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Wednesday 16 August 2023
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Taking to the streets to help the homeless
Liz Bell liz@mpnews.com.au
Early days: Teacher Kath Snooks and learning support officer Ange Faoro took a journey back in time to celebrate 100 days of school with prep students Henry and Winnie. Pictures: Supplied
Marking the first 100 days of school THE prep class at St Mary’s Primary School, Hastings celebrated 100 days at school on Wednesday week 2 August. The day's theme was 100 days smarter and 100 years old. The children and teachers came dressed as 100-year-olds and participated in various activities at St Mary’s Aged Care Village. The day began with a parade to show costumes to the rest of the school and families. For mathematics, the children used their counting skills to create Fruit Loop necklaces of 100 beads. They also made predictions and tested these us-
ing balance scales to identify the lightest and heaviest bag of 100 objects that children brought to school. During literacy, the children wrote about what they could do because they were 100 days smarter. During inquiry, the children became creative with cut-out numbers for 100 and used the three digits to create pictures now displayed on the pin board near the art room. Learning support officer Carol McMahon said the children had a wonderful day, and especially enjoyed their “celebration cookie”.
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WELFARE services, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and residents took to the streets of Rosebud on Friday for a walk and rally to call for an end to homelessness on the peninsula. The walk came as the peninsula’s only crisis accommodation looks set to close. The event was a collaboration between Fusion Mornington Peninsula, Mornington Community Support Centre, Western Port Community Support, Southern Peninsula Community Support and the shire. The walk started at 4pm at Rosebud pier and went along Pt Nepean Road and past Memorial Hall, to finally gather for a rally at the sound shell, where there was a welcome to country and speakers. The event finished around 6pm. Southern Peninsula Community Support CEO Jeremy Maxwell said the walk was an important way to raise awareness of homelessness. He said at least 1000 people in the community were experiencing homelessness, but if areas close to Frankston were included the number would “probably double”. “In the recent census the shire moved from sixth worse area to the fourth worse area for rough sleeping in Victoria,” he said. “This is not a race we want to win.” Maxwell said there was only one
crisis accommodation centre on the peninsula, The Ranch Motel, Mornington, which was jointly operated by Mornington Community Support Centre and Southern Peninsula Community Support and used by several agencies. It’s operations were financed through donations, but it would close because the owners were redeveloping. It is estimated that at least 16 per cent of the peninsula’s homeless are rough sleeping every night, many on the foreshore. More than 4000 residents are on public housing waiting lists, but there are just over 1400 social housing properties. Maxwell said government initiatives include 34 new public housing properties, with about half being at the construction phase. Continued Page 6
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