Amenity packs to help homeless beat the heat

The 24-year-old started the organisation a year ago with friends Brendan Liveris, Conrad Liveris and Jessica Short, aiming to educate the community about homelessness in a fun and accessible way as well as creating change by building relationships with the homeless community.

A year on they are hoping their summer campaign, Beat the Heat, will raise $1500 by New Year’s Eve to create packs of necessities for the homeless.

Ms De Witt Hemala said each amenity pack cost $15.

Among other items, the pack contains soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen cream and sanitary pads.

‘Over the past year we’ve had the chance to meet many of our brothers and sisters on the street and many of them have been dealt a bad hand and they’re on the streets due to circumstances out of their control,’ she said.

‘Every time the weather hits 40C in summer, my thoughts go out to them sitting outside with nowhere to go.

‘And no matter how warm it gets during the day, it can get quite cold at night and sleeping becomes uncomfortable for those who can’t find shelter indoors.’

She said the organisation has received 400 items of clothing that would also be included in the packs that would be distributed throughout Perth next month.

To donate to the Street Smugglers’ Beat the Heat campaign, visit chuffed.org/project/beattheheat or find them on Facebook.