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Mount St Joseph sleepout
23 September 2020
By Darcy Robinson, Social Justice Leader
Students and staff at , Altona, recently participated in the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) ‘Winter School Sleepout’. Usually this involves students signing up to sleep at school for one night to raise awareness for Australians experiencing homelessness. However, the event was a little different this year.
The challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop students and staff from continuing the tradition, but this year’s sleepout took place at their own homes.
Students and staff were able to select how uncomfortable their night would be – whether sleeping on the couch, floor or in the backyard. Some staff even elected to sleep in their cars on the night of 17 September.
Aimed at promoting conversations about how COVID-19 and lockdown have impacted the lives of those experiencing homelessness, the night was organised and run by the college’s Social Justice Team.
The school raised over $500 for Vinnies, which will go towards on-ground support for people experiencing homelessness across Victoria.
This is an extract of an article that was originally published on the Mount St Joseph Girls’ College website on 18 September 2020.