Currently studying at MacKillop College, Kirra is on a quest to help the homeless populations in Port Macquarie by collecting coats, scarves and jumpers to ensure those on the street stay warm.

“About a month ago I was in English class listening to my teacher talk about how many of our perfectly good clothes go to landfill each year,” Kirra said.

“Then in the next lesson we were learning about how many people in Port Macquarie don’t have a bed or a house to live in and that made me really sad.

“I went home and couldn’t sleep so I wanted to come up with a way of reducing our waste and help the homeless people in town at the same time.

“So I spoke to my mum and dad and came up with a clothes drive and placing two coat racks in town.”

Although still in the early days, Kirra said her clothes drive plan is about helping those who need it most.

“Every night I come home to a nice warm house with blankets but there are so many who don’t and I really wanted to do something to help,” she said.

“I went and spoke to the people at the soup kitchen run out of the Masonic Lodge and at the Youth Hub and they have agreed to have a coat rack for people who need warm clothes to come and take when they need.

“My dad and I have handmade the racks and they will be going up in the next couple of weeks.

“We will also be collecting donations of coats, scarves, beanies, towels and blankets so we can give them to people who need them.”

She said there are two benefits to her plan, one is to help those in need and the other is to help the environment.

“I think we all need to make an effort to reduce how much good stuff goes to landfill and also to help those in need.

“So far everyone I have spoken to has been really nice and helpful and when school goes back I will have a drop off zone at my school office for people to donate to.

“I have also gone back to my old school St Peter’s Primary and put a flyer in their newsletter so hopefully when school goes back we will get some more donations.”

Kirra said she hopes by sharing her plan people dig deep and help others in the community.

“I think it is really important to help others because especially in winter most of us go home to a heated house and snuggle up in bed with lots of blankets.

“But we don't realise there are some people out there that don’t have any of that and they are sitting on the streets freezing.

“Most of us would think how do they do it, but that is their normal life and if we can help we should.”