The driving force behind the local event – Crystal Jousovec from Mission Australia’s Employment Solutions office in Palm Beach – said she decided to organise a Winter Sleepout because she wanted to help people less fortunate than herself.
“In my job I meet a lot of people who are desperately looking for work as they are at risk of losing their home, or worse, are already homeless,” Crystal said.
“In many cases, it’s not just individuals who are homeless, but families with young children without a stable home.
“Many are couch-surfing at friend’s places or sleeping in their car, because they haven’t got a place of their own. In the toughest cases they are sleeping rough in our community.
“I have experienced homelessness personally myself in a brief moment over a year ago.
“I have a young daughter and I understand the despair of not having anywhere to live. Luckily I had the support of my friends and work mates to help bring me through homelessness and I now have my own unit which I pay rent for.
“I often think of myself as very lucky to have stable full time employment and the ability to pay my rent, have food on the table and a safe place to shower and sleep.
“Sometimes we take these things for granted – and that is why I wanted to organise a Winter Sleepout to build awareness and raise important funding for Mission Australia’s homeless services.”
The Winter Sleepout is being held at Southport Rotaract Youth Club, Lawson Street Southport, tonight from 7pm, with the group aiming to raise $1000 or more.
Raffles will be held on the night, with Jupiters Casino donating one night’s accommodation in a superior room for two adults, including buffet breakfast; and local beauty company True Beauty Revealed donating vouchers for facials and massages at their salon.
Mission Australia’s Winter Sleepout, which was first held in 1988 in Sydney’s Martin Place, is about raising both awareness and funds for Mission Australia’s more than 100 services for homeless people nationally.
Last year, Mission Australia assisted close to 30,000 people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness.
This year’s Winter Sleepout fundraising target is $250,000. With your participation, we can reach this target and help transform the lives of more homeless Australians in 2011.
To find out more about Winter Sleepout or to register, visit: www.wintersleepout.com.au
For more information on tonight’s event at Southport contact (07) 5559 6200
Media Contact: Nicola Hazell (07) 3394 8114 or 0467 783 421
Above photo: The team from Employment Solutions Palm Beach in preparation for their sleepout
No comments:
Post a Comment