St Kilda Football Club marked Homeless Persons Week with players and club officials serving meals to people experiencing homelessness at Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda on Friday.

The Mission’s General Manager of Community Services, Mary Bartlett, said the people who come to Sacred Heart Mission for meals and support are often socially isolated and excluded from mainstream activities. 

“Football plays a big role in community life in Australia. Having people from the St Kilda Football Club come into Sacred Heart Mission to help serve meals sends a positive message that the wider community is concerned about homelessness in Australia and wants to understand the issues our clients are grappling with,” she said. 

St Kilda players Jimmy Webster and Eli Templeton joined CEO Matthew Finnis and club officials in the dining hall, helping to serve lunch and cleaning up the service.

St Kilda Football Club CEO Matthew Finnis said together with the club’s heartland charity partner, Sacred Heart Mission, the Saints are committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness.

“The St Kilda Football Club is proud to have the Sacred Heart Mission as its heartland charity partner. As a club, we are passionate about breaking the cycle of homelessness and the dining hall service provided by Sacred Heart Mission is a pivotal way to help and support those who need it the most,” he said.

“The work Sacred Heart does in the community 365 days of the year is incredible and we are happy to help however we can.” 

Data released in the last month by the Council to Homeless Persons shows the State Government electorate of Albert Park, which includes St Kilda, has the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in the whole state of Victoria. 

Over the past year, the Mission’s meeting place, which includes its dining hall, has seen an increase in the number of people sleeping rough by more than 10%. 

There has also been a rise in people sleeping in cars and improvised dwellings like tents.

St Kilda Football Club will also support the Hearts when they play in the Reclink Grand Final on Thursday 14^th August at Peanut Farm Reserve in St Kilda, handing out giveaways and erecting a team banner pre-game.

The Mission’s annual fundraiser for its dining hall, the Heart of St Kilda Concert, is on next Wednesday at the Palais Theatre and aims to raise funds for 13,000 meals.