The St Vincent de Paul Society marked the start of works on its $15 million Canning Vale home last week.
The charity is moving from its Osborne Park depot to Canning Vale to meet the growing demand for services.
The new building will house a depot, the society’s emergency relief call centre, specialist youth and financial counselling services, as well as the corporate support functions.
A new Vinnies shop will also share the premises.
Chief executive Mark Fitzpatrick said with demand for Vinnies services continuing to increase it recognised a need to undergo some major changes.
“Over the past five years Vinnies has contributed $81.5 million to help people in the community who are doing it tough and over that period there has been a 17 per cent increase,” he said.
“Alarmingly, we expect that demand for our services will increase by an incredible 50 per cent in the next decade.
“Last year we delivered 32,000 household items through our Osborne Park depot, which also supports all of our metropolitan stores and many of our stores across the state.
The society received a $5.7 million grant from Lotterywest towards the project.
Community Services Minister Tony Simpson turned the first sod and said the facility would see the organisation’s head office, distribution centre and warehouse all in one location.
“A central facility provides the society with an opportunity to build upon and promote its profile and increase its service capacity to help some of WA’s most vulnerable people,” he said.
“It will provide a conducive work environment for more than 60 staff and 180 volunteers and a base for the delivery of vital services including the emergency relief call centre, specialist youth and financial counselling services and corporate support functions.
Since 1989, the society has received 77 Lotterywest grants worth $16.6 million.
