Roughing It
June 09th, 2016
Stirling resident and former CEO of Scenestealer Andrew Plumer is getting ready to brace the cold this month to raise money for the homeless throughout Australia as part of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
Sleeping out in Whitmore Square overnight, Andrew will join around 130 CEOs across the state as they take a glimpse into homelessness and the struggle that thousands of Australians go through each night.
With only a cardboard mattress, beanie and a cup of soup to keep them warm, the group of committed leaders will join the fight against homelessness.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics more than 100,000 Australians find themselves homeless and struggling to survive in the harsh overnight conditions.
Without the support of organisations like Vinnies and generous donations from the community, thousands of people would go without as much as a blanket to keep them warm.
Operating since 1884, Vinnies South Australia assists around 100,000 South Australians each year – providing material goods, food and shelter, relief from loneliness and encouragement for people to help themselves.
Last year alone, South Australia raised over $500,000 for those suffering from homelessness throughout the state as part of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
Vinnies provides 17,000 safe night's sleep for 785 homeless men at the Vincentian Centre, serves 30,000 nutritious meals in ten locations across the state, supports 50,000 South Australians who are at risk of homelessness and assists over 5,000 people through the migrant and refugee centre.
This year, due to the increasing demand in services, Vinnies is hoping to raise a record amount of $600,000.
This money will once again go towards the Vincentian Centre and Fred's Van which serves 30,000 warm and nutritious meals to the hungry.
CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society SA David Wark said the CEO Sleepout provides much more than raising much needed money for the homeless.
“Taking part in the sleepout provides a small glimpse into what daily life is like for some people in our community,” he said.
“Homelessness is often associated with older males sleeping rough but it affects a wide range of people in many different ways and situations.
“It provides an opportunity to shed the light on facts such as 23 per cent of South Australians who are homeless are couch surfing and that the leading cause of homelessness is domestic violence.”
However, despite the hard work of Vinnies volunteers there is still so much more that needs to be done to ensure each and every Australian has a roof over their head and some food in their belly.
Over the past six years Andrew has been getting together with his work colleagues and friends to raise money for the much needed cause.
Beginning as a dare with a friend in 2010 Andrew has continued to support those suffering from homelessness – rugging up for one night a year to experience what many Australians go through each night.
“It gives you a real perspective of homelessness – we all have this picture of what we think a homeless person looks like – an old man with a beard sleeping on park benches – but there are lots of young people and families who are homeless as well,” he said.
“It was a bit of a wakeup call for myself the first time I did it – hearing personal stories from those who have been homeless made me realise that we are really only one network away from being homeless.”
Astonishingly 60 per cent of homeless people throughout the country are under the age of 35 and 13 per cent under the age of 12.
Vinnies does not only support those who are homeless but anyone who is on the brinks of becoming homeless.
“It doesn't start when people become homeless – the aim is to try and keep them in their homes,” Andrew said.
“There are so many families living out of their car struggling to survive and we want to help keep them where they need to be.”
Committed to helping those in need Andrew has raised around $30,000 for the organisation all together, with an aim to raise a further $8,000 this year.
“It is a really humbling experience – not your usual business event with champagne and finger food,” Andrew said.
“It is an opportunity for CEOs to show leadership to their staff and bring their team together to raise money for a good cause.
“It's all about the real issues that Australians are going through each and every day.”
The sleepout will take place on June 16-17 from 6pm-7am.
For more information or to register for the event visit ceosleepout.org.au or email the Vinnies team at adelaide@ceosleepout.org.au
If you are not in a leadership role and would like to get involved contact Vinnies about the Community Sleepout at events@svdpsa.org.au
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