Volunteer Choir Releases Anthem to Combat Growing Homelessness Crisis
Key Takeaways
- On any given night, 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness (ABS Census 2021).
- One in seven people experiencing homelessness are children under 12 (ABS Census 2021).
- 23 per cent of people experiencing homelessness (almost one in 4) are children and young people between 12 and 24 (ABS Census 2021)
- One in five people experiencing homelessness are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people (ABS Census 2021).
- A powerful new volunteer-led song called 'Homeless' has been curated by 50 volunteer composers, singers and musicians to raise awareness and funding.
- More than 53,000 women and children are experiencing homelessness, with numbers growing due to the increased cost of living and domestic violence.
- Spearheaded by Stan Ghys, the project features a 35-member choir and was professionally recorded at ABC studios.
- The initiative has already raised over $26,000, with all donations going directly to Mission Australia to provide emergency shelter and essential items.
- The campaign is targeting a $1 million fundraising goal to address the scale of the crisis, as over 350 people are turned away from overloaded services daily.
A powerful new volunteer‑led song called Homeless has been curated by 50 volunteer composers, singers and musicians to produce the song to raise both awareness and much needed funding.
Homelessness is increasing across Australia, particularly for women. More than 53,000 women and children are experiencing homelessness and their numbers are growing at an alarming rate. Older women facing financial stress due to the increased cost of living and younger women escaping domestic violence are being turned away from overwhelmed services.
The song, carries the message “Stand up, speak up, don’t give up the fight. Working together, we can make things right” and was recorded at the ABC studios last year.
The initiative began in July 2025 at a songwriting workshop. After a participating doctor shared her frequent encounters with homeless women, 15 aspiring composers including Stan Ghys, collaborated to write an awareness song.
Driven by a passion for music and a desire to make an impact, Stan Ghys formed a 35-member choir of great singers to rehearse and record the track. Impressed by the project, the ABC provided their professional studios and sound engineers for the recording sessions.
However, realising that raising awareness wasn’t enough, Stan expanded the project into a formal fundraiser. Balancing a demanding day job as a senior account manager in a technology company, he managed to produce the song which has raised over $26,000 to date.
The core motivation driving this gruelling effort stems from a poignant, long-standing memory at Circular Quay. Stan initially felt amusement after spotting an elderly woman with whipped cream on her face, only to experience a sobering realisation: she hadn’t enjoyed a fresh treat but had just been scavenging for food through a garbage bin. This project is dedicated to her and everyone else enduring similar hardships.
The Post spoke to Stan Ghys “I aim to raise further awareness and $1 Million given the scale of the current crisis with over 100,000 people homeless in Australia – over 350 are turned away from overloaded services each day”. The song and music video was released in October 2025, just before international homeless day.
To scale the campaign to its ultimate $1 million goal, the strategy relies on combining help from readers and high-profile events. The official fundraising target is currently set at a modest $100,000 to encourage initial donors. Once this threshold is secured with the help of high-net-worth philanthropists, the campaign plans to leverage that momentum to secure broader media and social media coverage.
The 2021 Census revealed that 53,874 women were experiencing homelessness, that represents 81% of the national increase. In September 2026 a new Census will be undertaken across Australia, and we will undoubtedly see an increase in these statistics.
The majority of homelessness is hidden and includes people in crisis accommodation, rooming houses, insecure housing overcrowded dwellings or couch surfing.
- 52% of people seeking homelessness services reported issues with housing affordability or finances as the primary reason they required assistance.
- 28% cite domestic or family violence and abuse as the main reason they need help
- 5% cite other family relationship issues
- 15% cite other issues
- Homelessness is a complex and far-reaching crisis that impacts employment, health and relationships. If you would like to support the project or get involved please reach out to Stan via email
Readers of The Post can hear the song and donate by visiting www.tinyURL.com/MakeThingsRight, with all donations going to Mission Australia, who provide emergency shelter, meals, hygiene packs, clothing, blankets, counselling and other essential items for homeless people, nationally.
