2023 Winter Sleepout

Last Thursday, SFCC held its annual Winter Sleepout, with 20 students from years 8 to 11 attending, along with seven staff. 

The evening was very successful, informative, and a memorable experience for all who attended. 

Teacher Margaret Rowe-Watts and her team of VCAL students and food staff catered on the night. The meal was a replica of the food offered by soup vans, including soup, sandwiches, and a small sweet treat. This warmed us up for the cold evening ahead.

One of the main aims of the sleepout is to learn more about homelessness and the services available in the Melton community, and we were fortunate to have some excellent presenters join us on the night.

A friend of the College, Maureen Mohr from St Vincent de Paul spoke about the new Melton Soup Van service and the Vinnies shop, which relies on sales to fund services for those in need.

Martin Farrugia and Cheryl Nash spoke about the work that Rotary clubs do for those less fortunate and doing it tough, along with the Interact Programs that volunteers can get involved in. 

State Member for Melton Steve McGhie MP spoke about housing issues in Melbourne's western region and how these impact families and people experiencing homelessness. Steve also encouraged students to continue their advocacy work by joining his Youth Advisory Group to inform, suggest, and advise him on the challenges that young people in the community face.

Through their presentations, our guests had several recurring messages: how important volunteers are, how important it is to give back to our community, and how the issue of homelessness can affect anyone at any time. This resonates in St Mary MacKillop's words, “Never see a need without doing something about it". 

During the evening, students and staff also had the enormous task of sorting through donations families had provided for our August Homelessness Campaign. 

Our presenters were impressed by the students participating in the sleepout, the amazing contributions we had collected as a College, and how many services would benefit from our gifts.

Thank you to all in our Melton and Cobblebank communities for digging deep and giving so generously. It is genuinely humbling, and sincere thanks to all those who supported yet another successful sleepout.

Student reflections

"This is my second year participating in the sleepout, and it really gives an insight into the problems many people face." Alannah, Year 9

"Wow! What a truly humbling experience. It was certainly one that I will never forget. You often heard it said, "Never judge another until you have walked in their shoes". Last Thursday night, we had the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a homeless person. We started the evening with housekeeping, and one of the rules was that we carry all our stuff, sleeping bags, pillows, clothes, etc. everywhere we went, as a homeless person would do. That was hard, and on one occasion, I forgot my stuff and someone else carried it for me.

"As the evening progressed, we heard from the local member of parliament and speakers from the Rotary Club and Vinnies in Melton. We heard about how we are helping homelessness in Melton and Victoria, and what we could do to help further. The statistics are alarming and sad. Dinner was simple, like the Vinnies Soup Van, we had a choice of pumpkin or minestrone soup.

"We played some games highlighting the huge gap between the haves and the have-nots and then built shelters out of cardboard, which we slept under. We slept on the floor in B Block before waking at 6am, having a basic breakfast and going home.

Would I do it again? Absolutely, in a heartbeat. We see many homeless people around Melton, and we fear and stay clear of them when, in most cases, circumstances beyond their control have made them homeless. It could be family violence, a lost job or a misunderstanding that leads someone down this path of displacement and homelessness.

Ask how you can help and become active in your community to support others who do not have what you have." Isabella. Year 10

"This was my fourth Winter Sleepout and another incredibly rewarding experience. My highlight of the night was gaining a greater understanding of homelessness and connecting with the other students who attended." Elesha, Faith and Mission Captain