YEAR 10 WINTER SLEEPOUT

Last Friday, along with 62 other Year 10s I took part in the Winter Sleepout at the College. The purpose of the sleepout was to raise awareness to the conditions that face homeless people and to raise some funds (through sponsorship) to help outreach centres such as Passages, The Shopfront and Grace Café in Joondalup to buy essential supplies for these vulnerable people in our community. Friday night was cold and wet, and the Year 10s came well equipped with warm clothes, sleeping bags and cardboard boxes. 

We started the night by setting up our cardboard boxes (or our “villages”, as the teachers liked to call it), under the eaves near the PCC. We then packed toiletries bags that are going to be included in the 60 backpacks for the homeless that we put together yesterday for Passages, The Shopfront (part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth) and Grace Café. 

Next, it was time for dinner. We were visited by a makeshift “soup truck” and had the choice of tomato or chicken noodle soup with a slice of bread. We ate this outside in the windy conditions and were grateful to be called back inside where we were introduced to Niamh, Roberta, Raina and Kelly from Passages, an outreach centre supported by Vinnies that provides services to assist youth homelessness. We started by playing a “what would you do?” game where we put ourselves in the shoes of a homeless teen and were educated on what it's like to be homeless by the staff from Passages.

Next, we heard from another special guest, Paris Mitchell, a young man who had experienced homelessness in his earlier years. He began by speaking to us about his challenges, how grateful he was for getting support and ended with performing his own rap for us all. 

We were then surprised with a talk from Mrs Hywood who also shared her own personal experience with homelessness. 

Shortly after, we watched a video sent to us by Ciaran Lyons from the Class of 2013, who shared his experience on the SBS show, Filthy Rich and Homeless. After watching an episode, we had a short break where we all got a cup of Milo and managed to share one packet of biscuits between us all. We finished our indoor session with the movie, A Street Cat Named Bob. 

By then, we were all tired. We retreated to our cardboard box “villages” where many had a restless night sleeping in the uncomfortable conditions. 

Overall, the Winter Sleepout was a fun and informative night. I personally developed a deeper understanding and empathy for the homeless and I learnt that there are many different reasons why a person may end up in this position. We should all try our best to help the homeless in any way we can, whether it be simply donating much needed supplies to Mrs Hywood or volunteering for Young Vinnies activities.  

A huge thank you to Mrs Hywood, Miss Moreton and Mrs Thornberry for organising the sleepout, and to all those staff members who volunteered their time. The Year 10s really appreciated the experience and learnt so much on the night.

Aimee Berichon

Year 10 Hannan

We were lucky enough to participate in the Year 10 Winter Sleepout this year and experience for ourselves the adversities that homeless people face in their daily lives. We all packed some toiletry bags before hearing from people who have experienced homelessness firsthand. We spent the night with only cardboard boxes and sleeping bags for shelter and warmth. It was an humbling experience that allowed us to truly appreciate everything that we have.

Ruby Lyons and Madeleine Budas 

Year 10 Thu Duc and Year 10 Normandy

The Winter Sleepout has always been an experience that I have looked forward to. As a young student, you are told about all the incredible experiences and eye-opening ideas that you will be faced with and I was not disappointed. Through the talks from the lovely ladies at Passages, Paris Mitchell and Mrs Hywood, I was shocked to hear the hardships faced on a daily basis. These talks inspired me to reach out more often and strive to live in a way without stereotypes, to think that every human has a story no matter how rich or how poor.  The Winter Sleepout was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget.

Mia Cubeddu

Year 10 Kimberley

The 2022 Year 10 Winter Sleepout was a fun, interesting, and cold night that roughly 60 Year 10s experienced last Friday. We arrived at 6:30pm and were first tasked with setting up our sleeping arrangement for the night which were made of cardboard boxes and sleeping bags, with little space to move or walk around. We also made packs of toiletries and supplies that would be sent to many homeless people and families to help them. 

After setting up our boxes, we all made our way into the English rooms to be briefed about the night before all lining up for our dinner, consisting of a small portion of soup and bread; barely enough to be called a meal. After this, we went back to the English rooms where we had guest speakers from Passages speak to us about the conditions the homeless had to endure and how their group helped them. Passages is a community that has support groups stationed around Perth to help those in need of accessing basic necessities such as being able to do laundry. 

We then all participated in an activity in which we split up into groups and had to choose materials and scenarios that would determine how we would survive on the streets as a homeless person. As Passages wrapped up their speech to us, we were introduced to Paris Mitchell, a motivational speaker who had once been in a position of homelessness and turned his life around after experiencing life in prison. While he was with us, Paris rapped to one of the songs he made after turning his life around titled ‘Destined’. Once Paris had concluded his motivational speech, we heard from one final speaker who had experienced homelessness, Mrs Hywood. This experience helped her to find the passion to help others in need, so that they may never be in that position. 

Following Mrs Hywood’s speech, we watched an episode of Filthy Rich and Homeless, a TV show that followed celebrities as they were tasked with enduring 10 days of homelessness with nothing but basic necessities. We watched an episode that included ex-Sacred Heart student, Ciaran Lyons and watched as he faced the true reality for homeless people across Australia and the hardships they had to face every day. Finally, as it got closer to the end of the night, we were finally given some Milo and biscuits as our dessert for the night which was very popular among the students.

Our final activity of the night was watching the movie A Street Cat Named Bob, a heart-warming movie about a young homeless man who had been struggling to get off the streets for a long time and found a true friend in the form of a stray cat that he named Bob. The movie followed the two of them as they struggled to find their way in life through these tough conditions and served as a nice way to wind down before finally, sometime past midnight, we were all sent to go to sleep for an early morning. 

We woke up late at dawn and were all eager to return home after a night of freezing temperatures and heavy wind and rain. We packed up our boxes and said goodbye to one another as we were picked up. I believe we learnt quite a lot about the truth behind homelessness and how the struggles that are faced are nothing short of uncomfortable and terrifying.

Rhys Masters

Year 10 Barlow

The Winter Sleepout was lots of fun, but made me think about how much discomfort must be felt by the homeless during the winter.

Aidan Hogan

Year 10 Barlow

During the Winter Sleepout, students also considered other causes of homelessness and its effects due to natural disasters and refugees and asylum seekers fleeing wars and repression. 

The students are to be commended for their exemplary receptiveness and interaction with the guest speakers. The group raised an amazing total of $5,696 through sponsorship which will be used to purchase food and items for the 60 backpacks for homeless outreach centres.

After the event, the College received the below email from The Shopfront: 

"Once again, the SHC community has shown itself to be generous and outward looking. The Shopfront can only provide to others what is so generously donated to us. For many families, the food collection of canned goods, milk, cereal etc that the College provided is the difference between going to bed hungry and not knowing what the next day will bring. They can sleep on a full stomach knowing that tomorrow is another day and that someone outside of their family cares for them. On behalf of all who visit and receive support from The Shopfront, thank you!"

Thanks are also due to Mrs Rachel Allsop, Assistant Deputy Principal - Year 10, and the 15 staff who attended the Winter Sleepout, particularly those six who braved the elements and slept outside with the students. 

Mrs Rossana Hywood, Miss Michelle Moreton and Mrs Gina Thornberry

Winter Sleepout Coordinators