St Vincent de Paul is looking for Wagga residents eager to take part in the 2025 community sleepout. Photo: Supplied.
The NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout is looking for new participants to brave the cold when it returns to Wagga Wagga on Friday 29 August.
In the lead-up to the event, participants will raise funds for St Vincent De Paul, with the goal of reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness.
Funds raised from the night will remain in Wagga Wagga, enabling the work of Micah Hub and Edel Quinn – two services operated locally by the society, supporting people experiencing hardship and homelessness.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW Regional Director South Solange Frost said the event was a powerful opportunity for community members to learn more about hardship occurring locally and support the work of the society in Wagga Wagga.
“Participants will bed down for the night at Kyeamba Smith Hall, Wagga Wagga Showgrounds,” Ms Frost said.
“Everyone can play a role in addressing hardship occurring in communities, and we hope to see people join us for the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout next month.
“Every day, our members and services meet with people in times of need. The NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout is an opportunity to highlight the ongoing need that exists in the local community and the role the [St Vincent De Paul] Society NSW plays in providing assistance.”
Last year close to 300 people took part in the NSW Vinnies Community Sleepout, raising $230,000 statewide to support the society’s work in local communities throughout the state. Twenty participants took part in Wagga Wagga, raising more than $17,000.
More than 122,000 people are experiencing homelessness across Australia, including 35,000 in NSW. In the Wagga Wagga local government area, the latest census figures revealed 257 people were experiencing homelessness, while the number of people sleeping rough has doubled over the past year.
“A lot of people are facing difficult decisions right now due to the cost of living and housing pressures. Hardship comes in many forms, which is why the work Vinnies does in the local community is so vital to ensuring everyone has support in their time of need,” St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State President Peter Houweling said.
Register to take part or donate via the Vinnies website.
