The event's Victorian iteration will be taking place on Thursday, June 21, and will see hundreds of CEOs, business owners, and community and government leaders camping out on one of the coldest nights of the year to support Australians experiencing homelessness.""The event is underpinned by a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, which culminates with participants sleeping on a piece of cardboard at the event and listening to the stories of real people who are experiencing poverty and homelessness,"" states Ms Sue Cattermole, the CEO of Victoria's St Vincent de Paul Society.
Dr. Prash will be one of 183 CEOs participating in the event, and is eager for the opportunity to raise awareness about the pressing issue of homelessness in Australia as well as the need to help organisations assisting disadvantaged people.""My training as a doctor has seen me spend the better part of the last decade working in the public mental health system and as a direct result has made me face up to the dire straits of my many homeless patients,"" states Dr. Prash.""Their struggle was very real, painfully apparent and all around me. Thankfully organisations like Vinnies were always there with open arms to offer shelter and solace, but their good work can only stretch as far as the resources that we make available to them.""The first CEO Sleepout took place in 2006 and has since grown into a major initiative that offers real solutions for disadvantaged Australians. Last year's nation-wide events raised a massive 5.6 million dollars, with Vinnies hoping to make an even bigger impact in 2018.
When you sponsor a team or CEO taking part in the sleep-out, your funds provide tangible support to people needing assistance nation-wide and help to break down the cycle of homelessness. Your donation will directly contribute to:
- funding new Vinnies initiatives;
- providing additional support for existing initiatives, such as food vans and emergency support;
- expanding the reach of Vinnies services to ensure every Australian experiencing homelessness has access to shelter, meals, and emergency assistance.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 116,000 Australians are currently experiencing homelessness. Shockingly, 60% are under 35, 44% are women, and 13% are under 12 years old. These statistics are alarming, but Dr. Prash believes that we can achieve major change by working together.For example, $55 feeds a family for a day, $105 provides emergency accommodation for a family in crisis, $205 relocates a person sleeping on the streets to accommodation services, and $505 helps to pay rent for a family facing eviction.
If you want to help Caleb & Brown combat homelessness in Australia, head over to Dr. Prash's fundraising page to learn more or make a donation. Otherwise, come and see the Sleepout in action on Thursday, June 21 at The University of Melbourne's Parkville campus inside the South Lawn Underground Carpark.When it comes to supporting people in need, every little bit counts!
