3-9 August 2015

apn_rosies_friends_on_the_street_toowoombaJon Martlew, our Team Coordinator in Toowoomba, and Nat Spary (the BASE soup kitchen) will be sleeping rough during this year Homeless Prevention Week 3 – 9 August 2015. Jon and Nat aim to raise awareness of homelessness. Jon wants to experience a glimpse of what “homelessness” is all about. “I see this as an opportunity for me to experience some of the physical and emotional discomforts experienced by those who are homeless”.

Click here to support Jon.

There is a surge of homeless people in South East Queensland. Many of them are fleeing the colder temperature in NSW and Victoria.

Our teams will be out giving away blankets in Brisbane, Calboolture, Cairns, Gold Coast (in Southport and Surfers Paradise), Ipswich, Woodrige, Mareeba, Caloundra and Toowoomba

St Andrew’s Catholic College, Redlynch, and St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba are schools on a mission!

Recently, each school raised an incredible amount – in excess of $4,000 each – to support Rosies outreach services in their local areas, with Cairns, Toowoomba, and Ipswich branches receiving funds.

On Friday August 1, over 50 St Ursula’s students from years 10, 11 and 12 were sponsored to brave the cold for a 12 hour sleepout in Merici Courtyard. Now in its third year, the event has been enthusiastically supported by the girls – and they have become muhc more appreciative of the comfort and warmth of their own beds and homes as a result!

St Ursula's Sleepout St Ursula's Sleepout St Ursula's Sleepout

St Andrew’s Year 12 students held their own sleepout during Catholic Education Week on August 1, while Year 11 students ran a blanket drive. The younger students got in on the act too by putting together hygiene packs!

Both schools are participants in the Rosies Student Engagement Program, with students volunteering year round with people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in their local areas. Students also provide material support to Rosies patrons in the form of emergency relief: food and hygiene packs.

Rosies would like to thank St Andrew’s and St Ursula’s for their continued generous support.