The annual social justice sleep out at All Saints College, St Peter’s Campus, Maitland gave more high school students an insight into what it might be like to be homeless.
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Teachers and members of the school’s social justice team ran the event, which was held on September 15.
More than 40 students and staff participated, including students Lachlan Berry and Lachlan Foxhall.
“It was a good experience to learn how tough the homeless actually live,’’ Lachlan Berry said.
Meanwhile, Lachlan Foxhall said that events like the sleep out “’put you in the shoes of someone less fortunate’’.
The sleep out began at 5.30pm with participants sharing a typical meal of the homeless – chicken soup and bread rolls.
Students watched a movie and drank a hot chocolate, before heading out to spend the night on the ground to simulate a night in the life of a homeless person.
Participants were allowed to sleep on a thin mattress.
The following morning, a breakfast of porridge was served.
After that the students then had to prepare for a normal school day with classes, sport and friendships.
“[The experience of sleeping out] opens up the minds of the students and enables them to have a deeper understanding of the things that some people have to deal with in their lives,” one of the students said.
“It helps us to raise awareness and support the people in our community and other places around the world that are in need.”
The students were asked to donate used clothes, which were collected and given to St Vincent de Pauls.
