It’s a cold winter’s night as students settle into their sleeping bags in the courtyard at Baptist Care SA’s WestCare Centre— a place of support for people experiencing homelessness. The students have given up their warm beds to participate in Rough Sleep Out, an Urban Education program that teaches students about homelessness by giving them a taste of what it would be like to sleep rough.
Hosted by Baptist Care SA in partnership with schools like Kings Baptist Grammar School and Emmaus Christian College, the program offers students the chance to gain a deeper understanding of homelessness by hearing from people with lived experience and those who journey alongside of them to provide support. It teaches that there are many reasons why someone may experience homelessness— they may have lost their job, be struggling to find a home, or have experienced a relationship breakdown. Students also learn that the issues facing people experiencing homelessness are varied and complex and can span domestic violence, social isolation, hunger and food relief and health.
Earlier in the evening, the students gathered in the centre’s dining room to share a simple chicken pasta dinner. The nutritious meal was similar to one of the 650 meals prepared each week by staff and volunteers with food donated by food rescue organisations or purchased with donated funds to provide free to the WestCare Centre community.
Before sleeping, the students joined in prayer at the WestCare Chapel and reflected on God’s heart for all people, especially those in need. The students reflected on the Word of God and prayed for all members of the WestCare Centre community.
When they returned to school, the students reflected on their experience. One student said they learnt “to never judge people because you don’t know their story or how they became homeless”, with another saying, “homelessness doesn’t define who you are”. “I learnt to not take anything for granted”, said another.
Students participating in Rough Sleep Outs are sponsored, with the donations going directly to Baptist Care SA’s WestCare Centre. As the majority of services provided at the WestCare Centre are not funded by government, Baptist Care SA relies on the generous donations of its partners in mission and is grateful to those students who gave up their comforts to learn more about homelessness and partner in providing support.
