Before bedding down on cardboard for the night, Ian and Martin took time out to read their latest copy of Kairos. Ian noted that while it was a night of ‘sleeping rough’ he was acutely aware that he did not need to keep an eye out for his personal safety and worldly possessions, as do 100,000 homeless Australians every night of the year.
In Australia in 2014, 58 per cent of people experiencing homelessness are under 35 years of age, 44 per cent are women and 12 per cent are under 12 years of age.
Martin and Ian together raised an impressive $31,000 for the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Ian was the highest fundraiser for Victoria, collecting more than $20,000 from generous friends, family, hospital staff, doctors and suppliers.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital teams conducted a raffle and soup kitchen lunches to boost the fundraising.
Vinnies operates a wide range of homeless services across the country, placing an emphasis on breaking personal cycles of poverty.