Vinnies Winter Appeal – Last week to collect donations!

Thank you to all of our families who have continued to bring in winter warming clothes for our Vinnies Winter Appeal! This is the last week that the Year 6 Social Justice Team will be collecting donations of new beanies, jumpers, gloves, socks, jackets, scarves – all sizes! We are so very grateful for the donations that have come in and know that there are families in our community who will benefit ?

St Monica's Mini School Sleep Out

Tomorrow evening our Year 6 students will be participating in our first St Monica’s Mini School Sleep Out. We will be joined by Matthew from St Vinnies who will lead us all in some activities and discussions to deepen our awareness of homelessness within our community.

Winter Warmer Onesie/ Warm Clothes day – This Friday 30 July!

This Friday is the Winter Warmer Onesie/ Warm Clothes Free dress day. Dust off your Onesies!! This day is a day to thank our families for their wonderful donations and to create awareness about homelessness and how our donations will make a difference for local families.

Did you know…?

• In the ACT, 1 596 people are experiencing homelessness each night
• On Census night (in 2016) 183 children under 12 were counted as homeless
• 18% of people who were experiencing homelessness are under the age of 18

This is where St Vinnies can help. The St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/ Goulburn works with people experiencing homelessness, assisting them in a number of ways and giving them a hand-up (not a hand-out) to make life changing decisions. Some of these hand-up’s include:

• Family and Youth Homelessness Services: provide accommodation and support to more than 650 people at risk of homelessness each year
• Vinnies Conferences: provide emergency assistance (eg. Food, rent assistance, service referrals) to anyone in need to prevent them from falling into situations of homelessness
• Night Patrol Van: visits the streets of Canberra almost every night of the year, providing social connection, material items and light refreshments to anyone in need
• Blue Door: is a drop-in centre based in Ainslie Village which provides 51 000 meals and light case management to 240 people each year.

This term some of the St Monica’s staff will be trained as Night Van Volunteers. This will allow us to give outreach to our wider community and support the good works of St Vinnies. We are excited to be able to do this and to live and model Jesus’ greatest commandment – ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’.