St Mary's Support and Accommodation Program - Toowong

St Mary's was opened on September 21 1894 by the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent, at West End.  It was originally called The Church of England Rescue Home.

In 1898, St Mary’s Home moved to Taringa (Toowong) and was overseen by the Sisters until 1907 when lay management took over. 

In 1992, St Mary’s became part of Anglicare Brisbane which is now known as Spiritus (since 2005).

Today, Spiritus' St Mary’s Support and Accommodation Program is a service for single pregnant and parenting women 16 to 25 years with children under four, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

At St Mary’s we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment to young women and children which meets their needs as determined by them, as well as respecting their choices. 

We endeavour to empower women to make their own decisions and provide them with the resources they need to take control of their lives and participate in their community.

Housing support services:

• Residential Onsite Accommodation Program based at Toowong accommodating eight women and their children. 
• Three short to medium term community properties located close to the residential program for families whose support needs may still be high. 
• One long term community property. 
• Six community townhouses utilizing a collaborative community housing approach sharing the properties with two other Spiritus programs, Alina and the Anglican Women’s Hostel, offering medium term housing. 
• Eight community units located on the north side of Brisbane offering medium term housing.

The young women engage in case management support while accommodated in the St Mary’s properties.

Programs

• Parents, Health, Education and Wisdom Program:
  We deliver workshops and information sessions focusing on communication and interaction with your child and to increase young parents’ capacity to care for themselves and their children. 
• Resource Centre:
  The Centre has a large area where workshops, forums, training and meetings can be conducted. The centre is fully equipped with educational and developmental resources for children.

For further information contact our friendly staff on (07) 3377 3111 or stmarys@spiritus.org.au