25/06/2025
Last Friday, a group of students and staff members participated in the annual Winter Sleepout. The purpose of the sleepout was to learn about the homeless and mirror their struggles in a quest for empathy.
It began with a series of activities, led by the Social Justice Action Group (SJAG), where students were able to realise their initial beliefs on homelessness and discuss them with those around them, unpacking different ideas. This was followed by a simple dinner consisting of soup and bread to highlight the necessities barely achieved by the homeless every day.
Following dinner, students participated in a production line to package the toiletry items donated during the Winter Appeal to be sent to St Vincent de Paul Homeless services. The night concluded with more activities, including watching an episode of Filthy Rich and Homeless from SBS, a serious where well-off individuals can physically partake in the struggle of homelessness, providing an insight into what being homeless is really like.
Whilst the sleepout itself was a struggle, it reminded students of how fortunate they really are and how grateful we should all be to simply have a roof over our heads. They also talked about how we can advocate for and support those who struggle day to day and year to year.
