LABOR’S Clare Scriven is preparing to sleep without shelter on one of the longest and coldest nights of the year to support the many Australians experiencing homelessness.
With little more than a piece of cardboard and a sleeping bag, the shadow minister will endure plummeting temperatures as she strives to raise $5000 to help the St Vincent de Paul Society provide support to people in crisis.
Ms Scriven will be joined by all members of the shadow cabinet and other business and community leaders in sleeping rough at Adelaide Oval to raise awareness and funds to support Vinnies’ homeless services.
The sleep out will be held nationwide tomorrow and organisers aim to raise $6.4m.
Ms Scriven said the event was an opportunity to gain perspective of the challenges presented to the estimated 6000 South Australians sleeping rough each night.
“We do not imagine to know what its like to be homeless by sleeping out for one night, but it does provide us with some idea of what people in our community are facing,” she said.
“There are no swags and no tents allowed – we are only able to use sleeping bags and a bit of cardboard.
“The temperature is going to be less than 10 degrees, but if someone is homeless they are not able to knock on a door when it gets cold and sleep in a bed.
“But people do not just have to sleep outside to be considered homeless.
“There are a lot of people sleeping in cars or couch surfing because they do not have a home to go to.”
Since its inception in 2006, the Vinnies CEO Sleep Out has raised almost $36.5m to fund Vinnies’ homeless services across Australia.
Almost $400,000 has been raised by the 139 chief executive officers participating in this year’s Adelaide sleep out, which will be hosted by musician Kate Ceberano.
The 2018 event seeks to build on the successes of the previous fundraisers, including last year’s sleep out which raised $5.6m for people experiencing homelessness.
Funds raised at previous events have assisted with the provision of existing homeless services and allows Vinnies’ homelessness services to expand their programs.
