By Jessica Micallef
A winter warmer service is being launched to help Sunbury’s homeless.
Sunbury Winter Night is a community project that will provide sleeping places for homeless people.
Project co-ordinator Chris Morgan-Prosser said the service would be offered at a different location each night across the winter months, starting on June 1.
Ms Morgan-Prosser said the service would provide 10 different people each night with a hot meal, fellowship, a bed and breakfast.
“And if there is bread [left] over they could make a sandwich for their lunch,” she said.
“Then the trailer is packed up and moved on to the next host venue.”
Similar projects have been in operation in the Yarra Ranges and Bendigo.
“Jenny Willetts from the Yarra Ranges came to speak at Sunbury Baptist [Church] and it has gone from interest there,” Ms Morgan-Prosser said.
Homeless agencies will recommend people for the program. They will then go through an assessment by the project committee.
Volunteers have donated bedding items, with one volunteer knitting a blanket especially for the program.
Ms Morgan-Prosser said the committee would evaluate the program after three months to see if it could be expanded beyond one winter.
“Personally, I think it would be a great thing to have a place that the homeless could go to during the day,” she said.
“But the committee will discuss all options after the evaluation.
“There is no collected data on how many homeless there are in Sunbury, but through the different agencies we know there are some people needing assistance.
“We will have more data after the program has run for this winter.”
The program will end on August 31.
For more information: wns.sunbury@gmail.com
