The St Vincent de Paul Society has this month officially launched the 2017 Vinnies CEO Sleepout to be held on June 22 at the WACA, asking the WA community to help turn a light on homelessness.
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout provides an opportunity for CEOs and business and community leaders to show leadership in the area of homelessness through fundraising and awareness.
St Vincent de Paul Society’s Acting CEO Adele Stewart said the organisation is asking business leaders to not only raise money for our homelessness services, but become advocates who influence decision-making in the area of homelessness.
“The CEO Sleepout is the largest source of funding for Vinnies homeless services and its success is crucial to the Society continuing its work,” Ms Stewart said.
“On any given night in WA, more than 9,500 people are experiencing homelessness and alarmingly, 25 per john are under the age of 18.”
“Growing unemployment, domestic violence, family breakdown and housing stress are major causes, proving that homelessness can happen to anyone at any time,” Ms Stewart said.
The Society is this year asking leaders to sleep out for one night so that others don’t have to do it for life.
“Obviously this experience is not anything like the reality of being homeless but is just a glimpse as they sleep out on one of the longest and coldest nights of the year,” Ms Stewart said.
“Last year 104 participants raised an incredible $675,000 and in spite of the difficult economic climate we hope to do even better this year,” she said.
The 2017 campaign was launched on April 6 at the Success and Leadership breakfast held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, alongside a life size visual representation of the campaign’s theme of turning a light on homelessness.
In the lead up to the even at the WACA, the visual installation will be displayed in various commercial sites in the CBD and surrounding Metropolitan areas.
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout is held in each State on the same night.
To register, sponsor or donate, visit www.ceosleepout.org.au