July 21, 2025 • 7 mins
With so many in our community doing it tough this winter, Clairsy & Lisa have teamed up with Anglicare WA for Caring Coats - a simple way to help keep someone warm. From now until Friday 8 August, they’re collecting clean, wearable, used or new coats and jackets to pass on to those who need them most. To kick off the initiative, Anglicare WA’s Acting CEO Philippa Boldy and Housing Co-ordinator Nick Mathieson dropped by to chat about the difference your donation can make.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is midwinter. It is very chilly now, and we
come to work early in the morning when it's extra freezing.
We've had issues with our boiler that we've talked about
a lot, and all we can think about is the
people who don't have homes right now, dealing with these
temperatures in cars or on the street. I was cleaning
out my spare rooms, sorting out clothes over the break,
and I realized that I've got a lot of spare
(00:22):
winter coats, some never even used, that I don't need,
and they should go to someone you know who well,
they could easily go to someone who could really use them.
So I've got us thinking about doing a collection to
gather as many coats you know, new or good quality
secondhand as possible and donate them to an organization who
(00:42):
can get them distributed to people who need them. We're
calling it carrying Coats, and Anglicare Doubly Way has agreed
to help us out, and Philip A. Boldi and Nick
Matheson are joining us from Anglicare doubly Way.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hello, welcome you to Monie.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Thank you for coming in, and thank you for helping
us out. Obviously, the homeless situation is a very broad,
difficult issue in our community. But you know, it's it's something,
isn't it something we could do?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
It is.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, it's a small but quite important thing I think
people can do. We think that being able to give
a gift like this really helps people's sense of connection
and empathy to people who are experiencing the kind of
hardships that being homeless involves. Yeah and yeah, so we're
thinking that this is an opportunity for people to really
(01:37):
to connect with those who are experiencing homelessness, to use
that empathy that we know that you know, people in
community have, and to be able to do one small
thing in what is quite a complex social problem.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, you make such an amazing point. It's not just
the physical act of you know, getting someone into a
coat that might make them physically warmers, you know, bigger
picture of taking a moment to understand, you know, what's
going on.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, and look, we know that homelessness affects people right
across the community. You know, the current housing pressures that
we're experiencing in Western Australia mean that most people know
someone who's in housing stress. It's only a few small
steps from that to homelessness. You know, they could be
your neighbors, they could be your brothers or your sisters,
(02:25):
or your family members or friends. And we think that
the opportunity to be able to take one small action
is a really helpful thing for people right across our community.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Nick is the housing coordinator. You know, everything that numbers,
the figures are the stats firsthand, but fundamentally, there are
people on the street as we speak, feeling the cold
this morning, or they're in a car or whatever it is.
It is quite a crisis right now, isn't it is.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
It is a big crisis. And what we see, you know,
through our housing homelessness programs, is there's many people coming
in newly into homelessness. You know, as you've just mentioned
now about the housing christ it's impacting so many people
from so many walks of life. You know, the figures
that we see and know it's from our database to
buy a name list that Perth currently has around nine
(03:11):
hundred people rough sleeping.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Horrendous it is because there's people that sleep on the streets,
but there's also a lot of people that are living
in their car, isn't there?
Speaker 4 (03:20):
And that's what we've seen a big increase and people
living in their cars and you know, we're trying to
find a safe space to part their car up for
the night where they're not going to be disturbed.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
The frightening thing is there's so many children that are
also attached to the families that are rough sleeping in cars,
people have pets.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
More and more difficult.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So how will you will be able to help us
distribute the coats? How will that work?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And so we're going to collect the coats through you guys, Yeah, yeah,
and then from there we're going to distribute them through
anglic airwa's timelessness services, So those like the ones that
Nick works with in the southern suburbs of Perth and
those that operate in other parts of the Perth metro
area and beyond. So housing support worker programs that are
(04:09):
working with people who are rough sleeping, trying to support
them into housing, our youth homelessness programs that work with
young people on the streets as well, our longer term
housing programs as well, where people are perhaps supported in
the longer term to stabilize as well.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, slightly different to the thing where we go. I've
got a couple of things at time, throw them in
a bag and take them to a service and the
serve then is sold to the general public. So this
is slightly different because this is going straight to the
people who need the most.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, that's right, and we can make sure that those
coats are going to the right coats are going to
the right places as well.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yeah, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I think it's quite a unique way of doing it
with the coats because a lot of the time it's
sleeping bags. And as important as a sleeping bag is,
it's the coat that can keep somebody away from the
rain with the waterproof coat. So I think, you know,
there is that, you know, real importance when it comes
to something is simple that we take for granted, is
so important.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
For somebody, especially to mobile. You know, you can't walk
around with a sleeping bag.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Well on a day to day basis at anglicare doubly
way do you collect things for people in need? What
is one way that people listening now can help angler care?
Doubly way?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Well, I think there's a range of things that people
can do, and it's not uncommon for people to feel
quite powerless when they particularly when they see rough sleepers
on the street. What can I do? You know, their
heart goes out to the person on the street and
they're not sure what to do. So this initiative is
one small way that people can step up. There's a
range of other things that people can do as well. So,
you know, we'd encourage people to regularly support the charities
(05:44):
that they know work to address homelessness in our community.
We encourage people to treat rough sleepers with respect and dignity.
That's really important. That's another thing that people can do.
If people are feeling really fired up and they want
to take further action, you know, you might want to
consider writing to your local MP about how important is
(06:05):
shoe is for you yep, as well and highlighting what
you're noticing this winter.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yeah, so keeping at that sort of front of mind
in the you know, talking about it. Well, here's what
we're going to do. Have a look around your old play,
your place for any coats or jackets that you don't need.
It's maybe ones you don't wear anymore, ones that one
you're hoping you're going to fit into.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Absolutely that's not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, of course we do need them, be good, Nick,
We'll happily take brand new ones. They do need to
be clean and in good condition for us to take
them because we are going to be distributing them straight
to the people. Drop them off to us here at
ninety six FM. We're at one hundred and sixty nine
Hay Street in East Perth. You can do it between
nine am and four point thirty pm Monday to Friday.
(06:50):
We're going to do this over the next couple of
weeks and our friends at Anglicare Dowly Way are going
to do the rest. So all the infos on the
ninety six AFM event page. Let's see if we can
just make you know a little bit of a difference.
Every little difference adds up. Thank you guys, Thank you
for the work you're doing. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Thanks guys, Thank you all the best.
It is midwinter. It is very chilly now, and we
come to work early in the morning when it's extra freezing.
We've had issues with our boiler that we've talked about
a lot, and all we can think about is the
people who don't have homes right now, dealing with these
temperatures in cars or on the street. I was cleaning
out my spare rooms, sorting out clothes over the break,
and I realized that I've got a lot of spare
(00:22):
winter coats, some never even used, that I don't need,
and they should go to someone you know who well,
they could easily go to someone who could really use them.
So I've got us thinking about doing a collection to
gather as many coats you know, new or good quality
secondhand as possible and donate them to an organization who
(00:42):
can get them distributed to people who need them. We're
calling it carrying Coats, and Anglicare Doubly Way has agreed
to help us out, and Philip A. Boldi and Nick
Matheson are joining us from Anglicare doubly Way.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hello, welcome you to Monie.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Thank you for coming in, and thank you for helping
us out. Obviously, the homeless situation is a very broad,
difficult issue in our community. But you know, it's it's something,
isn't it something we could do?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
It is.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, it's a small but quite important thing I think
people can do. We think that being able to give
a gift like this really helps people's sense of connection
and empathy to people who are experiencing the kind of
hardships that being homeless involves. Yeah and yeah, so we're
thinking that this is an opportunity for people to really
(01:37):
to connect with those who are experiencing homelessness, to use
that empathy that we know that you know, people in
community have, and to be able to do one small
thing in what is quite a complex social problem.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, you make such an amazing point. It's not just
the physical act of you know, getting someone into a
coat that might make them physically warmers, you know, bigger
picture of taking a moment to understand, you know, what's
going on.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, and look, we know that homelessness affects people right
across the community. You know, the current housing pressures that
we're experiencing in Western Australia mean that most people know
someone who's in housing stress. It's only a few small
steps from that to homelessness. You know, they could be
your neighbors, they could be your brothers or your sisters,
(02:25):
or your family members or friends. And we think that
the opportunity to be able to take one small action
is a really helpful thing for people right across our community.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Nick is the housing coordinator. You know, everything that numbers,
the figures are the stats firsthand, but fundamentally, there are
people on the street as we speak, feeling the cold
this morning, or they're in a car or whatever it is.
It is quite a crisis right now, isn't it is.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
It is a big crisis. And what we see, you know,
through our housing homelessness programs, is there's many people coming
in newly into homelessness. You know, as you've just mentioned
now about the housing christ it's impacting so many people
from so many walks of life. You know, the figures
that we see and know it's from our database to
buy a name list that Perth currently has around nine
(03:11):
hundred people rough sleeping.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Horrendous it is because there's people that sleep on the streets,
but there's also a lot of people that are living
in their car, isn't there?
Speaker 4 (03:20):
And that's what we've seen a big increase and people
living in their cars and you know, we're trying to
find a safe space to part their car up for
the night where they're not going to be disturbed.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
The frightening thing is there's so many children that are
also attached to the families that are rough sleeping in cars,
people have pets.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
More and more difficult.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So how will you will be able to help us
distribute the coats? How will that work?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And so we're going to collect the coats through you guys, Yeah, yeah,
and then from there we're going to distribute them through
anglic airwa's timelessness services, So those like the ones that
Nick works with in the southern suburbs of Perth and
those that operate in other parts of the Perth metro
area and beyond. So housing support worker programs that are
(04:09):
working with people who are rough sleeping, trying to support
them into housing, our youth homelessness programs that work with
young people on the streets as well, our longer term
housing programs as well, where people are perhaps supported in
the longer term to stabilize as well.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, slightly different to the thing where we go. I've
got a couple of things at time, throw them in
a bag and take them to a service and the
serve then is sold to the general public. So this
is slightly different because this is going straight to the
people who need the most.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Yeah, that's right, and we can make sure that those
coats are going to the right coats are going to
the right places as well.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yeah, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I think it's quite a unique way of doing it
with the coats because a lot of the time it's
sleeping bags. And as important as a sleeping bag is,
it's the coat that can keep somebody away from the
rain with the waterproof coat. So I think, you know,
there is that, you know, real importance when it comes
to something is simple that we take for granted, is
so important.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
For somebody, especially to mobile. You know, you can't walk
around with a sleeping bag.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Well on a day to day basis at anglicare doubly
way do you collect things for people in need? What
is one way that people listening now can help angler care?
Doubly way?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Well, I think there's a range of things that people
can do, and it's not uncommon for people to feel
quite powerless when they particularly when they see rough sleepers
on the street. What can I do? You know, their
heart goes out to the person on the street and
they're not sure what to do. So this initiative is
one small way that people can step up. There's a
range of other things that people can do as well. So,
you know, we'd encourage people to regularly support the charities
(05:44):
that they know work to address homelessness in our community.
We encourage people to treat rough sleepers with respect and dignity.
That's really important. That's another thing that people can do.
If people are feeling really fired up and they want
to take further action, you know, you might want to
consider writing to your local MP about how important is
(06:05):
shoe is for you yep, as well and highlighting what
you're noticing this winter.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yeah, so keeping at that sort of front of mind
in the you know, talking about it. Well, here's what
we're going to do. Have a look around your old play,
your place for any coats or jackets that you don't need.
It's maybe ones you don't wear anymore, ones that one
you're hoping you're going to fit into.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Absolutely that's not going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, of course we do need them, be good, Nick,
We'll happily take brand new ones. They do need to
be clean and in good condition for us to take
them because we are going to be distributing them straight
to the people. Drop them off to us here at
ninety six FM. We're at one hundred and sixty nine
Hay Street in East Perth. You can do it between
nine am and four point thirty pm Monday to Friday.
(06:50):
We're going to do this over the next couple of
weeks and our friends at Anglicare Dowly Way are going
to do the rest. So all the infos on the
ninety six AFM event page. Let's see if we can
just make you know a little bit of a difference.
Every little difference adds up. Thank you guys, Thank you
for the work you're doing. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Thanks guys, Thank you all the best.
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