“Walking from St Kilda tram station to the Greeves St. shop this morning, revealed so many snap shots of lives controlled by extreme poverty. This image, taken on Fitzroy Street, was just one of many homelessness images confronting me on my walk. My own tummy was full of warming coffee, I was comfortable from my journey on the tram, my head was still full of imaginings from the novel I was reading, set in far off Afghanistan…
Then this.
There were other little islands of humanity on the footpaths, but most still had a person bundled in a cacoon-like fashion, swathed in a blanket or quilt, lying on the hard, cold concrete.
I often feel there should be a simple answer to providing people with a roof over their head. Surely, as a privileged nation, we have the intellectual and financial means to work out how to eliminate homelessness? It is overwhelming.” Andie
More than 70% of the women St Kilda Gatehouse support are facing another winter sleeping rough. They carry their world in bags and trolleys.
If you would like to help you can drop off the following items to 12 Belford Street, St Kilda, any day, between 12-4pm:
Travel or regular-sized shampoos and conditioners
Spray anti-perspirant deodorants
Hotel-sized or travel-sized body wash
Smaller-sized baby or makeup wipes (25 – 30 wipe packs stay moist and don’t weigh too much)
Regular-sized or travel-sized toothpaste and tooth brushes
Shavers
Blankets or doonas
Body sprays
Umbrellas
New socks
Moisturisers – again, small to medium are lighter to carry
