Winter Sleepout

On Thursday the 16th of August, 7 students participated in the Sandhurst Winter Sleepout at Marist College Bendigo. Upon arrival, we heard about all of the benefits of volunteering with St Vincent De Paul and heard from a guest speaker about homelessness and how we can help.

There were then workshops, with the choice of 'Soup for the soul', 'Homelessness around the world', 'Being a Vinnies Volunteer' and others. After this we had dinner - a choice of Pumpkin or Chicken soup and rolls made the brisk breeze a little more bearable. There was also live entertainment before bed.

It was a cold night, and there was not an enormous amount of sleep had, but that is what actions of solidarity are about. While we were cold, we knew we had a warm bed to go home to. While we were uncomfortable, we had the comfort of knowing when we would next eat.

While it was a foreign experience to us all, we had the new support network formed by the friendships we forged that night and knowing our family were only a phone call away. These are all luxuries which those who are without a home do not have. They don't have a safety net, they don't necessarily know where their next real safe space will be, when their next meal will come, or how long they will have to wait between experiencing actions of basic humility and kindness.

This is why we participated in the Winter Sleepout - to raise awareness of a problem so prevalent in our society - to speak up for those who have lost their voice. It was an educational and eye-opening experience.

By Student, Lucia Rochford.