Meet Our Staff
Our Mission
Western Port Community Support is a not for profit community organisation supporting marginalised and disadvantaged residents of Hastings & surrounding suburbs.
WPCS provides comprehensive emergency relief, material aid & personal support to people experiencing crisis resulting from disadvantage, poverty, unemployment, low income, illness, poor mental health, misfortune or disability.
Ongoing programs include Housing & Homelessness Support Program, Family Support Program, Education Assistance Program, Fresh Food Program, Financial Counselling, Tax Help Program, NILS & Christmas Giving Program.
Our Supporters
Western Port Community Support is fortunate to be supported by many integral funding bodies / foundations.
- Mornington Peninsula Shire
- Federal Government
- RE Ross Trust
- MP Foundation
- Streetsmart
- Oz Harvest
- Secondbite
- BlueScope Steel
- Sentinel Foundation
- Flinders Art Show
- Flinders Lions Club
- Esso BHP Billiton
- Toni Kaye Foundation
- Bendigo Bank Balnarring
- Magistrates Court Victoria
- Crib Point Uniting Church
- Holy Trinity Anglican Church
- St Marks Anglican Church
Our History
Western Port Community Support was born out of the efforts of a group of local residents in August 1978. It began with a Public Meeting and from this action the Hastings Social Welfare and Advisory Committee was formed. The sole purpose was to establish a Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), a place where people could go to get information and support on a wide range of issues. The CAB opened its doors to the community on April 1st 1979 at the Hastings Infant Welfare Centre with a total of 12 volunteers. It wasn’t long before Hastings Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) moved to a larger premises in King Street, Hastings, attracting partnerships with workers from the Family Planning Clinic, Welfare Agency, Home Help and Meals on Wheels. This practice of co-locating several services under the one roof is very much a part of our role as a leading service provider and still continues today. In 1986 Hastings CAB, along with a Council Youth Worker, moved to a house at 15 Marine Parade but on October 4th the building burned down losing everything in the fire. Consequently, on January 13th 1987, the CAB moved back to the King St premises and co-located with the C.E.S, Department of Social Security, Mornington Peninsula Community Health Services and the Family Planning Clinic. By 1994 the agency was experiencing an enormous increase in people requesting emergency relief so the Committee approached Council for funding to employ a part time Co-ordinator. At this time the CAB took over the role of distributing Emergency Relief which had previously been handled by the Council. The CAB immediately witnessed an increase in the number of people presenting to the Centre for assistance. In 1996 the agency decided to change its name from the Hastings Citizen’s Advice Bureau to the Hastings Community Information and Support Centre to better reflect the work of the agency. In September 2009 the agency moved from its long standing home in King Street to its present location at 185 High Street changing our name to Western Port Community Support. Today we have approximately 40 volunteers and still remain the first point of contact for people requiring information and support in the Western Port area.