8 June 2021

Thirteen members of the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) southern region school support team, and one member of the MACS Board of Directors, will sleep without shelter as part of the Vinnies Sleepout on 17 June.

Southern region general manager, Deb Egan, said this is the third year the office team has participated, and members are busy fundraising through friends, family, colleagues and the wider community.

‘Social justice is a central tenet of our Catholic schools and as a team we wanted to not only support this important cause, but also to model our commitment to helping those less fortunate’, she said.

Ms Egan said MACS Board member, Margaret O’Donnell, had been the driving force behind the effort.

‘Marg is a wonderful example to us all. Her commitment to the Vinnies Sleepout began as principal of St Gregory the Great School, Doncaster, 10 years ago, and continued in her work as a southern regional leadership consultant and now as a member of the Board.

‘This will be Marg’s final year sleeping out and we are gathering in force to ensure we do our very best to support Vinnies in the fight to overcome homelessness in our communities’, Ms Egan said.

The Vinnies Sleepout is a one-night event over one of the longest and coldest nights of the year.

Hundreds of CEOs, business owners, and community and government leaders sleep outdoors to support the many Australians who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness.

Last year, the Vinnies Sleepout raised $5.7 million for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness.

To support the MACS southern region sleepout team and help end the cycle of homelessness for all Australians, please visit: www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraiser/southernmacs21.