WARM THANK YOU
A young mum seeking support to avoid homelessness after escaping a domestic violence situation is one of the people already helped by money raised at the year’s Hills Winter Sleepout.
More than 100 Hills businesses leaders, students, and service groups slept out at Bella Vista Farm one freezing night in August and raised over $45,000 for the Hills Homelessness Prevention Initiative run by Hills Community Aid.
HCA executive officer Mici Beer and Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne spoke about the impact of the Hills Homeless
Sleepout when they were special guests at Norwest Sunrise Rotary Club’s Thursday breakfast meeting.
The club, which cooked the barbecue supper and the breakfast at the sleep out presented a cheque for $1000.
The Mayor presented awards to Carly Xerri, Retail Manager at Rouse Hill Town Centre for its support as highest team fundraiser at the event.
ResMed was also named a winner.
The individual highest fundraising award was won by Rouse Hill Town Centre’s manager, Dave Moreton.
The Mayor said the 2019 Hills Winter Sleepout had been an incredible night.
The all-night attendees, including students from Rouse Hill High and The Kings School and members of Hills Rotaract listened news from the street by NSW manager of The Big Issue, Chris Campbell and one of the vendors, Dave and also from Chris Cleary from StreetMed which offers first aid care to the homeless in the area.
Mayor Byrne thanked everyone who had been involved.
“It was a cold, uncomfortable sleep but we all went home even more grateful for what we have and that we have a roof over our heads every night unlike many in our own community. “It was wonderful to see our community come together to help those most vulnerable in our community.”
