Some of our Year 7 students participated in the Year 7 Winter Sleep Out this Term. Not only did they brave a cold winter night in the gym, but they also dedicated their efforts to raise awareness for homelessness.
During this experience, our students had the privilege of listening to guest speaker Michael Dixon, President of St Vincent de Paul's Bunbury. Michael shared his experiences, deepening their understanding of the challenges faced by those without a home.
To keep warm, our students enjoyed some delicious, warm, hearty soup and gathered around a cosy fire pit. They settled down for the night, lying on nothing but cardboard boxes serving as makeshift beds.
Well done to our Year 7 students for their compassion and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. Their Winter Sleep Out made the students realise how privileged they are and ignited a spark within their hearts to support those in need.
Please read below some quotes from some of our Year 7 students:
1. Why do you think it's important to help people who are experiencing homelessness, especially during the winter?
"Because it’s the kind and right thing to do. We should help the community by helping those less fortunate than us." Nadia Bonekamp
"I think that it is important to help people experiencing homelessness in the winter because in the winter it’s really cold, which can make you sick easily. By helping them, you could donate blankets, food, water, medicine, and warm clothes." Ciara-Louise Morten
"Winter is the time when a lot of people get sick, especially outside, so the people that are homeless might get sick, and a way to try and prevent that is by donating cosy clothes, food, blankets, medicine and anything that might help." Millie Cowcill
2. How do you think having a warm blanket can make a difference in the life of someone who is homeless during the winter?
"I think that as much as it would keep someone warmer, they won’t ever forget that act of kindness." Nadia Bonekamp
"I think that a warm blanket can help people experiencing homelessness in the winter because in the winter it’s especially cold, and having a warm blanket can prevent you from getting sick."
Ciara-Louise Morten
"A blanket helps homeless people a lot because in winter it’s pretty cold, and a blanket can help keep their body heat in and protect them from getting cold and uncomfortable during the night."
Millie Cowcill
3. What Mercy Value comes to mind during this night and why?
"Compassion: We showed compassion by donating blankets and by showing empathy towards those less fortunate than us."
Nadia Bonekamp
"Service: When donating the blankets and serving dinner. Empathy: When doing the gratitude liturgy, I felt sorrow for people experiencing homelessness
Gratitude: When we went to sleep and we slept on cardboard boxes, I felt grateful for my bed at home and that I don’t have to sleep like that every night.
Compassion: When Michale Dixion came to speak to us and told us that they only had one sleeping bag left for the people experiencing homelessness, I felt sympathetic for them not having enough for them." Ciara-Louise Morten
Gratitude, because I’m grateful that I have a roof over my head.
Empathy for the people that are experiencing homelessness and Service because I donated blankets and helped serve dinner.
Ciara-Louise Morten
4. What have you learnt from this Sleep Out?
"That it is a lot harder to sleep on cardboard than I thought. That we should be grateful that we have a home, and should show extra empathy, especially in winter."
Nadia Bonekamp
"I learnt that it’s important to help people experiencing homelessness because they have a very hard life, and it’s not easy to have a very small limited amount of supplies. I also learnt that it is important to be grateful for the things you have because you are very lucky to have the things you have, especially when they are people who have close to nothing."
Ciara-Louise Morten
"I learnt that homeless people live very hard, especially on the streets, and they don’t get to pick and choose what food or supplies they get. They just have to live with what they have to help them."
Millie Cowcill
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