Donations for Dignity

From 5-23 July, ACU Engagement and Campus Ministry invite ACU staff on all campuses to donate unopened and unexpired personal hygiene products to support the health and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness or displacement.

To ensure our donations meet specific community needs, we have partnered with local community organisations at each campus:

• Melbourne: St Mary's House of Welcome
• Ballarat: Pop Up Shop for Homeless and Those in Need
• North Sydney: Arrupe Place of the Jesuit Refugee Service Australia
• Blacktown and Strathfield: St Clare’s Catholic High School and St Agnes Catholic High School
• Brisbane: Emmanuel City Mission
• Canberra: Companion House

St Mary’s House of Welcome, our community partner for Melbourne Campus, provides showers to hundreds of people who are sleeping rough or experiencing other types of primary or tertiary homelessness each year. On making a difference in the lives of their homeless community members, Kristine Robertson, Executive Manager, Fundraising and Communications, says, “This is incredibly important and makes a huge difference.

“The men and women who use our shower facilities come into our service oftentimes carrying everything they own on their back. Some haven’t had the opportunity to wash for days. Due to the wonderful donations of toiletries, underwear and other clothes, such as those from ACU, we can provide a hygiene pack (soap or shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrush, shave kit, shampoo, hand sanitiser), as well as fresh underwear and socks to everyone who needs them.

“It might seem insignificant to those of us who are able to easily access showers and toiletries at our homes but, to the men and women living on the street, being able to have a hot shower, get clean and feel fresh helps restore dignity and improves overall physical and mental wellbeing.”

Visit the Donations for Dignity webpage to find out what’s needed in your community