People in Tamworth are urged to brave the chill by signing up to the St Vinnies Community Sleepout to raise funds and awareness for homelessness and disadvantage.
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The event will be held at McCarthy College on Tribe Street from 6pm on Friday, August 25, with those who feel the cold urged to bring along a sleeping bag, warm blankets, a pillow, warm clothing and a water bottle.
With a goal of reaching $15,000, the fundraiser has already had at least three people signup and raised nearly $2000.
But they need more participants, so businesses and community members interested in participating in the local event or donating can do so here.
St Vinnies' Paul Crayn said all funds raised will go towards the "care and support" of people in the Tamworth district and the drug rehabilitation centre at Rosalie House.
"We are seeing more people using our services and presenting as homeless," Mr Crayn said.
"We had a client come in this morning, absolutely homeless and devastated with nowhere to go.
"He didn't know what to do. So we helped him out and gave him some assistance.
"So that will get him by in the short term, but then he has to try and rebuild his life again. So that's happening all the time."
Mr Crayn said St Vinnies is "seeing more clients coming in who have two incomes and they still can't make ends meet with the cost of living crisis."
Participants will be able to choose whether they'd prefer to sleep on cardboard inside or brave the elements in the great outdoors.
The St Vinnies Sleepout will be held in about six locations across NSW on August 25, including Tamworth, Armidale, Albury, Tweed Heads, western parts of Sydney and Wagga.
The event in Tamworth was cancelled last year due to COVID restrictions, Mr Crayn said.
More than 122,000, including 17,600 children under the age of 12, are currently experiencing homelessness across Australia.
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