Sydney Anglican teenagers from the Northern Beaches who wanted to do "something positive' for the city's homeless have staged a mid-winter sleep-out followed by a charity breakfast.
Members of St John's Dee Why Youth Group (SJYG) saw their old church hall as the perfect venue for raising awareness of people sleeping rough on Sydney's streets.
The building, slated for demolition, would be little more than a roof over their heads.
"It was built in the 1950s, plain floorboards, pretty ordinary. Not exactly draft proof!" says St John's SRE Teacher and youth group worker Sally Garman.
"There are definitely rats and mice and there’s a possum in the roof," she says, laughing.
The idea came from one of SJYG's fortnightly "think spots', where the kids consider practical applications of Scripture to day-to-day life.
"One of our recent ‘think-spots’ was what it would be like to be homeless," Ms Garman says.
"But we wanted to get some positive thing out of it for someone else apart from just learning for ourselves."
So the youth group organised a five dollar BBQ breakfasts for all-comers, with the proceeds going to buy winter care hampers for Anglicare families.
"We had a member of our youth group out there with a sandwich board bringing them in off the street," Ms Garman says.
The $505 dollars raised from 80 breakfasts will buy around thirteen Anglicare food hampers.
Ms Garman says event has raised the profile of the youth group, particularly in the eyes of the St John's congregation.
"We were all definitely impressed with what they were doing. We're very proud of them!"
People interested in helping families struggling with food and shelter this winter can make a donation through the Anglicare web site.
