This year, Moira Shire Council director infrastructure services Rachael Gadd will give up her warm bed for a night, sleeping on cardboard in Melbourne’s winter chill on Thursday, June 18.
Ms Gadd was motivated to join her first Vinnies CEO Sleepout by her encounter with a homeless person named Mark.
“Every day, Mark sits in the same place,” she said.
“He sits on the concrete, staring into the distance. He doesn’t beg. No matter the weather, he is there.
“Someone told me he sleeps rough in the park at night.
“At first, I didn’t engage as I walked past. I avoided eye contact.
“But it ate away at me — the stark gap in quality of life between his world and mine.
“This is Australia, the ‘Lucky Country’.”
Ms Gadd said it made her wonder how this happened and what she could possibly do.
“Take a moment to think about a ‘Mark’ or two you may know — the reality is that Mark’s story is not uncommon,” she said.
At the last census, 30,660 Victorians were experiencing homelessness.
Homelessness in Victoria increased by 24 per cent between 2016 and 2021, far outpacing the national average.
And while many people picture homelessness as sleeping rough, less than seven per cent of people without a home are on the streets — most are in cars, couch-surfing, or in unsafe and insecure housing.
One in four are young people aged 12 to 24, more than 6800 are children and many are women and children escaping domestic violence situations.
Ms Gadd said that when an email arrived inviting her to take part in the sleepout, she didn’t hesitate.
“I signed up for Mark,” she said.
“My discomfort for a few hours cannot compare to the reality faced by people experiencing homelessness every day — but it can help make a difference.’’
To donate to Ms Gadd’s fundraising efforts, visit ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/rachaelgadd/victoria
