Social Justice

On Tuesday the 3rd of September, CRC Sydenham held their very first Vinnies Winter Sleepout. The Winter Sleepout allows students and the school community to get a glimpse into the reality of homelessness on a personal level through experiencing ‘sleeping rough’ for one night.

Through participating in this event, students were able to gain a deeper insight and understanding into homelessness in order to raise awareness for those who have both faced homelessness and are facing homelessness currently.

The night began with a guest speaker, Gary from Ozanam house, who spoke about his personal experiences of homelessness and what homelessness really is, followed by a simple soup dinner. We then completed multiple group activities which included making blankets, that were then donated, a chalk pledge on the basketball courts, shelter making and a “circle time” around a campfire. The activities enabled us to work in groups to complete activities and speak about what we learnt over the course of the night and what we as individuals and as a school community can do in order to raise awareness for homelessness in our lives. The event concluded with a liturgy the next morning, where each of us were able to reflect upon our place in the world and upon the actions we can take to end homelessness.

This experience was a great opportunity for learning and understanding the severity of homelessness and the need for great assistance and reform for these individuals. We have all been touched in some way or another and we aspire to be able to work with our school community to do our part in overcoming this global issue.

Emily Aguila and Caitlyn Gonsalves

Year 12 students