Reality of rough sleepers parked front and centre
Schools
The plight of women in need of emergency accommodation was driven home to students at Cabra Dominican College this month.
To support their Social Justice Initiative (Catherine House), the Year 7 to 12 captains of Kavanagh House created an installation in the Cabra grounds to raise awareness about what homelessness can really look like.
After hearing that many Catherine House clients sleep in their cars while they wait between eight and 12 weeks to access the services of Catherine House, the students wanted to raise awareness about how challenging that experience is for women.
Students met with Molly Dyer, the head of fundraising and campaigning for Catherine House, and then brainstormed different ideas to raise money and awareness for Catherine House.
Inspired by the whale that appeared on the beach at Glenelg during the Adelaide Festival, they decided to make the car a surprise to draw attention to how people are living on the streets.
The exhibition, titled ‘Sonya’s Story’, consisted of a car, complete with the contents needed by a woman living homeless in Adelaide, parked in the school yard of Cabra on two cold days.
The house captains prepared seven mini video presentations that were available through QR codes encircling the exhibition.
‘Sonya’s Story’ was based (with permission) on a client of Catherine House and through the short, narrated videos, the college community was able to learn more about what Sonya’s life was like before and during her experience of homelessness.
Other fundraising activities include a sausage sizzle, bake sales and movie premieres. Kavanagh House students have also created going away packs and welcome packs for the women at Catherine House to support them.
On Friday September 13, there will be a Beetlejuice movie night at the Capri Cinema, Goodwood. www.trybooking.com/CUFTV
Jump to next article
