Carevan's Winter Appeal: community joins forces to fight homelessness

As part of the annual Winter Appeal, Carevan together with West End Plaza and Wodonga Plaza have collected more than 650 items including 69 blankets, 41 pairs of gloves, 56 pairs of socks, 181 toiletry items, 209 non-perishable food items and other items including sheets, towels, doonas and pillows.

Carevan project officer Leanne Johnson said this year's demand was the greatest she had seen since the appeal started.

"This is desperately needed as the cost of living crisis gets even worse," she said.

"The state of homelessness on the Border at the moment is high everywhere.

"Due to the cost of living, rent increase and everything else, we are seeing everyday people out on the streets - nobody is exempt."

Ms Johnson said the appeal also served as a learning experience for her team of Wodonga Senior Secondary College students, exposing them to the real-life issues in their community.

"It's about teaching our students that the community, if it pulls together, can make a difference," she said.

"It makes them realise that life can turn bad for anyone at any stage, especially with the economy the way it is at the moment."

Albury councillor and Wodonga Senior Secondary College teacher, Jess Kellahan, stressed the significance of engaging students in community service.

"We rely on a lot of older volunteers who are retired but young people are the drivers and they can keep that momentum going," she said.

"So hopefully the students are exposed to the amazing work Carevan does and they can be volunteers in the future as well."

Ms Kellahan said there's still opportunities to donate to the appeal at Wodonga and West End Plaza.

"Sadly, more people than ever before are in a crisis," she said.

"The cost of living, food and even just heating your home is putting an exponential cost on people, so the more people can contribute, even if it's a little thing like a dollar pack of pasta, will make a big difference."

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