By Garry Sanossian
Last October, the ballroom at Club Central Hurstville was filled with supporters, volunteers and community leaders for the annual Kingsway Community Care Gala Dinner.
But this was not just another annual fundraising dinner.
The night marked ten years of Platform Nine, Kingsway Community Care’s temporary and crisis accommodation service, a ministry born from compassion and sustained by faith.
“Platform Nine began with one rough sleeper, a pastor and a publican,” Brook recalled. “Out of that encounter came an act of compassion. The publican later offered us a motel for $1 a year, and that’s where it all started.”
Brook Stewart has served as General Manager of Kingsway Community Care since 2017, while also pastoring SeeChange Community Church since 2006 (Brook is concluding his pastoral role with SeeChange soon, but will continue to lead Kingsway Community Care).
Over a decade, Platform Nine became a lifeline for more than 2,200 people experiencing homelessness across the Sutherland Shire and St George region, offering not only a bed for the night but safety, dignity and hope for the future.
Brook Stewart, General Manager at Platform Nine speaking at the gala dinner.
Brook Stewart, General Manager at Platform Nine speaking at the gala dinner.
The name itself carries biblical significance, drawn from Matthew chapter 9, where Jesus looked at the crowds and had compassion on them. “Ten years later, that same compassion still drives everything we do,” Brook said.
What started with a few motel rooms has evolved into a comprehensive support network. Today, Platform Nine operates five properties, providing emergency accommodation alongside wraparound services, including casework and weekly workshops on financial planning, self-care, job readiness, personal development, and pathways to permanent housing.
In 2024-25, Platform Nine supported 287 people, including women, men, and children. Over 2,000 casework sessions were delivered. Since 2021, in partnership with the Big Sister Foundation, the organisation has provided weekly workshops to more than 512 individuals.
“People often arrive at Platform Nine in crisis, many because of family and domestic violence or financial hardship,” Brook explained. “Homelessness shows no partiality; right now, we are supporting both an 80-year-old and an 18-year-old person. It affects men, women, and children alike.”
Attendees at the gala dinner.
The diversity of those seeking help reflects Australia’s escalating housing crisis. Rising rents, cost-of-living pressures and limited social housing availability have created a perfect storm, pushing people from all walks of life into homelessness.
“The need has grown dramatically,” Brook noted. “Rising rents, the cost of living, and limited social housing mean more people are coming to us than ever before and with more complex needs. All our beds across every site are full most nights, and we often need more beds than we can provide.”
Despite the overwhelming demand, Platform Nine has maintained its commitment to dignified and comprehensive care. Through casework, programs, and practical support, lives have begun to turn around.
“Most guests move into safe, stable homes and rediscover hope again,” Brook said. “We’ve seen people find work, reunite with family, and find stable housing. Spiritually, we see guests being prayed for, with many connecting or reconnecting with their faith.”
Attendees at the gala dinner.
For Brook, the work of Platform Nine is inseparable from his Christian faith. “Our faith is the reason we do what we do,” he said.
“Jesus showed compassion to those on the margins, and we try to do the same. Every meal served, every bed offered, every story listened to – it’s an expression of God’s love made practical.”
This year, 31 volunteers actively served across Kingsway Community Care’s programs, contributing 144 hours of service through initiatives including Platform Nine, the SeeChange Op Shop, and Tamarisk Kitchen, a new food relief program that prepared over 550 emergency meals in its first year.
The organisation has also achieved significant milestones in governance and quality assurance, obtaining 100% accreditation from the Australian Service Excellence Standards (ASES) in 2024 and achieving Child Safe Organisation status.
Platform Nine’s mission is guided by Isaiah 58:7: “Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them.” (NLT)
Gala dinner attendees sharing their Messages of Hope to the guests at Platform Nine.
“This is the kind of compassion we’ve seen at work every day at Platform Nine for the past decade,” Brook reflected.
Just as Jesus showed care to the crowds, today the body of Christ continues that work. The church community has been integral to Platform Nine’s success. “The church has always been the heart of this work,” he said.
“Our church and churches provide clothes, food, furniture, volunteers, prayer, meals, and so much support. It’s the church being the hands and feet of Jesus, faith made visible in action. The church has been awesome. God’s people really stand tall given the right opportunity.”
Attendees at the gala dinner.
Yet the support network extends far beyond church walls. Over the years, Platform Nine has cultivated partnerships with local councils, businesses, community organisations and hundreds of individual supporters.
“There are so many people who help through volunteering, donating goods, services or finances, and advocating for change,” Brook said.
Even with this expanding village of support, the scale of the housing crisis continues to outpace available resources. “Our biggest challenge is finding enough affordable housing and sustainable funding to meet the growing need,” he reflected.
Messages of Hope written by attendees to guests at Platform Nine.
As Kingsway Community Care looks to the future, the organisation is exploring new initiatives, including a Host Family Program, a volunteer Buddy Program and potential crisis accommodation for men re-entering the community.
“We’re doing some research into exploring new ways to provide safety and stability,” Brook said, highlighting the organisation’s commitment to innovation in addressing homelessness.
The annual Gala Dinner, supported by longstanding partners Club Central Hurstville and Georges River Council, raised vital funds to continue this expanding work.
After ten years, Platform Nine stands as a testament to the way compassion and love in action can change people’s lives.
