News Release

Latter-day Saint Sleeping Rough for Charity

 

Homelessness is a growing problem in Australia, as with many countries world-wide, with 105,000 (approximately 1 in every 200) Australians homeless on any given night; nearly 18,000 of these are children under 10 years of age.

James Stone, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to do his part and participate in the annual Saint Vincent De Paul CEO Sleep-out, an initiative designed to raise awareness and much needed funds for the many Australians experiencing homelessness.

Recently, outside the Brisbane Powerhouse, 195 CEOs, community and government leaders from around Brisbane gathered together for one night as they slept without shelter on one of the coldest nights of the year.

James said of the experience, “Sleeping out on the cement floor on cardboard, it was really rough. If you think of the people who don’t know when they’ll next sleep in a bed or when they’ll get a spot in a hostel. That’s really tough.”

In addition to sleeping outdoors, each participant was also encouraged to raise funds with all of the donations being used to help provide crucial support and services such as food and accommodation to those in need. James and his colleagues from Console group raised $8500 with James raising over $2000 alone. He did a lot of little things to raise money. He took to Facebook to raise awareness, sent out emails to friends and organised morning teas at work.  

Reflecting on his experience James said, “It helped me be more aware of those around me and their circumstances.  It also made me more appreciative of what I have.  I want to look for more opportunities to serve others and support good causes so that I can be a better participant in my community”.

With 195 participants and over 4900 supporters $975,531 was raised which exceeded the projected goal of $900,000.

For more information about annual The St Vincent De Paul CEO Sleepout, please see:  https://www.ceosleepout.org.au

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