AS THE days grow colder, a Geelong-based Christian radio station is collecting blankets and sleeping bags to spread a bit of warmth to those doing it tough.<\/p>\n
The initiative, known as Blanket Geelong, is led by presenter Leroy Brown and the team behind 96threeFM, and aims to raise awareness of the region’s rising homeless population.<\/p>\n
More than 1,500 people were counted as experiencing homelessness in Geelong on census night in 2021, double the number recorded during the previous census just four years earlier.<\/p>\n
“Homelessness is not going away. It’s an issue that has surfaced throughout Geelong over the years and it doesn’t seem to be shrinking,” Brown said.<\/p>\n
“Homelessness is on our streets, and you might not see it. It might be hidden, and it might be well-disguised, but it does exist, and we need to open our eyes to it.”<\/p>\n
This year, Brown and his crew are seeking both new and pre-loved sleeping bags and small, easy-to-carry blankets, with all donations to go to major partner The Outpost and any other outreach service that puts its hand up for support. All donations, however, will be put to good use.<\/p>\n
“What The Outpost are telling us is people who are underprivileged or don’t have a home for the night would prefer something they can roll up, put in a backpack possibly, and walk around with.<\/p>\n
“What they’re finding is the large blankets that get donated, people use them for one night, they get rained on, they get damp, and they get thrown in the trash.<\/p>\n
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