Mary Mac’s Place. A Lifeline. A Family. A Home.

May 20, 2026

It was December 2019 when Keira, pregnant and reeling from the devastation of the South Coast bushfires, lost everything. With nowhere to go, she and her little family made their way to the Central Coast. “We were advised that Mary Mac’s Place in Woy Woy offered a place where we could wash our clothes, so we came for a visit,” Keira says. “Mary Mac’s Place has changed our life in every way possible.”

Every morning, Keira and her young family arrive at the gates of Mary Mac’s Place. “We never leave with at least two bags full of food,” Keira says. “We receive fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, snacks for school lunches, and even essentials like shoes and toiletries. It’s also a place to shower, access other services, even to get a haircut, and feel human again.” For Keira, it’s not just about survival, it’s about belonging. “That sense of routine and belonging keeps us going. Mary Mac’s is our home and our family.”

One moment stands out vividly in Keira’s memory. After her partner returned to custody and COVID hit their household, she had no one. “Sally (who runs Mary Mac’s Place) met us at the gate with a trolley full of food. She would have hugged me if she could. My children still remember it. We had food to last us days, so we didn’t need to leave the house.” In a time of complete isolation, Mary Mac’s was there. “I didn’t have anybody. But I had Mary Mac’s.”

That kind of care, Keira says, has been consistent. “Sally is absolutely amazing. My children adore her – they call her the secret ice cream lady!”

In February 2024, Keira and her young family faced homelessness once again after receiving a termination notice with no explanation. “We were homeless for the next 12 months, and Mary Mac’s saved us in ways that are indescribable,” she says. Each day became a mission for survival. “Our Mary Mac’s visit was our daily adventure.” By Christmas, nearly a year without stable housing had taken its toll. Keira was collecting bottles every day through the Return and Earn scheme just to afford another night in a motel. “I didn’t wrap Christmas presents because I didn’t know if I’d make it,” she says. “I was empty, deflated, and ready to give up.” But on 31st December, everything changed. CatholicCare secured crisis accommodation for her family. “My kids still have a mum, and I’m so grateful. I literally owe my life to CatholicCare.”

Keira is passionate about sharing the impact of Mary Mac’s Place with others in the community. Whenever she meets someone doing it tough, she tells them, “Come with me.” One young mum with four boys, who was also homeless at the same time as Keira, now visits Mary Mac’s daily. “She uses the food for school snacks and lunches – she can’t get by without it,” Keira says.

For Keira, spreading the word about Mary Mac’s is a way of paying forward the care and support that changed her life.

For Keira, one of the most powerful parts of Mary Mac’s Place is the dignity it restores through simple acts of care. “Just to know that you can wash your clothes here while you’re showering, get a haircut and feel like you’re a human being – my goodness,” she says. In the midst of hardship, being able to feel clean, cared for, and seen makes all the difference.

From arriving as a pregnant mum with a little baby to now raising three children who have grown alongside Mary Mac’s, Keira’s journey is deeply intertwined with this special community. For Keira, Mary Mac’s is a place of belonging and the closest thing to family she has ever known, “Both my partner’s parents have passed away, and mine aren’t around. Mary Mac’s is my family. I am loved here.”