On Thursday, 22 June several Principals and Catholic Education Chief Information Officer, Klarissa Plimmer, faced freezing temperatures at the Canberra Airport Hangar armed with only a cardboard box for protection to raise funds and awareness of homelessness at Vinnies CEO Sleepout. 

Collectively the Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn team raised over $46,000, naming them top performing fundraising team in Canberra.

Our Principals reflected on their CEO Sleepout experience:

“Participating in this year’s Vinnies Sleepout was a humbling experience. Each of the participants were invited to undertake a role play with a scenario of an individual in distress. Accessing services was not easy and extremely frustrating. It is no surprise that people give up. The ‘run around’ to try and get support was a stark reminder of how one can quickly lose their self-worth as a result of the crises they find themselves in.”

– Paul Carroll, St Francis Xavier College

“Friday morning, after the sleepout it took about 3 hours to thaw out. I was lucky! This was after a hot shower, heating in my home and car and sitting in the sun during a meeting at Catholic Education. I cannot even begin to imagine what life would be like on the streets or surviving in a car. How could you get up, feel refreshed, and try to find work or have to deal with agencies where you have to seek care and assistance. It would be a cycle that is hard to break. A special thanks to Vinnies and all the work they do for homelessness and those who are in need of emergency care.”

– Loretta Wholley, Merici College

“I was prepared for the cold, I was prepared for the concrete ‘mattress’ and I was prepared for very little sleep. What I wasn’t expecting was to learn how many people in Canberra simply do not have what it takes to put food on the table or a roof over their head; to discover that many battlers simply can’t effectively access the right support. I found out how much Vinnies volunteers do in our community, which was the biggest shock of the night. The workers and volunteers of Vinnies literally are life savers. They are the heroes, not us Principals who had one uncomfortable night.”

– Matt Egan-Richards, St Clare of Assisi Primary School, Conder

Schools across the Archdiocese showed further support this month through Mini Vinnies ‘Stay Outs’, blanket drives and ‘Winter Woolies Days’, donating warm clothing and participating in educational activities. 

At St Michael’s Primary School, Kaleen, students were invited to participate in a Mini Vinnies ‘Stay Out’ until 8.00pm with school made pumpkin soup and a visit from the Vinnies Night Patrol van.  

Principal Patrick Ellis said that students were able to get a feel for the importance of raising awareness of homelessness in Canberra and gain a deeper understanding. 

“The students who took part in the Stay Out had a fun and educational evening learning more about the realities of homelessness,” he said.

St John Paul II College students raised almost $15,000 at the College’s Sleepout, where participants endured a -4 degree night for a great cause.

Thank you to David Austin (Good Shepherd Primary School), Catherine Rey (St John Paul II College), Loretta Wholley (Merici College), Matt Egan-Richards (St Clare of Assisi Primary School), Claire Fraser (St Gregory’s Primary School), Paul Carroll (St Francis Xavier College),  Leah Taylor (Holy Family Primary School) and Catholic Education Chief Information Officer Klarissa Plimmer for your participation in the 2019 Sleepout.