Canberrans are being asked to donate unwanted camping gear to the homeless.
Homeless Care Packs is using the items in care packages.
They are looking for sleeping bags, tracksuit pants, tents and swags.
Founder Ammie Barrett said she has noticed a rise in rough sleepers since last year.
She said people who receive packages - which may contain food, toiletries, and clothes - are "always very grateful."
"Sometimes they end up in tears, but they're always grateful and very compassionate people," she said.
Sometimes they end up in tears, but they're always grateful and very compassionate people.
Ammie Barrett
Other contributions include sanitary and hygiene items, sheets and towels, non-perishable foods, clothing and pet food.
Ms Barrett said that most of the homeless people she comes across have pets, who are also sleeping rough.
"Everyone we come across has dogs," she said.
"Their dogs are their life and they tend to look after their dogs more than themselves, so we make sure that there is enough for both them and their dogs to keep warm."
People can also drop off cans and bottles, which are recycled to help buy packs.
"Most of our donations right now are coming from the public alone and the cash donations we directly spend on our packs," she said.
The boxes are distributed around Canberra and Queanbeyan.
Canberra has one of the highest-growing rates of homelessness in the country, a Productivity Commission report found in January.
The report said the government was not meeting the housing needs of one-third of people in the ACT receiving homeless support.
Only 20 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on support were having their needs met.
Homelessness, rough sleeping and a lack of affordable housing is an issue across the country, a recent study found.
A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found there are only 436,000 social housing dwellings for more than 800,000 people.
The report also found the proportion of social housing decreased from 4.7 per cent of all dwellings in 2010 to 4.2 per cent last year.
People are urged to donate the following items:
- Swags
- Sleeping bags
- Tents
- Track pants
- Shirts
- Jumpers
- Woolly socks
- Hand warmers
- Beanies
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Blankets
- Non-perishable food
- Women's pads and tampons
- Soap and
- Deodorant
- Colouring books
- Heat bags
- Powerbanks
- Teen's winter clothing
- Dog food
- Flea and worming tablets
The drop-off point for donations is 28 Echnida Street, Throsby.
Correction: The drop-off point has changed from when the original article was written. It is no longer located at Ngunnawal.
