Woman's caravan gift helps man escape more than a year sleeping rough
Dorothy Maafu's caravan gift and six months of park stays helped homeless Jake Dell'Aquila find work and a home.
Jake Dell'Aquila lived in a tent on Rosebud beach for more than a year with his dog. Jake Dell'Aquila tried every available service for help but nothing worked.
Dorothy Maafu, a nearby woman, started talking to him on morning dog walks and eventually invited him home for some meals and a shower. Dorothy then bought a second-hand caravan and paid for six months of caravan park stays to give Jake shelter and stability.
The shelter allowed Jake to find work and eventually secure a rental property. Jake says he would still be homeless without Dorothy's help.
The Mornington Peninsula had 110 people sleeping rough in mid-2025, the highest number of any Victorian local government area.
- More than 12 months
- Months on beach
- German shepherd dog
- Companion
- Six months
- Park stay duration
- 110 in mid-2025 on Mornington Peninsula
- Rough sleepers in area
Why it mattersIt shows how one person's help can succeed where official programs struggle, especially for people facing barriers like having a pet or family problems.
AustraliaNearly 3,000 people sought homelessness services in the Mornington Peninsula area last financial year; nationally, almost 289,000 people accessed specialist homelessness services while another 370,000 requests went unanswered.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
