Australia Post is to make Post Office boxes available to homeless and other disadvantaged people in Sydney free of charge following a successful trial.
The service, across eight city Post Offices, is available to eligible people via a letter of introduction from a recognised agency, like the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Executive General Manager, Community and Consumer at Australia Post, Nicole Sheffield (pictured) said the gesture was made as part of Australia Post’s continuing efforts to help disadvantaged members of the community.
Ms Sheffield said the offer gave people without a fixed address the chance to reconnect with society.
“The service helps people in special circumstances to re-establish vital connections with family and friends, Government and financial services, and accommodation,” Ms Sheffield said.
“It offers a safe and secure place to have mail sent to without fear of it being lost, stolen or withheld. It’s so important that everyone in our community has the opportunity to feel connected.”
Senior Operations Manager at the St Vincent de Paul Society, Brett Macklin said the initiative offered people the dignity of a fixed postal address and the opportunity to gain more control over their lives.
“This is a really important step, and provides people experiencing homelessness peace-of-mind knowing all their important mail items, including social service and medical documents, will continue to be delivered to a safe and secure place,” Mr Macklin said.
He said eligible people could apply in the post office and those with access to email could also opt into Australia Post’s Mail2Day service, which will notify them when mail is delivered to their PO Box.
