By night he was sleeping "in a box" inside one of the campus buildings at the university where he was studying.

But then he completed his degree.

"Once I lost 24-hour access, I realised I was ... homeless," he told the Newcastle Herald.

"I didn't have the outside-world skills. I just wasn't trained in them."

Danny, born and raised in Newcastle, was sleeping rough while studying at a uni outside the Hunter.

He returned to his hometown after his studies finished and has since become a success story of St Vincent de Paul's Matthew Talbot Hostel for homeless people.

Despite his demons and challenges - battles with mental health problems and the impacts of childhood trauma - he bought into the "tough love" and rules the hostel staff insisted upon.

Nine months after he first walked into the Wickham facility, he moved into a housing commission flat in the city's western suburbs - a home of his own.

"I know that alcohol and substance abuse are just catastrophic triggers. There was no alcohol or drugs, no visitors," he said.

"[It was about] unpacking yourself and thinking why am I here? As tough as they were, was as nice as they were."

Danny says he knows too well the value of services like Vinnies' Matthew Talbot Hostel, but that they "need help" from the community.

He shared his story ahead of the St Vincent de Paul CEO Sleep-out - to raise money for homelessness services - on June 18.

An annual event, it will be a sleep-out with a difference this year given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hunter business and community leaders are being encouraged to sleep on their lounge or in their backyard for the event.

Last year, 50 participants raised $195,000.

Matthew Talbot Hostel CEO Karen Soper said all money raised in Newcastle would be used for local services.

She said Vinnies' programs had been challenged financially recently, with coronavirus measures closing op-shops and cutting off an income stream for the charity.

Ms Soper said Vinnies had taken "an absolute hit" but had managed to keep all its essential services running.

Meanwhile, Danny has been working on his next goal - completing another ]masters degree, this time in design.

He loves to use technology to create and also thrives on using Lantana - "using a weed to make something beautiful".

"[The hostel] was the first step towards self-care, love for myself - the basic stuff you need to have empathy for people, moral boundaries of what is good and right and what is wrong," he said.

"It gave me a place to personally mend and heal from trauma.

"You've got to help yourself to get ahead. That's what Matthew Talbot gave me. I had to really start to trust."

People can register, donate or nominate someone for this year's sleep-out at the Vinnies CEO Sleep-out website.