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Blankets in 2017
300 Blankets was born out of the constant need for blankets amongst people experiencing homelessness in Australia. After volunteering their time to assist a local soup van distribute food to those in need, the founders of 300 Blankets came to understand that, after food and water, blankets were the most sought after item by those […]
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Homelessness in Melbourne
Homelessness is an extremely complex issue. There are many potential reasons that people find themselves without a home, and, unfortunately, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to homelessness. The short-sighted reaction from police and local government to move people off the street is not only incredibly disheartening, but it will also simply […]
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Social Inclusion
Social inclusion week was first launched in 2009 by Dr Jonathon Welch AM, with the goal of helping to make all Australians feel included and valued in society. The initiative aims to help people who may feel isolated, excluded, and unable to help themselves, by connecting them with local communities, workmates, friends, and family. This […]
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Friendships Matter
On Saturday morning, I drove an hour to help my friend Ash move into his new unit. He has been looking forward to this unit for a while and I was so excited to check it out. We’ve been friends for almost 5 years now and are in touch quite regularly. Through the years, Ash has […]
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Winter Appeal 2016
With winter just around the corner, we are in need of your support to keep our community warm. This year we have accepted the challenge to provide blankets for another two more beneficiaries. Each beneficiary, from Launch Housing and the Royal District Nursing Service – Homeless Peoples Program to UnitingCare and Urban Seed plays a […]
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“Food is just a means to an end, what they really want is a conversation”
This is what Brother Doug Walsh said to us before we set off to distribute the food from the Vinnie’s Soup Van. I took this on board, but didn’t fully understand the true meaning of it until I’d volunteered a couple of times on the streets and in the boarding houses. Having never volunteered before, I was unsure and a […]
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2015 – A Year in Review
At 300 Blankets, we put all of our energy into developing and growing our four core pillars which define who we are: Blankets, Education, Community Engagement, and Outreach. We constantly challenge each of our defining pillars to ensure we not only serve an important purpose in our community but continue to make a significant difference to […]
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St Francis de Sales – Action Team
Over the last few months, the amazing Year 3 and 4 students in the Action Team at St Francis de Sales Primary School in Lynbrook, adopted our mission to keep our community warm. After a Skype conference with 300 Blankets, the passionate group set out to make a difference for people experiencing homelessness in Melbourne. Lead […]
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Even the homeless have birthdays
On my way to work today, I walked past a lady in clothes that has probably seen better days. She was holding up a sign saying that it was her birthday. I stopped and to have a chat with her. It turns out it was her 30th. Instantly a feeling of sadness swept over me. I revealed to her […]
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Secrets of our great city
Today Melbourne celebrated being acknowledged as the worlds most liveable city in the world by The Economist for the 5th year in a row. What an achievement. Born and bred here, I love Melbourne. But tonight, as I do every Wednesday, I spent the night volunteering with the local soup vans. If we are to celebrate what […]
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