Every night Australia-wide, more than 120,000 people go to sleep without a roof over their heads.
Vinnies’ Sleep Out shines a harsh light on homelessness. Participants and community groups spend a night sleeping rough, being given bread and a cup of soup for dinner and asked to spend the night cold outdoors.
Participants raise funds for homelessness and spread awareness of the realities of rough sleeping. Though only for a night, the experience is eye opening and allows communities to understand and connect with their homeless members, while raising crucial funds.
Vinnies encourages community groups, schools, businesses, and leaders to host and participate in a nearby Community Sleep Out. Donations and sponsors for registered teams and CEOs help to end the battle of homelessness. St Leo’s Catholic College Wahroonga students are participating in St Vincent De Paul’s annual Community Sleep Out.
Chresten Brix-Neilsen is a student at St Leo’s Wahroonga, and President of St Vincent de Paul Society at the school. This is Chresten’s third year involved with the Vinnies Community Sleep Out.
‘This year especially, as President… planning it out and participating has become quite close to me,’ explains Chresten. For last year’s Sleep Out, Chresten was able to personally raise over $500 for homelessness, with St Leo’s Catholic College Wahroonga collectively raising over $35,000 for the cause.
‘Homeless and domestic abuse victims… what we are especially funding is getting money to those people so they can rent a motel for a week while they get themselves sorted,’ says Chresten. ‘There is going to be 100 [participants]. We are all sleeping out on the green.’
With the money raised by these annual Sleep Outs, St Vincent de Paul has been able to assist nearly 2 million struggling Australians. In 2023, the Vinnies Sleep Out reached over $8.9 million in available funds.
For more information:
www.vinnies.org.au/nsw/get-involved/fundraise-for-vinnies-nsw/vinnies-community-sleepout
