A long-running Murray Bridge charity that helps hundreds of vulnerable locals each year says it will be forced to close its doors on the 31st of December unless it can urgently raise $5,000 in rent money.
Teen Challenge Murray Bridge, a drop-in centre on Marchand Street, has seen demand surge while donations have dried up. Volunteer Jenny, who has worked with the service for more than 28 years, says the charity relies heavily on small, regular contributions from individuals.
“We survive by donations and we can get council grants to buy food when donations don’t come in, we have that back-up, but to pay the rent – the people that have been donating to us sadly are all passing away and there’s one particular church where they’ve lost 28 people and those people were donating to us regularly,” Jenny told ARN’s Adam and Jennie.
Since July 2025, more than 780 people have visited the centre for help, often two or three new faces a day. Jenny said the service offered far more than emergency food relief.
“We help out with food and food parcels, we help people that are on the street. We have male and female toiletry packs that we give to people, we have bedding that we can give to people, we have toys that we give out to mums that perhaps can’t afford birthday presents or Christmas presents for their kids, we’ve got clothes, crockery, bath towels, all that kind of thing.”
Teen Challenge also runs support courses covering grief, eating disorders, depression and anger that run for an hour a week for 9 to 13 weeks.
Jenny says the simplest help they offer is often the most important.
“We spend a lot of time talking to the people that come in… some people feel like they’re invisible and if they come to us they’re not invisible, they’re people and they hurt like everybody else can hurt.”
She says she is also very grateful for input from businesses like McCues Bakery who have been donating food to the charity for years.
Without the $5,000 needed for rent, the charity says it will have no choice but to close at the end of the year.
Financial and food donations, including contributions towards Christmas hampers, can be made by calling 8531 2851, emailing murraybridge@teenchallengesa.com, or visiting the centre at 5 Marchand Street between 11am and 3pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
