WINTER SLEEPING BAG APPEAL – SLEEPING BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS
Rotary Central Melbourne supports two local homeless welfare centres, namely Youth Projects (located in Hosier Lane) and St Mary’s House of Welcome (located in Fitzroy). They both provide a wide range of services to homeless people in the CBD and inner suburbs of Fitzroy/Collingwood, including the distribution of over 400 sleeping bags to help those sleeping rough through the approaching cold winter.
This time last year, we provided a large number of sleeping bags to both organisations, which were quickly distributed to their clients and much appreciated. We want to do so again. The need is real as the numbers sleeping rough have escalated and temperatures will soon be dropping. Our objective is to collect or purchase at least 170 sleeping bags and distribute them in April/ May. This should be achievable given a successful Rotary District 9800 Foundation Grant application. This is effectively the return of previously donated funds to The Rotary Foundation, back to clubs to match funding on worthy projects. The Rotary Foundation's matching grant structure is one of many good reasons why we support donations to them - those donations are offered back to clubs to do good in the world.
The Community Service Committee is now seeking your support in any the following ways:
1. Donate any unwanted sleeping bags your family, your friends or you may have (in good condition that are winter grade).
2. Visit your local op shops to see if you can purchase winter grade sleeping bags (in good condition) for modest prices and drop them in to one of the committee members listed below.
3. Donate to Rotary Central Melbourne by depositing funds into RCM’s bank account (details below) before 15 April 2026 – and note as “sleeping bags”. Forty dollars will purchase one bag. If you plan to donate funds, please contact Rebecca John (email below) and let her know how many bags you are donating funds for. We will then purchase bags from a supplier who sell high quality winter grade bags at a very competitive price.
4. If you have sleeping bags you can contact any of the following Community Service committee members either to drop sleeping bags off with them or for pick up from you, by 30 April 2025:
1. Donate any unwanted sleeping bags your family, your friends or you may have (in good condition that are winter grade).
2. Visit your local op shops to see if you can purchase winter grade sleeping bags (in good condition) for modest prices and drop them in to one of the committee members listed below.
3. Donate to Rotary Central Melbourne by depositing funds into RCM’s bank account (details below) before 15 April 2026 – and note as “sleeping bags”. Forty dollars will purchase one bag. If you plan to donate funds, please contact Rebecca John (email below) and let her know how many bags you are donating funds for. We will then purchase bags from a supplier who sell high quality winter grade bags at a very competitive price.
4. If you have sleeping bags you can contact any of the following Community Service committee members either to drop sleeping bags off with them or for pick up from you, by 30 April 2025:
· Tom Callander (East Malvern) tcallander@rigbycooke.com.au
· Rebecca John (Eaglemont) beng1@iprimus.com.au
· Rohan Williams (St Kilda) rdwrcm@gmail.com
· Peter Duras (Southbank) peter.duras@bigpond.com
Sleeping bags should preferably be “zero or minus 4 degrees centigrade” grade, but all will be gratefully accepted.
RCM Banking details are as follows:
Bank Westpac
BSB - 033000
Account Number – 791085
Please make a note of your name and sleeping bags.
Bank Westpac
BSB - 033000
Account Number – 791085
Please make a note of your name and sleeping bags.
If you have any questions, please contact Tom Callander or Rebecca John.