One hundred or more people in our community are forced to sleep rough, according to Haven; Home, Safe.

A donation of 1100 cans of soup by Jenny’s Early Learning Centres in Bendigo will help provide a warm, nourishing meal to those in need. 

“All of us wanted to do something to help the homeless,” chef Dean Bennett said. 

He said the centres were overwhelmed by the response from parents and staff. 

Haven; Home, Safe support services general manager Melissa Lenten said soup would be distributed to those in need from the not-for-profit company’s office in Forest Street, Bendigo. 

She thanked Jenny’s Early Learning Centres in Bendigo for co-ordinating the soup drive and praised the families for their generosity. 

“Winter is a particularly tough time of the year for the homeless with temperatures dipping close to zero most nights,” Ms Lenten said.

“But being homeless isn’t just sleeping rough… it’s also couch surfing, or staying in substandard, unsafe, or overcrowded accommodation.”

Homelessness Australia states children are one of the largest groups of Australians experiencing homelessness. 

“So, for us, it’s a really clear link between people sleeping rough and children being affected,” Jenny’s Early Learning Centre managing director Darren Reid said.

“By doing this, we want to help the homeless in general, but specifically children, have access to food.”

All four Jenny’s Early Learning Centres in Bendigo contributed to the initiative.

Mr Reid said there were about 600 families across the four sites.