Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Education

Students sleep out to help the homeless

byStaff writers
12 August 2012 - Updated on 16 March 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

QUEENSLAND Catholic schools are stepping up their winter efforts for the poor by standing in solidarity with the homeless.

Primary and secondary school students from schools that include All Saints’ Parish Primary School, Albany Creek; St Eugene College, Burpengary; and Holy Cross School, Wooloowin, have slept “rough” to raise awareness of and funds for the homeless.

As part of their St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, 23 Mini Vinnies from Holy Cross School, Wooloowin, and Holy Rosary School, Windsor “slept out” on July 20 to gain a better understanding of being homeless.

Pastoral care worker Josephite Sister Anne Cannon said it was inspiring to join the children who had given up their usual Friday-night activities to take part.

“For some it meant going to footy and then coming back,” she said.

For others it meant going to swim training early on Saturday morning without a good night’s sleep.

“For all, it meant eating soup as a main meal, having Weet Bix or toast for breakfast and sleeping on a hard floor.”

It was the third consecutive year students at Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay, participated in the St Vincent de Paul School Sleep Out and, despite the chilly night, 20 students and five staff took part.

Xavier Catholic College teacher Roxanne Hawes said the group was joined by Hervey Bay St Vincent de Paul Society president Brian Gibbon and invited guests from the Xavier community who had worked with families, young people and individuals who had faced some sort of homelessness in their lives.

“The group shared soup, which was made and donated by the school’s ‘Magis Minis’ group (consisting of students in Years 4-7), whilst hearing about the plight of those in need in our local community,” she said.

Related Stories

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

Ms Hawes said several of Xavier’s senior students shared their recent experiences of a street retreat in Brisbane.

“(They also spoke about) the people, places and organisations they spent time with in May over a four-day period understanding poverty, its causes and what we can do as young people to help, listen and give dignity to those who experience it,” she said.

The sleep-out at St Eugene College, Burpengary, attracted 45 students aged 12 to 17.

Lachlan Bramley and Ben Morris, from Year 7, said participants formed small groups and made a cardboard box shelter to see what it would be like to live as a homeless person.

“This activity was very fun, but challenging at the same time,” they said.

The boys said that, after various activities, it was time to call it a night.

“We soon went to bed and slept uncomfortably on the ground, which made us appreciate our own beds at home,” they said.

“We then woke up to find teachers cooking us a hot breakfast. After the delicious breakfast we packed our bags and got ready to leave.

“The St Eugene College sleep-out was a great experience for us and now we know what homelessness is like and how people on the street live.”

The sleep-out at All Saints’ Parish Primary School, Albany Creek, was a culmination to the Year 7 students’ unit of work in Religion, Justice versus Just Us.

Assistant principal for religious education Simon Mahaffy said about 30 students participated in the sleepover that allowed students and the school community to connect on a personal level with the issue of homelessness.

He said that, during the Friday-night event, students gathered for a simple meal of soup then listened to a presentation from a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society team before engaging in reflection and meditation time.

Mr Mahaffy said All Saints’ was able to present the local Vinnies conference with a cheque for $1500.

“Also that evening our Year 7’s put together 780 care packs that contained tea, sugar, soup and a cup that will be donated to a variety of the St Vincent de Paul Society drop-in centres in Brisbane,” he said.

“This will provide a simple meal for a person who otherwise would have gone hungry.”

Mr Mahaffy said it was a worthwhile experience for those students involved.

 

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Suffering in Syria rising

Next Post

Brisbane honours Mary MacKillop

Staff writers

Related Posts

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting
World

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022
Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north
News

Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

25 May 2022
Hong Kong
World

Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

25 May 2022
Next Post

Brisbane honours Mary MacKillop

Gold Coast Catholic school has Olympic hero

Cuts hurt BoysTown work

Popular News

  • 15 killed in Texas school shooting

    15 killed in Texas school shooting

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Archbishop calls for prayers in “troubled times”

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • From a humble start Albanese is sworn in as new prime minister

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • US bishops applaud San Francisco prelates pastoral response to Pelosi’s decades of abortion advocacy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting
World

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

by Guest Contributor
26 May 2022
0

By Catholic News Agency A TELEGRAM sent to the Archbishop of San Antonio on Wednesday conveyed Pope...

Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

25 May 2022
Hong Kong

Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

25 May 2022
15 killed in Texas school shooting

15 killed in Texas school shooting

25 May 2022
Archbishop calls for prayers in “troubled times”

Archbishop calls for prayers in “troubled times”

24 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping