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ABOUT US

Coast Shelter is a leading not-for-profit organisation providing specialist homelessness services and support programs on the NSW Central Coast.

ABOUT cont..

We are a registered Community Housing Provider operating crisis accommodation refuges across the region for people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or experiencing domestic and family violence.

We continue to progress our mission to end homelessness and domestic and family violence on the NSW Central Coast by providing people with a safe place to call home, food and clothing, and access to personal support services.

serving the central coast for over 30 years

From humble beginnings, Coast Shelter has grown into an organisation tackling the issues of homelessness, family and domestic violence, and poverty across the NSW Central Coast. Over the last 30 years, we have grown from one refuge in Gosford into a community housing provider with ten specialist homelessness services.

tackling homelessness, domestic and family violence

Today, we deliver a number of services designed to tackle the issues of homelessness, domestic and family violence and poverty. Each year we provide crises accommodation through our Specialist Homelessness Services and outreach properties to males, females, children and youth across the Central Coast. Our Community Centre continues to help the most vulnerable people in our Community by providing free meals and access to financial, medical and personal support services.

committed to helping people when needed most

Coast Shelter is committed to helping people when they need help the most and we thank our generous corporate partners, donors, funding bodies, staff and volunteers for their ongoing support and commitment to ending homelessness on the NSW Central Coast.

VISION

Our vision is to end homelessness and domestic and family violence on the NSW Central Coast.

MISSION

Our mission is to deliver locally designed, innovative solutions to homelessness, domestic and family violence, and poverty to achieve immediate and lasting change.

VALUES

Four core values drive our work. Trust, Respect, Innovation and Connection.

TRUST

We are honest, collaborative, responsive, and accountable in everything we do. We believe everyone has the right to a safe, healthier future.

RESPECT

We listen, and we are accepting of others’ differences, cultures, and personal needs.

INNOVATION

We are creative, adaptive, and explore new ideas to solve challenges

CONNECTION

We develop, value and maintain strong connections with the people we support, our colleagues, and the communities we work in.

TEAM

Coast Shelter employs staff across the Central Coast. We have a diverse, skills-based Board and Executive team with expertise across government, community and commercial sectors.

board of directors

Our Board members are responsible for the overall business, management and direction of Coast Shelter. The Board are committed to best practice in governance and accountability.

Kian Safaei

B Pod, LLB, Grad. Dip Practice of Laws and Migration Agent Grad. Cert.

Kian has been a volunteer at the Coast Shelter Community Centre for the last 14 years, a Director of Coast Shelter since 2015 and is the current President. Kian migrated to Australia in 1993 and has been in private practice as a podiatrist. In 2003, she became a registered migration agent and was admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court in 2004.

Kian has worked since 2003 as a migration agent in her own consultancy firm and was with Drake and Associates as an employed solicitor from 2013 to 2017.

Kian has held multiple roles during her career, including Chair of Professional Conduct and Ethics Committee of Podiatry Association NSW and ACT (A Pod A), Board Director of A Pod A and it’s Vice President since 2017, Community Relations Commission Community Advisor, NSW Police Cultural Advisor, circuit presenter on cultural and religious issues since 2001, Policy Director of Women Lawyers and their liaising officer to Young Lawyers NSW, to name a few.

Margaret Portass

Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant/Justice of the Peace, Certificate IV in Business, Certificate IV in Celebrancy; Certificate IV in Community Services (Information Referral & Advice); Advanced Secretarial Diploma.

Margaret has been a Director of Coast Shelter since March 2008 and President from November 2018 to November 2021. Margaret is currently Coast Shelters Deputy President. Margaret's career has encompassed executive secretarial, hospitality, financial management, welfare, aged care, and community services from 2003 to 2017.

She has managed various programs through the Federal Department of Human Services, including: Participation Support Officer – Young Parents Program Wyong LGA; Program Support Manager - Community Program Hunter & Central Coast; Program Support Manager – Rural & Remote Program North NSW Zone; and as Service Centre Manager & Team Leader across many Central Coast and mid-North Coast sites.

These days, Margaret is an accomplished marriage celebrant and President of Coast Shelter. Margaret prides herself on and encompasses her passion to live her life through honesty, integrity, being empathic and caring for others.

Claire Braund

Claire is a social entrepreneur and businesswoman based on the NSW Central Coast. She co-founded Women on Boards in Australia in 2006 and in the UK in 2012, following a career in journalism and public relations. She is an experienced Non-Executive Director on small businesses and large not-for-profit organisations and has significant expertise on Board governance in many other sectors.

Claire currently serves on the boards of the global and Australian Women on Boards entities and on the Board of the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music, where she chairs the building and premises committees.

A highly respected facilitator and speaker on a range of topics in the area of Board governance, equity and diversity, Claire is an informed and entertaining MC and presenter and well known for her courage, conviction, compassion and confidence. She is someone who looks for new ideas and opportunities in all she does.

In 2011, Claire became a Churchill Fellow for her research into gender balance on boards in Norway, France and the UK. She is also a graduate of the Benevolent Society’s Sydney Social Leadership Program, which has led to a lifelong interest in affordable housing and related social issues, particularly those impacting women and children.

Alex Maitland

Alex is an executive with over 20 years’ experience practising in corporate governance advisory and is currently contributing with the boards of several charities. His past experience includes serving as the Group Secretary of The University of Sydney and senior executive roles in large infrastructure corporations, including operations, strategy, capital works, audit, probity and regulatory roles.

He is a Fellow with the AICD, Fellow of the GIA and Fellow with the Chartered Governance Institute. Alex has worked across regional and rural NSW and has a strong commitment and experience serving boards of charities in health, aged care, youth employment, disability, homelessness, housing and social support.

Jennifer Eddy

Jennifer has served on a number of Central Coast business, community, economic development and not for profit boards and is a board member of the Central Coast Local Health District and sub-committee Chair. Jennifer has many years’ experience in residential aged care and community care and has worked with the industry, government and the community to promote and enhance the quality of aged care to the frail aged and disadvantaged. 

Jennifer served as CEO of BlueWave Living in Woy Woy for 28 years and for 7 years was a board member and Chair of Community Care Services-Central Coast.

Prior to joining the Coast Shelter board Jennifer serves for 4 months as Interim CEO of Coast Shelter  and developed a keen interest in supporting the organisations mission to end homelessness on the Central Coast.

Rob Kitchen

Rob is an internationally experienced Project Director with over 24 years’ experience working as a Development Manager, Client-side Project Manager and as a qualified chartered civil engineer. Rob has a successful track record managing, planning and delivering complex projects across a broad range of sectors. This includes design and construction delivery for high-quality medium, large scale and mega developments with the ability to add financial and design value in the areas of commercial and sustainable master-planning, recently in government infrastructure.

He has a strong financial acumen implementing changes that have resulted in increased profitability of projects as well as working extensively with community housing providers and the Land and Housing Corporation.

Rob’s involvement with the community at Gosford started with his role at the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation and continued with roles on the board of the Gosford Chamber of Commerce and more recently at the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music.

Rob is also a Surf lifesaver on Terrigal Beach and enjoys spending time in and around the water.

Howard Bell

Howard is a lawyer and public notary. He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Sydney and is an accredited specialist in government and administrative law. He is currently employed as a principal lawyer with the NSW Department of Customer Service. He is also an experienced teacher having taught extensively at TAFE NSW. He is an adjunct senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University’s Centre for Law and Justice.

Howard is also a volunteer teacher of human rights, social justice and environmental law at Workers Education Association-Sydney (WEA-Sydney). He has also served on the Council and Board of WEA-Sydney. 

Howard is a currently serving member of the Australian Army Reserve where he holds the rank of Major. He has served as a peacekeeper in East Timor. 

Howard is a keen advocate for improved policy and legal solutions for homelessness. He has previously served on the Boards of Shelter NSW, Cana Communities and Amnesty International (NSW Branch). He has volunteered with the Society of St Vincent de Paul and currently serves on the Policy Advisory Council of Homelessness NSW.       

In 2011 he received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to the community through social justice and legal organisations.

executive team

"Coast Shelter is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our community when they need our help most."– Michael Starr, CEO. The Executive team is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Coast Shelter.

Michael Starr – CEO

Michael has held leadership roles in the not-for-profit and philanthropic sectors for over ten years, with a particular focus on early intervention services for young people, social enterprises, employment, training and family accommodation services.

Michael and the Executive team are responsible for the day-to-day management of all Coast Shelter operations and ensuring our work reflects Coast Shelter’s values of trust, respect, innovation and connection. Michael is passionate about the continual improvement of personalised services with impact to the most vulnerable people in our Central Coast community to help break the cycle of poverty and homelessness to enable people to live independent, healthy lives.

Mark Trevaskis – Operations Manager Client Services

Mark is a qualified Social Worker and has worked in the community sector for more than 25 years. Having held senior management roles over the past ten years, he holds significant experience and knowledge in child protection, disability, housing and out-of-home care.

As Operations Manager, Mark’s core responsibilities include leading the client services team as well as supporting the CEO and other key members of the Executive team to deliver positive outcomes for our community.

Jason Brown – People & Culture Manager

Jason is driven by a passion to make a difference in the community he grew up in and is drawn to Coast Shelter to develop a culture that drives social change and positive outcomes for the vulnerable members of the Central Coast community.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Business and is a lifelong human resources practitioner, with over ten years’ experience working within the government and not-for-profit sector. Jason holds a deep passion for building organisational capability within a culture of performance and accountability, underpinned by Coast Shelter’s core values.

Jason has worked across and been responsible for all aspects of human resource functions including organisational development, talent acquisition, industrial relations and safety.

Jason Haynes – Finance Manager

Bachelor of Commerce, Member of Chartered Accountants ANZ

Jason is the Finance Manager and Corporate Secretary for Coast Shelter, where he continues to help the organisation grow as a leading specialist homelessness service on the Central Coast. 

Jason is responsible for the financial and taxation systems, accounting technology, debtor and creditor systems, financial acquittals and reporting financial strategy and budgeting to the Board of Directors for Coast Shelter.

Jason commenced his accounting career within the public sector as a graduate in 2011 before moving to Coast Shelter in early 2019. As a Central Coast local, Jason is a passionate supporter of the vison and mission of Coast Shelter and, combined with his financial and accounting experience, he devotes all his energy to drive growth and develop new opportunities.

On a personal level, Jason can be caught spending time on the slopes of Perisher and enjoying an active social life with family and friends.

Krissy Stapleton – Marketing and Communications Manager

Krissy’s background is in youth and social work as well as project coordination. Krissy has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over ten years, focusing on vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and communities.

Krissy is currently working as the Marketing and Communications Manager at Coast Shelter, where she is responsible for the planning, development and implementation of Coast Shelter’s marketing strategies, public relations and stakeholder communications. Krissy also covers Coast Shelter fundraising and connecting with the wider community.

CoastShelter Web About AnnualReport Mockups

ANNUAL REPORTS

Download our most recent annual reports to find out where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re headed.

2022 Annual Report
2021 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report
2018/2019 Annual Report

Reconciliation Action Plan

Coast Shelter is committed to strengthening our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the sovereign peoples of this land, and that sovereignty was never ceded. We recognise the structural and historic factors that continue impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia and we have a role in contributing to and promoting the reconciliation movement.

By developing this Reconciliation Action plan, we will improve our services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the community more broadly. We aim to cultivate respect and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, histories, cultures and knowledge.

We do this by building key partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations and businesses, participation in reconciliation events across the Central Coast, and strengthening the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within Coast Shelter.

Download our Reconciliation Action Plan here.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Download our most recent strategic plan to see what we have planned for our people, services and partnerships over the next three years.

Download our current Strategic Plan here.

GET IN TOUCH

To find out more about Coast Shelter, click the button and get in touch.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY

Coast Shelter acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the first people, traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

Contact Details

ADDRESS

346 Mann Street, North Gosford NSW 2250

PHONE

(02) 4325 3540

EMAIL

admin@coastshelter.org.au

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Useful Links

  • DCJ Housing
  • Compass Housing
  • Pacific Link Community Housing
  • Link2home
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  • DVNSW
  • Homelessness NSW
  • Lifeline
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  • Bungree
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