Vinnies Sleep Out 2019

Vinnies Sleep Out 2019  by Claudia Papillo

On Friday the 30th of August, myself along with 60 other students gave up the luxury of our warm homes and beds and became homeless for the night. The Sleep Out gave student the opportunity to experience what 116,000 Australians experience every night, raising awareness and money to donate to St Vinnies. The event not only opened the opportunity to challenge and educate students, it also gave students the opportunity to build new relationships and step out of their comfort zone, allowing them to connect with other students and teachers in our community.

After having the enjoyment of a scavenger hunt and various other activities, Jane and Brian from St Vinnies spoke to us about why we are uniting to make a change. Brian exposed us to the realities of homelessness, once being homeless himself. This opened the eyes of many of our students as to why they are involved in this event. As the night continued, we challenged ourselves to sleep under no shelter and allow us to replicate homelessness using boxes and tarps to help us create our beds.

This charitable event was a true success, allowing students to become more understanding to the realities of life and appreciate what we have and what others do not have. It allowed us not only to build new relationships but to conform as a community and stay strong together through this experience. Although this was a fun night, it was still a challenge for many of us to give up our regular night time routines and comfy beds. Needs to say, this has changed a lot of our perspectives and has allowed us to appreciate our privileged lives more frequently.

In the end, as a community, we raised $1,420 which all was donated to St Vinnies. These donations were made from parents online, people supporting the sleepout, students participating in the event and CuppaGino's coffee van who helped us keep warm throughout the night, donating all profits made. This event has been life changing and I hope as a college we continue to persist to make a change, challenge ourselves and support those who need it most.

Please give generously to the Vinnies Winter Appeal

Claudia Papillo

Social Justice Captain