Shedding a light on homelessness, our co-founder Erin Evans stepped out of her comfort zone in an effort to raise funds and awareness for over 100,000 homeless Australians. She shared some eye opening insights and take aways.

Hosted at the White Bay cruise terminal, the night kicked off with heartfelt stories from survivors of homelessness. Tears ran deep as mothers, lawyers and directors shared their battles of being homeless with children. She noted that “these women seemed like everyday people, they weren’t any different to the rest of us, but a bad situation, in most cases domestic abuse landed them without a home”.

The sad reality was soon uncovered, only 7% of homeless people are visible on the street, leaving the other 93% relying on shelters, refuges and couch surging to keep a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. Being a mother herself, Erin “could only begin to imagine how painful it must be to be constantly fearful for my child's well being and not be be able to provide the health, stability and home my child needs most. It’s absolutely heartbreaking”.

She reflected on the fact that “homelessness was not discriminative, it could happen to anyone, anywhere”. A bad situation such as domestic abuse, a serious health problem or unexpected event could leave anyone homeless. She noted that "society tends to categorise homeless people into the mental health or alcohol/ drug category and that it’s often not considered that simply a bad situation may have landed them in a scenario where substance abuse is their only perceived means of escape and that it’s not always the other way around."

The night itself was very cold, Erin and the other CEO’s reflected as they shared a modest refuge style dinner and prepared to spend the night out in the cold wind, with only a couple of pieces of cardboard as their only means of shelter. Erin woke every hour in discomfort, one time to the sound of loud bangs and sirens, she “woke up with a startle which reminded me that not only do people who are sleeping rough have to deal with the elements but they need to worry about their safety too. They then need to get up and and face the day after not having access to a shower, warm bed or food to try and break the cycle of poverty, it’s a constant struggle.”

Erin described the Sleepout as an incredible experience that has broadened her perspective and has further elevated her will to make a difference. She’ll begin with implementing initiatives within her own businesses and promises to rally at least 6 more women CEO’s to attend next year's sleepout.

On a final note, Erin “commended Vinnies on the outstanding work organising such a meaningful event and continually providing a lifeline to those in need, Vinnies treats people with dignity, providing a means of support for those who don’t know where to turn next, thank you Vinnies.”

You can read more about Vinnies and how you can help here: https://www.vinnies.org.au/