Labor is making sure vulnerable Melburnians can keep accessing food, shelter and support when they need it most.
Premier Ben Carroll and Minister for Carers and Volunteers Luba Grigorovitch have today announced $500,000 to help the Salvation Army continue delivering its Night Café service in the Melbourne CBD.
The Night Café provides hot meals and food relief for around 200 people every night, alongside outreach, housing and homelessness advice, showers and lockers for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The Salvation Army has run services from this site since 1895.
The Night Café operates nightly from 11.00pm to 7.00am and has been a lifeline for the local community since it began operating in December 2022.
The Carroll Labor Government has invested $54.2 million in homelessness funding this year to deliver client support, transitional housing tenancy management, the Homelessness Statewide After-hours Service and crisis accommodation at Flagstaff and The Open Door.
The Labor Government has also backed the Red Shield Appeal with $150,000 in 2026.
As stated by Premier Ben Carroll
"No Victorian should go hungry or without a safe place to turn to overnight."
"We're backing the Salvos to keep this vital service running, because it makes a real difference to people doing it tough."
As stated by Minister for Carers and Volunteers Luba Grigorovitch
"The Salvation Army and their dedicated staff and volunteers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable Victorians, night after night."
As stated by Minister for Homelessness Nick Staikos
"This is what a responsible government does - when a vital service is at risk, we step up."
"The Night Café keeps people safe, fed and connected to the support they need."
