for more information.

Uniting Emergency Relief - Footscray

310 Barkly St, Footscray
03 9689 3515
Wednesday to Friday 9.30am-3pm

Food parcels for people in Brimbank.

Please call to make an appointment for food parcels.

Tin Shed Neighbourhood House (in partnerships with Uniting and Brimbank City Council)

309A Main Road East St Albans
03 9366 4302
Pick-up on: Tuesdays 10am-12noon

Providing food parcels by appointment only. Call on Monday to make an appointment for Tuesday collection. 25 appointments will be available each Tuesday. Please leave a message with name and number for a call back/appointment to be made.

Food hamper/ parcels available to Brimbank residents

Vantage Point Care

Now on Sundays

Pick up location: Unit 1/16A Keilor Park Drive, Keilor East
Phone: 03 9844 4465; Email: admin@vantagepoint.church
Vantage Point Church - Community

This program is transitioning from a Tuesdays drive-thru pick up service to a Sunday social gathering which includes refreshments and the usual food parcels pick-up; all according to current COVID safety guidelines.

Join between 11.30am - 12.15pm for coffee and refreshments until your parcels are prepared.

No delivery service provided.

Also Operating from multiple locations around Melbourne, East Outer East and North/West. Request contact person for North/West. This service is also available to people in Melton, Maribyrnong, Wyndham Moonee Valley, Hume and Moreland municipalities. 

West Welcome Wagon

Requests for further information should be addressed to info@westwelcomewagon.org.au
Asylum seekers and refugees can be referred to referrals@westwelcomewagon.org.au
Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm
West Welcome Wagon

Eligibility: Asylum seekers or refugees in western municipalities of Melbourne.(Brimbank, Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Hobsons Bay).

Delivery of food parcels, material aid for asylum seekers and refugees

Provision of food essentials and parcels, toiletries, essential clothing, essential hygiene products and blankets. All essentials for the home, including furniture, whitegoods, linen, kitchen utensils, electrical goods etc. Material aid to support students to attend school.

Assistance can be arranged for urgent cases weekend and after hours deliveries can also be arranged.

West Welcome Wagon is a small not-for-profit organisation operating from a warehouse in Brimbank and supporting asylum seekers and refugees throughout Melbourne’s western suburbs. Supporting Asylum Seekers and Refugees, including the provision of meals and food essentials and parcels, toiletries, essential clothing, essential hygiene products and blankets. All essentials for the home, including furniture, whitegoods, linen, kitchen utensils, electrical goods,etc. Our working model is to add people in need to our database and maintain contact with them on all their needs.

Financial

Anglicare

0439 271 411
Anglicare website 
Operating during stage 4 restrictions. Suzanne Keil Emergency Relief Service Co-Ordinator Diocesan & Parish Partnerships. Anglicare currently has capacity to support people in the west with utilities payments and other essential services depending on individual circumstances. Telephone assessment required Call 0408 129 590. Support with some utility payments and other essentials.

Australian Multicultural Community Services (Maidstone)

03 8371 2320
ercm@amcservices.org.au
Provides support and referral to other programs and services that can assist to overcome financial distress – including negotiating with creditors. Service can help with part of overdue utility bills. Service can assist towards part payment of rent arrears.

Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support Services

CommUnity Plus – Provided by Circle Bank Alliance

22 Ballarat Road, Deer Park
03 7379 0103
Tuesday 12noon – 2pm.
Financial Planning and advice on personal financial budgets.

Djerriwarrh Health Services

1300 786 696
Djerriwarrh Health Services provides financial counselling, information and advocacy in the areas of debt control/management. 

Financial Counselling West

1300 786 696
Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand

Telephone financial counselling available 1800 007 007
St Albans: 03 8312 8800 - stalbans@goodshep.org.au
To make a phone appointment find a local provider through No Interest Loans (NILs) or Good Money Stores 

A financial counsellor is a skilled professional who provides advice to help people manage their debts and get their finances back under control. They provide free, confidential and independent advice

National Debt Hotline

1800 007 007
National Debt Hotline
If you are experiencing financial hardship contact the National Debt Helpline to access free financial counselling.

Uniting

32 Withers Street, Sunshine. 
Phone 03 9311 5900 to make an appointment.

Also offered at the Tin Shed Neighbourhood House, 309a Main Rd, St Albans.
No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS). NILS service available by phone assessment only. Call Wesley Footscray on 03 9689 3515 to schedule a phone assessment.

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service

1800 064 865
vals@vals.org.au
9am-5pm. 

Free advice and assistance for Aboriginal community dealing with electricity, water, telephone and credit card debt.

West Justice

Visy Cars Hub, 80B Harvester Road, Sunshine
03 9091 8237
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 9.30am-1pm and 2-4.30pm.
Drop in service 9.30am-4.30pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday for people up to 25 years old ONLY.

Level 1/72 Buckley Street, Footscray
03 9749 7720
Monday to Friday 9.30am-1pm and 2pm- 5pm.
Financial counselling, variety of legal assistance.

Health and mental health

Cohealth

cohealth
03 9448 5521
Cohealth in Sunshine has introduced video and telephone appointments to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission and protect the health of their clients and the broader community.

IPC Health

IPC Health website
Deer Park: 03 9219 7142
St Albans: 03 9296 1200

All IPC Health services are available over the phone or via a video call. The Deer Park and St Albans campuses are still open for physical appointments if necessary but the Sunshine campus is closed temporarily. If you need face to face treatment this will be at one of their other campuses. Emergency dental available from Hoppers Crossing and St Albans. Needle and Syringe program available from Altona Meadows and St Albans.

Local GP

Contact your local doctor to make an appointment. It is safe to visit your doctor/general practitioner to discuss your mental health and options for ongoing support.

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue

1300 22 4636
Beyond Blue has fact sheets about anxiety and offers other practical advice and resources, also available in languages other than English.

Black Dog Institute

Black Dog Institute

Mental health advice.

GriefLine

GriefLine

1300 845 745
Grief, loss and trauma support.

Head to Health

Head to Health

1800 595 212

Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm.

This is not a crisis service. A trained professional will take your call, give you advice, and if you need it, connect you to a free HeadtoHelp hub or help you find the support that suits your needs.

Get the facts about the COVID-19 outbreak, tips for maintaining good mental health, information on how to access mental health services, information for parents, and how to keep older Australians safe and connected by helping them get established online.

Headspace Sunshine

Headspace Sunshine

03 9927 6222
info-headspacesunshine@orygen.org.au
Provides tailored and holistic mental health support to 12 - 25 year olds.

Kids Helpline

1800 551 800
Children and young people can access this free, confidential support line 24/7.

Lifeline

Lifeline

13 11 14
Non-profit organisation that provides free, 24-hour telephone crisis and suicide prevention support service.

Mensline Australia

Mensline Australia

1300 78 99 78
Counselling service for men with emotional health and relationship concerns.

Parentline Victoria

132 289
8am-12am, 7 days. 

Telephone service for parents and carers of children from birth to 18 years old. Counselling and support on parenting issues.

Psychiatric Triage

1300 363 746
Information, assessment and referral provided for a mental health crisis.

Suicide Call Back Service

Suicide Call Back Service

1300 659 467
24/7 suicide prevention support.

Suicide Line Victoria

1300 651 251
A free 24/7 telephone counselling service for people at risk of suicide.

Legal

Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre (BMCLC) 

Appointments and checks on eligibility can be arranged by calling 03 8592 9077, or emailing legal@comm-unityplus.org.au.
Provides free legal services for people who live, work or study in the Brimbank, Melton and Bacchus Marsh communities.
Legal support in the areas of 

  • Family violence and intervention orders
  • Fines and infringements
  • Car accidents if you do not have insurance and are being chased for money
  • Minor criminal matters
  • Some family law (not property)

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)

1800 064 865
vals@vals.org.au
VALS offers free legal advice and assistance for the Aboriginal community.

West Justice

Visy Cars Hub
80B, Harvester Road, Sunshine
03 9091 8237
West Justice
Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 9.30am-1pm and 2-4.30pm.
Provides free legal help to people in the western suburbs of Melbourne. They can assist with a range of everyday legal issues including tenancy.

Material Aid

St Vincent de Paul

Vinnies Welfare Assistance Line 1800 305 330
Monday-Friday 10am-3pm
Vinnies Welfare Assistance Line is assisting people with access to food, clothing etc. based on individual needs.

Helping Hands Mission

1300 892 010
Helping Hands Mission 
Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm. Service closed pending downward trend in COVID infections. Check the Helping Hands Mission Facebook page for updates.
Material and emergency aid e.g. whitegoods, clothes.

Other

Greater Western Water

Payment extension: If possible, contact before bill is due.
EasyPay Payment plan: make fortnightly or monthly payments towards account over 12 months. To set this up SMS 0480 015 200, start a web chat Greater Western Water or Contact Greater Western Water 
Other support:Contact our Customer Solutions Team by calling 13 44 99

Gas and electricity

Households facing economic hardship because of the coronavirus are protected from having their gas or electricity disconnected. Under the changes, which started in 2019, energy retailers must provide assistance to any household that contacts them because they are having trouble paying their bills.
The assistance could include a payment plan, putting account payments on hold while customers work towards paying for their usage, or extending bill due dates.
Anyone receiving such assistance can’t be disconnected while they are participating in the hardship plan. Read the 'Know your rights and keep your lights on' media release

Australian Multicultural Services

03 9689 9170
Mondays only 9am- 5pm.

Providing food, petrol vouchers and assistance with bills to anyone living in the western region of Melbourne.

Centrelink

Crisis payments phone line 132 850
Lots of online resources, especially for existing Centrelink customers.
Centrelink - Help in an emergency
Centrelink- Crisis payment

CIS Vic

CIS Vic
03 9672 2099

CIS Vic Community Information and Support Victoria peak body representing local community information and support services. Directory of CISVic member agencies across Victoria that may help.

Vinnies Welfare Assistance Line

1800 305 330
Vinnies 
Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm

Wesley Footscray Outreach

310 Barkly Street, Footscray
03 9689 3515
Wednesday-Friday, 9.30am-4pm.
Showers, laundry, morning tea and lunch program.
Dry cleaned jackets, blankets available. Shower and laundry facilities. Morning tea and lunch programs.
People living outside of Maribyrnong LGA may be provided with a one off food voucher in an emergency situation.

Last updated: 7 November 2024 - 2:36pm