Temperatures plummeted to below zero in many parts of Australia overnight and the need to dig deep and help the homeless is greater than ever.

“During these colder periods when extreme weather events become more frequent, homeless people are more susceptible to depression and making bad choices due to the desperate situation they find themselves in,” the Salvation Army’s Sydney Inner City Homelessness Director, Major Bryce Davies said.

“It is vital that we are able to accommodate the extra influx of people needing housing assistance this winter. Being turned away from shelter because there aren’t enough beds is a bitter pill to swallow.”

And according to Foster House team leader Claude Robinson, who helped 400 homeless and at risk people last year alone, there are a number of ways people can help the approximate 100,000 homeless Australians sleeping rough during this period.

Meshel Laurie interviews a Melbourne homeless man for her podcast, The Nitty Gritty Committee.