Byron Shire is the second-worst homelessness hotspot in all of NSW. Together, Byron and Tweed account for 27% of the state's rough sleepers — despite being a tiny fraction of its population. And every day, 59 people are turned away from homelessness services in NSW simply because there isn't enough capacity to help them.

Behind those numbers are people who've lost housing through rising rents, flood recovery hardship, domestic violence, or simply the brutal mismatch between wages and what it now costs to live here. More people with jobs are becoming homeless. Older Australians are the fastest-growing group. Women and children escaping violence remain among the most at risk.

Winter Warmer exists to change that — one meal, one warm night, one turning point at a time.

Each winter, Dharma Care's Winter Warmer campaign mobilises our community to do something about it.

Your donation is split equally between four local charities doing this work every day:

• Fletcher Street Cottage 

• Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre 

• Fred's Place / Vinnies 

• The Shift Project 

Since 2023, this campaign has raised over $170,000 and helped more than 8,000 people across these two shires.
The four charities Winter Warmer supports receive little or no government funding. They rely entirely on community generosity to keep their doors open — and the demand keeps rising.

Fred's Place in Tweed Heads now sees up to 130 people a day.  Fletcher Street Cottage in Byron recently recorded 100 visits in a single day, well above their average.

These aren't abstract numbers. They are people in our community, right now, with nowhere else to turn.

Help us make a difference and be the support many people in our community critically need right now.

Feedback from people helped, showed they felt supported, valued, safer, and less alone.
The support provided not only meets urgent needs - it restores hope, dignity, and belief in a better future.