Vinnies is stepping up its appeal for warm clothes for Canberra's largely unseen homeless people, as the national capital prepares for more rainy days and freezing nights.
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The organisation wants people living in warm homes to imagine what it would be like to be cold and homeless during winter.
It is sending teams to try to help those, mainly men, who are sleeping rough in Canberra.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting rain this week and sub-zero temperatures during the weekend.
Shannon Pickles, director of services for the St Vincent de Paul Society, said the organisation was working at full capacity.
"There's never a lack of need. There's not a single homelessness program that I operate that doesn't consistently run at 100 per cent capacity," he said.
The recent CEO Sleepout helped raise awareness in the community about the plight of people without shelter, enduring sub-zero conditions. Hundreds of captains of industry spent one uncomfortable night experiencing what homeless people face every night, for the society's flagship fundraiser.
"But I've no doubt there are still some [people] quite surprised to find there are still rough sleepers around and homeless people around," Mr Pickles said.
"We could always use more donations, obviously, and more interest and more support.
"At this time of year, it's really important that people have a think about what it would be like to be outside themselves, or what it would feel like for their families."
Services are under strain, as homeless people regularly head to Canberra in winter, apparently believing they will be taken care of in the seat of national government.
On Thursday, Vinnies and Communities@Work will launch the 2015 Canberra Community Sleepout, which seeks to create awareness of homelessness and its causes and to raise funds to support homelessness services. This year's sleepout, on October 16, will highlight the link between family violence and becoming homeless.
In the ACT, 29 per cent of people who are homeless are escaping family violence.
Every night of the week, the Vinnies' Night Patrol van provides tea and talk for homeless people in Canberra.
Erin MacArthur, the street services co-ordinator, said the van was run by volunteers trained to help support those in need.
"They provide light refreshments, but the main scope of the service is social inclusion and friendly conversation," she said.
The Street to Home program seeks out people sleeping rough, such as on Mount Ainslie, to offer blankets and accommodation.
"We're able to visit locations where people are feeling comfortable to have a visit and start to engage them into the supports that the St Vincent de Paul Society has to offer and community supports that are appropriate," Ms MacArthur said
