Year 11 Homeless Project

On Thursday 5 October, Kate from Cobaw & Sunbury Community Health came to speak to our Year 11 Personal Development Skills class to talk about homelessness in the Macedon Ranges.

If you search the meaning of the word ‘homeless’, you will get a definition that looks something like this- (of a person) without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets. We learned that this is not the case at all. If a person sleeps in their car, lives in severely overcrowded accommodation or is even couch surfing, they are considered homeless. This is called 'hidden homelessness' because even though it is more common than rough sleeping (sleeping on the street) it is often misunderstood and goes unnoticed. The last Census (2021) recorded that 30,660 Victorians were without sustainable housing. 

Sunbury & Cobaw Community Health helped assisted 155 adults and 25 youth clients throughout the Macedon Ranges in the last financial year. The towns that suffer the most among the adults (over 25) are Kyneton, Woodend and Gisborne, with Kyneton having 32 clients. The two towns with youth aged (under 25) most affected are Kyneton and Woodend, with Kyneton having 6 clients from that age group. 

Government housing has a lot of stigma around it. Many people think that the people in public housing are given an easy way out, but that is not the truth at all. If you apply yourself to get public housing it will take 25-30 years. If Sunbury & Cobaw Community Health refers you, it will still take around four years. If you are lucky enough to get a house, you still must pay rent.

So, how can we help those in need in our own community?

“We learn through change and change through learning” – this means that by raising awareness of the issue in our own backyard, we can start a movement to make things better.

In our class, we have been doing a range of things. Our plan was to create some things that would make those in need feel valued and seen. We decided to make affirmation colouring sheets (for the children who visit Cobaw), affirmation posters (that will be displayed in the Cobaw offices), and also affirmation cards to give a positive statement to anyone who needs one.  We also brought some Woolworths gift cards for food shopping.

How can you help? Some things you can do is volunteer at a not-for-profit organisation and support people who are experiencing homelessness.

Lenni McCarthy (Year 11)

Mobile Muster

This Term, as part of our new VCE Vocational Major Unit 1/2 course, we had to look at community cohesion, and how our actions have an impact on the world around us. Following our trip to Melbourne Zoo, where we learned a bout stakeholders and how we could become involved in helping our planet.  We then chose activities that could, in some small way, make a difference.

Lenni and Ava chose to collect mobile devices around the school community to donate. Here is a photo of them with some of the devices donated.