Holistic Recovery staff spent a night sleeping rough during a Tamworth winter to raise awareness and funds for homelessness in the region.
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With nothing but cardboard to sleep on, Bella Mitchell camped out with her colleagues Bhavin Patel, Lauren Bryant, Angela Brazel and Tamara Lawrence in the company's car park in Brisbane Street on Friday August 11.
Shut off the building, the comrades only had access to the toilets to simulate what people living on the streets with only a sleeping bag and a backpack have to deal with in accessing basic amenities and warmth.
All up the team raised about $350 that will go to Homes North to help supply emergency accommodation, rental affordability, and help secure long-term houses for those in precarious situations.
Ms Mitchell said the experience left her feeling "tired, cranky and on edge" due to the lack of sleep and the sounds of "weird noises like possums" constantly keeping them awake.
"That was definitely the biggest challenge for a lot of us - not having that comfort of knowing we were going to go home to our own beds where it's warm and safe," she said.
"We were lucky we were safe as we locked the car park, had lights on and had toilets, but that's not the reality - most people aren't in a safe environment.
"How do they sleep when they don't know who's walking by or where the toilet is?"
The team allocated themselves a food budget of $10 each to stymie the gnawing hunger of street life, couch surfing or living in temporary accommodation without much money.
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They were able to buy three tacos each from Zambrero on Peel Street, and after explaining their situation to the owner of an Indian restaurant in town, they were handed a small serve of butter chicken.
"There are soup kitchens that run throughout the day ... but when it's night time, it's a lot harder to find something [to eat]," Ms Mitchell said.
"We were in East Tamworth, so if the soup kitchen is in West Tamworth and we're on foot then that's a long way to go."
Holistic Recovery has a mental health focus and supports people with psychosocial disabilities and provides recovery coaching and support for those living independently.
For those looking to participate in the next sleepout, St Vincent De Paul Society is holding a St Vinnie's Community Sleepout at McCarthy College on August 25.
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